Reference: http://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.

asp

CapitalizationRules
Capitalization is the writing of a word with its first letter in
uppercase and the remaining letters in lowercase. Experienced
writers are stingy with capitals. It is best not to use them if
there is any doubt.

Rule 1. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first

word after a period.

Rule 2. Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from

proper nouns.

Examples:
the Golden Gate Bridge
the Grand Canyon
a Russian song
a Shakespearean sonnet
a Freudian slip

With the passage of time, some words originally derived from

proper nouns have taken on a life, and authority, of their own
and no longer require capitalization.

Examples:
herculean (from the ancient-Greek hero Hercules)
quixotic (from the hero of the classic novel Don Quixote)
draconian (from ancient-Athenian lawgiver Draco)

The main function of capitals is to focus attention on

particular elements within any group of people, places, or
things. We can speak of a lake in the middle of the country , or
 we can be more specific and say Lake Michigan, which
distinguishes it from every other lake on earth.

Capitalization Reference List

Brand names

Companies

Days of the week and months of the year

Governmental matters
Congress (but congressional), the U.S.
Constitution (but constitutional), the Electoral College,
Department of Agriculture. Note: Many authorities do not
capitalize federal or state unless it is part of the official
title: State Water Resources Control Board, but state water
board; Federal Communications Commission, but federal
regulations.

Historical episodes and eras

the Inquisition, the American Revolutionary War, the Great
Depression

Holidays

Institutions
Oxford College, the Juilliard School of Music

Manmade structures
the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Titanic

Manmade territories
Berlin, Montana, Cook County
 Natural and manmade landmarks
Mount Everest, the Hoover Dam

Nicknames and epithets

Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson; Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat

Organizations
American Center for Law and Justice, Norwegian Ministry of
the Environment

Planets
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, but
policies vary on capitalizing earth, and it is usually not
capitalized unless it is being discussed specifically as a
planet: We learned that Earth travels through space at 66,700
miles per hour.

Races, nationalities, and tribes

Eskimo, Navajo, East Indian, Caucasian, African
American (Note: white and black in reference to race are
lowercase)

Religions and names of deities

Note: Capitalize the Bible (but biblical). Do not
capitalize heaven, hell, the devil, satanic.

Special occasions
the Olympic Games, the Cannes Film Festival

Streets and roads

Lowercase Reference List

 Here is a list of categories not capitalized unless an item
contains a proper noun or proper adjective (or, sometimes, a
trademark). In such cases, only the proper noun or adjective is
capitalized.

Animals
antelope, black bear, Bengal tiger, yellow-bellied sapsucker,
German shepherd

Elements
Always lowercase, even when the name is derived from a
proper noun: einsteinium, nobelium, californium

Foods
Lowercase except for brand names, proper nouns and
adjectives, or custom-named recipes: Tabasco sauce, Russian
dressing, pepper crusted bluefin tuna, Mandy's Bluefin
Surprise

Heavenly bodies besides planets

Never capitalize the moon or the sun.

Medical conditions
Epstein-Barr syndrome, tuberculosis, Parkinson's disease

Minerals

Plants, vegetables, and fruits

poinsettia, Douglas fir, Jerusalem artichoke, organic celery,
Golden Delicious apples

Seasons and seasonal data

spring, summertime, the winter solstice, the autumnal
equinox, daylight saving time
Rule 3. A thorny aspect of capitalization: where does it stop?
When does the Iraq war become the Iraq War? Why is the
legendary Hope Diamond not the Hope diamond? Everyone
writes New York City, so why does the Associated Press
Stylebook recommend New York state? There aren't always easy
formulas or logical explanations. Research with reference books
and search engines is the best strategy.

In the case of brand names, companies are of little help, because

they capitalize any word that applies to their
merchandise. Domino's Pizza or Domino's pizza? Is it Ivory
Soap or Ivory soap, a Hilton Hotel or a Hilton hotel? Most writers
don't capitalize common nouns that simply describe the products
(pizza, soap, hotel), but it's not always easy to determine where a
brand name ends. There is Timemagazine but also the New York
Times Magazine. No one would argue with Coca-Cola or Pepsi
Cola, but a case could be made for Royal Crown cola.

If a trademark starts with a lowercase word or letter (e.g., eBay,

iPhone), many authorities advise capitalizing it to begin a
sentence.

Example: EBay opened strong in trading today.

Rule 4. Capitalize titles when they are used before names,
unless the title is followed by a comma. Do not capitalize the
title if it is used after a name or instead of a name.

Examples:
The president will address Congress.
Chairman of the Board William Bly will preside at the
conference.
 The chairman of the board, William Bly, will preside.
The senators from Iowa and Ohio are expected to attend.
Also expected to attend are Senators Buzz James and
Eddie Twain.
The governors, lieutenant governors, and attorneys general
called for a special task force.
Governor Fortinbrass, Lieutenant Governor Poppins, and
Attorney General Dalloway will attend.
NOTE

Out of respect, some writers and publishers choose to

capitalize the highest ranks in government, royalty, religion,
etc.

Examples:
The President arrived.
The Queen spoke.
The Pope decreed.

Many American writers believe this to be a wrongheaded policy

in a country where, theoretically, all humans are perceived as
equal.

Rule 5. Titles are not the same as occupations. Do not

capitalize occupations before full names.

Examples:
director Steven Spielberg
owner Helen Smith
coach Biff Sykes

Sometimes the line between title and occupation gets blurred.

One example is general manager: is it a title or an occupation?
Opinions differ. Same with professor: the Associated Press
Stylebook considers professor a job description rather than a
title, and recommends using lowercase even before the full
name: professor Robert Ames.

However, titles replacing someone's first name are generally

capitalized.

Example: Here comes Professor Ames.

Rule 6a. Capitalize a formal title when it is used as a direct
address. The more formal the title, the more likely it is to be
capitalized.

Examples:
Will you take my temperature, Doctor?
We're sorry to report, Captain, that we're headed for choppy
waters.
That's what you say, mister.
Good afternoon, sweetheart.
Rule 6b. Capitalize relatives' family names (kinship names)
when they immediately precede a personal name, or when they
are used alone in place of a personal name.

Examples:
I found out that Mom is here.
You look good, Grandpa.
Andy and Opie loved Aunt Bee's apple pies.

However, these monikers are not capitalized when they are

used with possessive nouns or pronouns, or when they follow
the personal name, or when they do not refer to a specific
person.
 Examples:
My mom is here.
Joe's grandpa looks well.
The James brothers were notorious robbers.
There's not one mother I know who would allow that.
Rule 6c. Capitalize nicknames in all cases.

Examples:
Meet my brothers, Junior and Scooter.
I just met two guys named Junior and Scooter.
Rule 7. Capitalize specific geographical regions. Do not
capitalize points of the compass.

Examples:
We had three relatives visit from the West.
Go west three blocks and then turn left.
We left Florida and drove north.
We live in the Southeast.
We live in the southeast section of town.
Most of the West Coast is rainy this time of year. (referring
to the United States)
The west coast of Scotland is rainy this time of year.

Some areas have come to be capitalized for their fame or

notoriety:

Examples:
I'm from New York's Upper West Side.
I'm from the South Side of Chicago.
You live in Northern California; he lives in Southern
California.
Rule 8. In general, do not capitalize the word the before proper
nouns.

Examples:
We visited the Grand Canyon.
They're fans of the Grateful Dead.

In special cases, if the word the is an inseparable part of

something's official title, it may be capitalized.

Example: We visited The Hague.

Rule 9. It is not necessary to capitalize city, town, county, etc.,
if it comes before the proper name.

Examples:
the city of New York
New York City
the county of Marin
Marin County
Rule 10a. Always capitalize the first word in a complete
quotation, even midsentence.

Example: Lamarr said, "The case is far from over, and we

will win."
Rule 10b. Do not capitalize quoted material that continues a
sentence.

Example: Lamarr said that the case was "far from over" and
that "we will win."
Rule 11. For emphasis, writers sometimes capitalize a
midsentence independent clause or question.
 Examples:
One of her cardinal rules was, Never betray a friend.
It made me wonder, What is mankind's destiny?
Rule 12. Capitalize the names of specific course titles, but not
general academic subjects.

Examples:
I must take history and Algebra 101.
He has a double major in European economics and
philosophy.
Rule 13. Capitalize art movements.

Example: I like Surrealism, but I never understood Abstract

Expressionism.
Rule 14. Do not capitalize the first item in a list that follows a
colon.

Example: Bring the following: paper, a pencil, and a snack.

For more on capitalization after a colon, go to "Colons," Rules

1, 3, and 4.

Rule 15. Do not capitalize "the national anthem."

Rule 16a. Composition titles: which words should be

capitalized in titles of books, plays, films, songs, poems,
essays, chapters, etc.? This is a vexing matter, and policies
vary. The usual advice is to capitalize only the "important"
words. But this isn't really very helpful. Aren't all words in a
title important?
 The following rules for capitalizing composition titles are
virtually universal.

Capitalize the title's first and last word.

Capitalize all adjectives, adverbs, and nouns.

Capitalize all pronouns (including it).

Capitalize all verbs, including the verb to be in all forms

(is, are, was, has been, etc.).

Capitalize no, not, and the interjection O (e.g., How Long

Must I Wait, O Lord?).

Do not capitalize an article (a, an, the) unless it is first or

last in the title.

Do not capitalize a coordinating

conjunction (and, or, nor, but, for, yet, so) unless it is first or
last in the title.

Do not capitalize the word to, with or without an infinitive,

unless it is first or last in the title.

Otherwise, styles, methods, and opinions vary; for instance,

certain short conjunctions (e.g., as, if, how, that) are capped
by some, lowercased by others.

A major bone of contention is prepositions. The Associated

Press Stylebookrecommends capitalizing all prepositions of
more than three letters (e.g., with, about, across). Other
authorities advise lowercase until a preposition reaches five or
more letters. Still others say not to capitalize any preposition,
even big words like regarding or underneath.
Hyphenated words in a title also present problems. There are
no set rules, except to always capitalize the first element, even
if it would not otherwise be capitalized, such as to in My To-go
Order (some would write My To-Go Order). Some writers,
editors, and publishers choose not to capitalize words
following hyphens unless they are proper nouns or proper
adjectives (Ex-Marine but Ex-husband). Others capitalize any
word that would otherwise be capped in titles (Prize-
Winning, Up-to-Date).

Rule 16b. Many books have subtitles. When including these, put
a colon after the work's title and follow the same rules of
composition capitalization for the subtitle.

Example: The King's English: A Guide to Modern Usage

Note that A is capitalized because it is the first word of the
subtitle.

Note that A is capitalized because it is the first word of the

subtitle.

Suppose you are reviewing a book whose title on the cover is

in capital letters: THE STUFF OF THOUGHT. Beneath, in
smaller capital letters, is the subtitle, LANGUAGE AS A WINDOW INTO HUMAN
NATURE. All sides would agree that the main title should be

written, The Stuff of Thought. But depending on which

capitalization policy you choose, the subtitle might be any of
the following:

Language As a Window Into Human Nature

Language as a Window Into Human Nature
Language As a Window into Human Nature
Language as a Window into Human Nature
Any title of more than two words can be a challenge. How
would you capitalize a title such as not yet rich? Since the first
and last word in any title are always capitalized, the only
question is whether to cap yet. In this case, yet is an adverb,
and adverbs are always capped. So make it Not Yet Rich.

Now suppose the title is rich yet miserable. This time yet is
one of the seven coordinating conjunctions (the others
are and, or, nor, but, for, and so). Since coordinating
conjunctions are not capitalized in titles, the right answer
is Rich yet Miserable.

Here are two correctly capitalized titles: Going up the

Road and Going Up in a Balloon. In the first title, up is a
preposition, and short prepositions are not capitalized. In the
second title, Up is an adverb and should be capped.

Along the same lines, compare the following three sentences: I

Got It off the Internet, Please Put It Off for Today, and I Hit the
Off Switch. In the first example, the preposition off is
lowercase. But the word must be capped in the second
example because put off, meaning "to postpone," is a two-word
phrasal verb (a verb of two or more words). One-word
verbs, helping verbs, and phrasal verbs are always
capitalized. Off is also capped in the third sentence because
the word functions as an adjective in that title, and adjectives
are always capitalized.

Although the seven coordinating conjunctions are not

capitalized, you may have noticed there are many more than
seven conjunctions in English. Most of these are
called subordinating conjunctions, because they join a
subordinate clause to a main clause. Familiar examples
include as, although, before, since, until, when.

There are three approaches to capping subordinating

conjunctions: capitalize them all, lowercase them all, or
capitalize them if they are words of four letters or more. Take
your pick.

Capitalizing composition titles is fraught with gray areas. Pick

a policy and be consistent.