Capitalization Rules: Study sheet for Language Test 2
Learn these rules so that you can succeed on your tests and quizzes. These rules
will keep you from guessing whether or not a letter should be capitalized.
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Capitalize…
 Particular persons
o Example: Dr. Epple, Leif Ericson
 Particular places
o Example: North America, Mexico, Florida, Gloucester County,
Atlantic Ocean, Spruce Ave. , Mount McKinley, Yellowstone
National Park
o Special rule: Capitalize regions of the world, but do not
capitalize them if they refer only to a direction.
 They moved to the North. Their friends stayed in the
Southwest.
 Travel north to reach Maine. You will reach Ohio if you
travel southwest.
 Particular things
o
Example: Vietnam War, Valentine’s Day, German, Supreme
Court
o
Special rules:


Do NOT capitalize seasons
Only capitalize class names if there is a number in the
name (English 102, Geography 305)

Capitalize planet names, but only capitalize earth if it is in
the same sentence as other planets.
 Words referring to Diety/Scripture
o
Example: God, Jehovah, New Testament, Leviticus, His will, Lily
of the Valley
 Common nouns that are part of a proper name
o Gloucester County Christian School, Pitman Middle School
 Words formed from proper nouns
o German, Victorian, GCCS, YMCA
 Titles of persons
o Example: Mayor Crumpton, Aunt Sue
o Special rule: Family names are only capitalized if they are being
used in place of the person’s name or as part of their name.
 Example: Mom, can you come here? Vs. Your mom is the
best!
 Example: Dad cannot come to my baseball game. Vs. I
love my dad!
 Example: I think my cousin Drew would like this game.
 Titles of works (paintings, books, poems, songs, etc.)
o
Example: Anne of Green Gables, “The Arrow and the Song,” the
Philadelphia Inquirer
o
Special rule: Insignificant words do not get capitalized unless
they are the first word of the title. The word “the” is normally
not capitalized before the name of a magazine or newspaper.
 First word of sentences
 First word of quoted sentences
o
Example: Patrick Henry said, “Give me liberty, or give me
death!”
 The pronoun “I”
o
Example: I will praise Thee, O Lord, and I will sing of Thee.