Chapter 13
Capitalization
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted
in a license distributed with a certain product or service or otherwise on a password-protected website or school-approved learning
management system for classroom use.
 Sentence Beginnings
Capitalize the first letter of a word
beginning a sentence.
• The Web has
changed the
way we do
business.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-2
 The Pronoun I
Capitalize the pronoun I, no matter where
it appears or how it is used in a sentence.
• If I were you, I’d
accept the position.
• I’m surprised that
I’ve never heard of
that website.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-3
 Proper Nouns
Capitalize proper nouns, including the
specific names of:
—Persons
—Places
― Months and Days
― Nicknames
—Schools
—Streets
― Agreements
― Websites
—Parks
—Buildings
― Software Programs
― Computer Games
—Holidays and Events
― Historical Periods
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-4
 Proper Nouns
Do NOT capitalize common nouns that
make general reference.
•
•
•
•
Gulf Oil Company
Gulf gasoline
Amazon.com site
PowerPoint slides
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-5
 Proper Adjectives
Capitalize most adjectives that are
derived from proper nouns.
• European economy
• Japanese imports
• Victorian attitudes
• Boston baked beans
• Internet legislation
• French doors
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-6
 Proper Adjectives
But do NOT capitalize those adjectives that
have become so common that they have
lost their original meanings.
•
•
•
•
•
•
manila folders
french fries
india ink
china dishes
charley horse
diesel engine
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-7
How can you
tell which
proper
adjectives are
no longer
capitalized?
When in
doubt, consult
a dictionary or
reference manual.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-8
 Geographic Locations
Capitalize the names of specific
geographic locations.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Washington, DC
Los Angeles County
Kansas City
Mediterranean Sea
Mount St. Helens
Mount Vernon
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-9
 Geographic Locations
Do NOT capitalize words such as city of,
state of, or county of when they come
before the geographic locations they are
describing.
• city of San Francisco
• state of Florida
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-10
 Organization Names
Capitalize the principal words in the names
of business, civic, educational,
governmental, labor, military,
philanthropic, political, professional,
religious, sports, and social organizations.
• Society for Technical
Communication
• College of the Redwoods
• United States Navy
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-11
 Organization Names
Generally, do NOT capitalize
committee, company, association,
board, etc., when these words replace
organization names.
If these shortened forms, however, are
used in legal or formal documents and
are preceded by the word the, they
may be capitalized.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-12
 Organization Names
• It appears that the
company is
making a profit.
(Informal document)
• As legal agent of the
Company, I am
authorized to make
purchases. (Formal
document)
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-13
 Academic Courses and Degrees
Capitalize only specific academic courses
and degrees.
• Paige Baker, who holds a master’s degree,
teaches business English.
• Janet G. Adams, EdD, is a professor at
Minnesota State University.
• Have you taken Accounting I or
Business Communications 250?
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-14
 Seasons
Do not capitalize the names of seasons.
• We hire clerks in the fall and winter
only.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-15
Exception to Seasons Rule
• Schools capitalize Fall, Spring, and
Summer when referring to their class
terms.
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
1. The university of Georgia
is offering full
Scholarships.
The University of
Georgia is offering full
scholarships.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-17
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
2. Brooke and i saw many
victorian homes in
Alameda county.
Brooke and I saw many
Victorian homes in
Alameda County.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-18
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
3. Located north of san
francisco is the County of
Marin.
Located north of San
Francisco is the county
of Marin.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-19
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
4. Last Spring they installed
italian marble in the
entry.
Last spring they
installed Italian marble
in the entry.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-20
Try Your Skill
5. Do you want French fries
or chinese chicken salad?
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
Do you want french fries
or Chinese chicken
salad?
You just have to memorize these.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-21
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
6. The united states postal
service offers Online bill
paying.
The United States
Postal Service offers
online bill paying.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-22
Try Your Skill
7. She plans to take Math and
Psychology courses next
Semester.
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
She plans to take math
and psychology courses
next semester.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-23
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
8. Old Navy usually earns its
greatest profits in the
Summer.
Old Navy usually earns
its greatest profits in the
summer.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-24
 Business Correspondence
Components
Capitalize specific words in business
correspondence components that are
included in letters, memos, and e-mail
messages.
• RE: Sales Meeting on Friday
(Subject line)
• Dear Dr. Thorogood (Salutation)
• Yours truly, (Complimentary close)
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-25
 Titles of People
Capitalize courtesy titles (such as Mr.
Mrs., Ms., Miss, and Dr.) when they
precede names.
These titles may represent a person’s
profession, company position, military
rank, religious station, political office,
family relationship, or nobility.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-26
 Titles of People
Courtesy Titles
• Ms. Ann Rivers and Mr. Scott Hammond were
promoted.
Company Titles
• Vice President Wilson and Marketing
Manager Callahan signed the contract.
Religious Titles
• We invited Rabbi Mintz, Archbishop
Timm, and Reverend Curran.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-27
 Titles of People
Political Titles
• Voters favored Mayor Richard Peters
and Senator Paul Smith in the last
election.
Family Titles
• We hope Aunt Rita and Uncle Larry
will travel with us. (Family titles)
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-28
When NOT to Capitalize Titles
Titles Following Names
• Maria Cruz, supervisor of Marketing,
was promoted.
Titles Appearing Alone
• Our vice president met with the
office manager and human
resources director today.
• The president conferred with the
secretary of state before addressing
Congress.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-29
Nobility
• Count Dracula is the nickname given to
Vlad the Impaler.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-30
When NOT to Capitalize Titles
Titles Followed By Appositives
• Our vice president, Mr. Harrison,
reported on income.
Family titles Used With Possessive
Pronouns
• My sister and my cousin
will visit Grandmother next week.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-31
 Numbered and Lettered Items
Capitalize nouns followed by numbers or
letters (except in page, paragraph, line,
size, verse, and vitamin references).
• The meeting is in Room 102, Building
11, at 9 a.m.
• Please consult page 15 in Volume II of
Appendix C.
• On Channel 13 I saw size 16 shoes
advertised.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-32
 Points of the Compass
Capitalize points of the compass when they refer to
specific regions.
• Before you came to the West
Coast, did you spend much
time in the East?
• In the winter many
Midwesterners travel
south to Florida.
You have to know which are recognized
regions. If in doubt, consult a dictionary.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-33
 Departments, Divisions, Offices,
Agencies, and Committees
Capitalize the names of departments, divisions, or
committees. If you don’t know the official name,
don’t capitalize it.
• Our Quality Control Department inspects
every product.
• Have you written to that company’s employment
division?
• The Committee on Equal Opportunities
meets Tuesday.
• An investigation committee may be
appointed.
Chapter 17, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved
13-34
 Governmental Titles
Capitalize the words federal, government,
national, or state only when they are part
of a specific title.
•
•
•
•
federal holidays
a national law
Federal Trade Commission
National Defense Act
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-35
 Product Names
Capitalize product names only when they
represent trademarked items. Except in
advertising, common names following
manufacturers’ names are not capitalized.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pepsi-Cola drink
Big Mac hamburger
DuPont pan
Whirlpool washer
Range Rover truck
Oil of Olay lotion
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-36
 Published and Artistic Titles
Capitalize the principal words in titles of:
—Books, magazines, newspapers, articles
—Movies, plays, albums, songs, poems
—Websites, reports
Do NOT capitalize (unless they begin or end a
title):
—Conjunctions of three or fewer letters (such as
and, or, nor, but)
—The articles a, an, the
—Prepositions of three or fewer letters (such as
in, to, by, for)
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-37
 Published and Artistic Titles
•
•
•
•
•
The Last of the Mohicans
“English As It Is Spoken”
From Russia With Love
Meet and Grow Rich
Something to Hope For
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-38
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
2. She ordered a new
hewlett-packard printer
for her home office.
She ordered a new
Hewlett-Packard printer
for her home office.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-39
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
3. You need to drive South
from Columbus to reach
Cincinnati.
You need to drive south
from Columbus to reach
Cincinnati.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-40
Try Your Skill
4. Her favorite film is The
Sound Of Music.
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
Her favorite film is The
Sound of Music.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-41
Try Your Skill
5. He would love to get a job
with the Government.
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
He would love to get a job
with the government.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-42
Try Your Skill
6. SUBJECT: Sign medical
release form by friday
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
SUBJECT: Sign Medical
Release Form by Friday
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-43
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
7. The department of
homeland security issued
a statement.
The Department of
Homeland Security
issued a statement.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-44
 Beginning Words
Capitalize the first words in quoted
sentences, independent phrases,
enumerated items, formal rules or
principles following colons.
Quotation
• Mario Fernandez said, “Rise above
the storm and you will find the
sunshine.”
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-45
 Beginning Words
Independent Phrase
• Would you like a cup of tea? Yes, for a
change. (Independent phrase)
Enumerated Items
• Depreciation on assets may be calculated
as follows:
1. Straight-line method
2. Sum-of-the-years-digits method
3. Declining-balance method
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-46
 Laws, Bills, Acts, Treaties, and
Amendments
Capitalize the official names of
government laws, bills, acts, treaties, and
amendments.
• The Fair Labor Standards
Act established minimum wage and
overtime laws.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-47
 Celestial Bodies
Capitalize the names of celestial bodies
— Planets, planet satellites
— Stars, constellations, and asteroids)
Do NOT capitalize the terms earth, sun,
or moon unless they appear with other
celestial bodies.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-48
 Ethnic References
Capitalize terms that relate to a particular
culture, language, or race.
• Both Persian and Hebrew
traditions were respected.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-49
 Words Following Marked and
Stamped
Capitalize words that
follow marked or
stamped.
 The box of bottles
was stamped
“Handle With
Care.”
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-50
 Titles in Official Documents
The title of an official may be capitalized if it
appears within an official document.
• The Human Resources
Director shall be our
representative in collective
bargaining. (Appearing in
company bylaws)
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-51
 Ex, Elect, Late, and Former
The words ex, elect, late, and former are
not capitalized when used with titles.
• She read the memoirs of ex-President
Johnson.
• Senator-elect Hollings is to be the
speaker.
• We think that former Vice President
Searle will be named CFO.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-52
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
1. Kim Hunter, mba,
received her Bachelor’s
degree from ohio
university in athens.
Kim Hunter, MBA,
received her bachelor’s
degree from Ohio
University in Athens.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-53
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
2. Your reservations are for
flight 32 on american
airlines leaving from
gate 14.
Your reservations are for
Flight 32 on American
Airlines leaving from
Gate 14.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-54
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
3. In the Fall Matt enrolled
in history, spanish, and
business marketing.
In the fall Matt enrolled
in history, Spanish, and
business marketing.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-55
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
4. Either the President or the
Vice President must make
the decision about
purchasing Dell Computers.
Either the president or the
vice president must make
the decision about
purchasing Dell computers.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-56
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
5. Before moving to the
west coast, our manager
lived in the south.
Before moving to the
West Coast, our
manager lived in the
South.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-57
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
6. In our engineering
department, we need
special keyboards with
greek symbols.
In our Engineering
Department, we need
special keyboards with
Greek symbols.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-58
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
7. To reach austin, drive
South on highway 81 until
you reach exit 5.
To reach Austin, drive
south on Highway 81
until you reach Exit 5.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-59
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
8. The civil rights act of 1964
prohibited Employment
Discrimination.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
prohibited employment
discrimination.
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-60
Try Your Skill
Make any
needed
corrections to
capitalization.
9. How in the World did you
miss chart 4 that
appeared in diagram 21
of appendix B?
How in the world did
you miss Chart 4 that
appeared in Diagram 21
of Appendix B?
© 2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Business English, 11e, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer
13-61