Capital Punishment

Today, I’m going to introduce you to a very good friend of mine. Readers, this is Shift Key. Shift Key, these are my readers. You might remember each other from many years ago back in school, but I’m really hoping you can become reacquainted. Because, readers, you want Shift Key to be your friend. Really you do, because if Shift Key is not your friend, he will tell the world many ugly things about you. For example, he will let the world know that you don’t think enough about yourself to capitalize the pronoun, “I.” And then – oh, how people will talk!

Seriously, we all know what the shift key does, but I’ve noticed that many people are reluctant to use it because they aren’t sure what, exactly, to capitalize. So here they are, the basic rules of capitalization. Read them. Learn them. Memorize them. Share them. Ready?

1. The first letter of a sentence is always a capital letter. Always. No exceptions. This includes a quoted sentence within a sentence.

The woman said, “You should share your cookies with me.”

2. The pronoun I is always capitalized. Always. No exceptions. I mean it. Don’t mess with me on this one.

3. Proper nouns are always capitalized, including the names of countries, organizations, languages, buildings, deities, athletic groups, courses and nationalities. (Hint: If it's a name -capitalize it.)

English
Starbucks
Disneyland
Scotland
Microsoft

Algebra II
Green Bay Packers
Wood’s Humane Society

The Virgin Mary

4. Capitalize the days of the week and months of the year, but not the seasons unless they are used in a title.

Friday
October
My favorite season is autumn.
The 2008 Summer Olympics

5. A person’s title is capitalized when it precedes a name.

Queen Elizabeth
President Obama

Or, when it follows a name on a signature line.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth McGregor, Cookie Monster

Or, if you are using it to directly address someone.

Are cookies bad for me, Doctor?

But not when it is used to describe someone.

Elizabeth is a cookie monster.

6. Directions that are part of a name or region are capitalized.

They moved to the Northeast.
She is from Southern California.

Compass directions are not.

Turn east on Marsh Street.

7. Capitalize abbreviations and words derived from specific names.

USA
Freudian slip
Napoleonic

Unless they are commonly used in a general sense.

french fries
pasteurized milk

8. In the title of a publication or printed work, capitalize all words except articles or short prepositions, (a, an, in, the) and always capitalize the first and last word, regardless of length and part of speech.

A Whack on the Side of the Head
The Old Man and the Sea

To Kill a Mockingbird

Now that I’ve overwhelmed you with all of these rules, I’ll drop the other shoe. While it has been my experience that most people avoid the use of the shift key, there are some who feel the need to Capitalize almost Every Word. I have a dear friend who capitalizes pronouns as though they were proper nouns, bless his heart. He’ll write things like, “Do You ever hear from Her?” In his case it’s endearing, but incorrect nonetheless.

Capitalization is notoriously one of those language issues that causes scholars and grammarians to fight like little schoolchildren. The Chicago Manual of Style dedicates about 15 pages to the subject of capitalization and all of its rules and exceptions to rules. Like most things in our language, there are clear rules of usage, and rules that are open to interpretation. The above list is not intended to be the last word in rules for upper-case usage, but a basic guide to assist you in determining when to use your new friend, Shift Key. If you have any question and you can’t seem to find your copy of The Chicago Manual of Style, give me shout; I’ll be happy to help.

Write on!