  General uses: 1. Use a capital letter to begin every sentence and every word or group of words punctuated as a sentence. Welcome! We are glad to see you. This rule does not apply to literal reproductions of matter not originally conforming to it. 2. Use a capital letter to begin every line of poetry. The Lord hates a quitter, But he doesn’t hate him, son, When the quitter’s quitting something He shouldn’t have begun. [that This rule does not apply to turned over lines like the third line in the stanza just preceding. 3. Use a capital letter to begin every quotation consisting of a complete sentence. Ben Franklin says, “Honesty is the best policy.” The campaign was “a punitive expedition for the suppression of brigandage.” Capitalize: 1. Names of the Deity, of the members of the Trinity, of the Virgin Mary, and of the Devil, when a personal devil is referred to. When the word devil is used as a general term or as an expletive the capital is not used. 2. Nouns and adjectives used to designate the Deity or any member of the Trinity: the Almighty, the Ruler of the Universe, the Supreme Architect of the Universe, the Creator, Providence (personified), Heaven (personified, e. g., Heaven forbid!), Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Spirit, Messiah, and the like. Almighty Care needs to be taken with words of this class. Particular attention should be paid to the wording of rule 2, just given. The same words in other senses or other connections are not capitalized. Heaven and hell and derived adjectives are not capitalized in their ordinary uses: Adjectives and other derivatives from these words are not capitalized. We write Messiah, but messianic and messiahship; Christology but christological, fatherhood, sonship, and the like. Such words as deity, god, and the like are not capitalized where any but the God of the Bible is referred to. 3. Pronouns referring to God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit in direct address or where there might otherwise be ambiguity. These pronouns are not capitalized in the Bible. They are generally capitalized in hymn books and books of devotion. These pronouns were formerly all capitalized as a mark of respect to God whenever there was any mention of him, even indirect. The tendency is more and more to eliminate them except in the second person (direct address). In view of the change now going on it is best to follow copy if the author appears to have decided preferences. Book of Job, Twenty-third Psalm, 5. General biblical terms and titles of parables. The Law, The Prophets, Major and Minor Prophets (referring to the collections of prophetic books), Lord’s Prayer, Lord’s Supper, Parable of the Prodigal Son, the Beatitudes, the Priestly Code and many other such terms. Use lower-case for biblical and scriptural. 6. Capitalize Holy in Holy place and Holy of holies. Say Gospel of John, but speak of the gospel message. 7. The names of religious bodies and their followers. Catholic, Protestant, Unitarian, Methodist, Buddhists, Taoists, Lamas. 8. The names of monastic orders and their followers. Jesuits, Brothers of the Common Life, Recollets, Crutched Friars, Cowley Fathers. 9. The word Church when it stands for the Church universal or is a part of the name of some particular denomination or organization. For salvation he sought the Church. 10. The names of creeds and professions of faith. Apostle’s Creed, Thirty-nine Articles, Nicene Creed. Note that the adjective ante-Nicene is printed as it here appears. 11. The word “father” when used in direct reference to the fathers of the church, and to the Pilgrim leaders of New England, and the word “reformers” when used of the leaders of the Reformation. The ante-Nicene Fathers. The capitalization of “reformer” is intended to distinguish persons connected with a certain definite historical movement from persons interested in reform. Many persons might consider that the Reformers were not reformers. 12. Names of persons. John Smith, But write John o’ Groat, Tam o’ Shanter, and the like where o’ is an abbreviation of of and not the GÆlic O’ as O’Neil, etc. In writing foreign names which contain particles, capitalize the particles when not preceded by a Christian name or title. Alfred de Musset but De Musset, By exception the Dutch particle “van” is always capitalized. Van Hoorn, Stephen Van RensselÆr. 13. Epithets appended to proper names or substituted for them. Frederick the Great 14. Names of races of men. Aryan, Caucasian, etc., but generally negro and gypsy, by exception. 15. Names of places. a. Cities, rivers, oceans, lakes, mountains, etc. Chicago The following tables are taken from A Manual for Writers by John Matthews Manley and John Arthur Powell (University of Chicago Press, Chicago). Subject to the rule just stated, they will be found very useful. Capitalize, in singular form only, when immediately following the name Archipelago Capitalize in singular or plural form when immediately following the name Hill Capitalize, in singular form, either before or after the name; and in plural form before the name Bay b. Names of streets, squares, parks, buildings, etc. Amsterdam Avenue Printers should keep a careful watch on the usage of the best offices so as to keep advised as to the progress of these changes. c. Nouns, and adjectives derived from them designating recognized geographical divisions of a country or of the world. East, West, North, South, When these words are used in their ordinary significance of mere direction or location they are not capitalized except that in writing of Biblical history we speak of the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom into which Solomon’s territory was split after his death. 16. Generic terms for political divisions. a. When the term is part of the name and directly follows it. Holy Roman Empire b. When it is used with the preposition of in such phrases as Borough of the Bronx, Department of the Gulf. c. When part of a nickname, The Crescent City, the Buckeye State, the City of Brotherly Love. Be careful not to capitalize such words when they are not an actual part of the name. French Republic is the name of the county, exactly translating Republique Francaise, but American republic is not such a name. You would write State of New York in a legal document in which the state would be considered as a corporate person, but in ordinary references it would be state of New York. Monday the fifth of August. But write ten o’clock, nine a.m., ten p.m. 18. Festivals and historic or famous days. Easter Day 19. Stars, planets, constellations, and the like, except sun, moon, stars, earth. Mars, the Milky Way, the Pleiades. 20. Ordinal numbers used to designate numbered political divisions, sessions of Congress, names of regiments, Egyptian dynasties, and the like. Second Congressional District, 21. Names of genera but not of species: except that in botanical and zoÖlogical copy the species may be capitalized if derived from a proper name. Agaricus campestris The English derivatives from these scientific words are not capitalized. We write of the agarics, the felids, the carnivores, etc. 22. Father, mother, and other words denoting relationship when used with a proper name or without a personal pronoun. I saw Aunt Lucy and Cousin Charles. Republican, National Liberal, Social Democrats, Stoics (but neo-Platonism, pseudo-Christianity, etc.) the Lake school, the Romantic movement, the Symbolic school of painters. 24. Political and historical designations which have been much used and have come to have special significances such as names of leagues, parties, classes, movements, and the like. Holy Alliance, Dreibund, Roundheads, Independents, Reformation, Dissenter. 25. Names of well-known historic epochs, periods in the history of language, and geological ages and strata. The word “age” is not capitalized except when necessary to avoid ambiguity. Stone age, Middle Ages, Age of Elizabeth, Crusades, Commune (of Paris), Middle English, Neolithic. 26. Names of important events. Hundred Years War, Battle of Trenton, 27. Names of specific treaties, important laws, and the like. Peace of Amiens, Edict of Nantes, Concordat, Emancipation Proclamation, Fourteenth Amendment. 28. Names of governmental bodies and departments and their branches when specifically designated. Congress, the Senate, the Board of Aldermen, the House of Commons, the Committee on Education. Care must be taken to distinguish between these specific references and general uses of the same word. The state legislature of Massachusetts is officially termed the General Court. The matter was referred to the War Department but was sent back on the ground that it belonged to another department. Knights Templars, Knights of Columbus, Associated Charities, Cook County Normal School, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. In long titles, like the last example given, the important words are capitalized as in book titles (see Sec. 31). Use capitals when referring to such organizations by initials, C.R.I. & P.R.R. Here again it must be remembered that the capitals are used in specific references only. The Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor of the Third Congregational Church. The young people’s societies connected with the Congregational churches do great good. 30. The names of conventions, congresses, expositions, etc. Parliament of Religions, 31. The first words, principal words, and last word in English tides of books and other publications; of their divisions (parts, chapters, cantos, etc.); of the topics of speeches, sermons, toasts, and the like; of pictures; of plays; of musical compositions, etc. In long titles nouns and pronouns are capitalized always; verbs, participles, and adverbs usually; articles, prepositions and conjunctions never. Standard Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Paradise Lost, Measure for Measure, A New Way to Pay Old Debts, The Coronation of Charles VII at Rheims, the Moonlight Sonata. The Printer’s Dictionary. The Life and Times of Charles V. the Review of Reviews, the Laacoon, the Fifth Symphony. 32. Dedications; headings of parts and chapters; headings of many important minor parts of a book. To All Who Love Good Printing. 33. In foreign languages the usage is somewhat different. The following rules will be found useful: a. Always capitalize the first word. b. In Latin capitalize only proper nouns and adjectives derived therefrom. Commentarii CÆsaris de bello Gallico. c. In French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, and Norwegian, capitalize proper names but not adjectives derived therefrom. La vie de Ronsard; Histoire de la litterature francaise, Novelle e racconti popolari italiani, Antologia de poetas liricos castellanos. d. In German capitalize all nouns and all adjectives derived from the names of persons but not those derived from other proper nouns. Geschichte des deutsches Reich e. In Danish capitalize all nouns. f. In Dutch capitalize all nouns and all adjectives derived from proper nouns. 34. Titles of ancient manuscripts. Codex Alexandrinus. 36. In side heads capitalize the first word and proper nouns only. 37. Personal titles as follows: a. Titles preceding a name and so forming part of it. King George V. But not otherwise. Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States, the emperor of Germany, the present king of Spain is Alfonso XIII. b. Titles used in place of the name with reference to a particular person or to the present holder of an office. I hope when in Rome to see the Pope. c. Familiar names applied to a particular person. the Father of his Country. d. Orders of knighthood and titles attached to them. Knight of the Garter, e. Titles used in direct address. Good morning, Mr. President. f. Academic degrees in abbreviated form following a name. David Starr Jordan, Ph. D., LL.D. So also letters following a name indicating membership of certain scientific and artistic organizations. F.R.G.S. (Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society). So also in the United States and Great Britain, M.C. (Member of Congress) and M.P. (Member of Parliament). . John Smith, A.M., D.D., Ph. D., L.H.D., D.C.L., LL.D. is by no means impossible. In such a case the titles become much more prominent than the name and the page is disfigured by the spotty appearance of the text. Small capitals may sometimes be used with good effect in such a case but this should not be done without obtaining proper permission. The difficulty of handling these long and numerous titles in the composition of title pages is sometimes considerable. Three methods of dealing with the difficulty are open. a. The honorary titles may be put in capitals regardless of the unsightly appearance of the line. b. The honorary titles may be put in a small size of the same face and justified in the line. This lessens the undue prominence of the titles, but puts the line out of balance. c. The honorary titles may be put in a separate line, or lines, below the name, set in small type, and spelled out in full. It is not necessary to capitalize jr. and sr. in lower-case text matter unless so desired by the author. In compound titles capitalize each word if it would be capitalized separately. Major General Leonard Wood, 38. Names of things personified. Nature, Vice, Thrift, and the like. 39. Adjectives derived from proper nouns. The Elizabethan age. roman type, india ink, chinese white, volt, watt, boycott, platonic, bohemian. 40. The first word of a direct quotation. As he turned to go he said: “Farewell, we shall never meet again.” 41. The first word after “Whereas” and “Resolved” in resolutions. WHEREAS. It has pleased God.... 42. The first word after a colon when the colon introduces a logically complete phrase not very closely connected with what precedes. My conclusion is: A policy of consistent neutrality is the only proper one for the country. As the proverb well says: Beware the anger of a patient man. 43. O interjection, but not oh unless it begins a sentence. In Latin sentences of exclamation, denunciation or appeal the lower-case o is used. O tempora, o mores temporum. 44. The first personal pronoun I wherever it occurs. 45. Emphasized words. We stand for Liberty and Union. This use should be avoided except for advertising display, or job work. We call attention to our Stock of Boots, Shoes, and Furnishings. |
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