The Writer's Desk Book. William Dana Orcutt
of the person or without a possessive pronoun: e.g., I expect to meet my mother, but, I have received a telegram from Mother; My aunt gave me this, but, It is a present from Aunt Mary.
TITLES
Capitalize:
1. The word State when it refers to a political division of the Union: e.g., the State {25} of Massachusetts; but use lower case when the word is employed as an adjective.
2. The words Federal, Government, Constitution, Cabinet, Administration when they refer to United States Government, and President when referring to the President of the United States.
3. All titles of honor, nobility, and respect: e.g., His Excellency, Her Majesty, Father William, Mother Hubbard, Cousin John, Deacon Smith.
4. Civil and military titles when they are used specifically: e.g., President Taft, King George, the Governor, General Grant, etc.; but do not capitalize the titles of offices actually existing when following the name: e.g., William H. Taft, president of the United States.
5. The names of societies: e.g., Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor, Boston Congregational Club, Second Church Parish.
6. Names of expositions, conventions, etc.: e.g., Brockton Fair, Congress of Physiology, etc.
7. Abbreviations of degrees: e.g., PhD., LL.D., Litt.D., omitting space between the letters.
8. Such titles as von, in German, le, la, du, de, or d’, in French, da, della, di, or de’, etc., in Italian, when the forename is not given: e.g., Von Humboldt, Da Ponte; but when the article or preposition is preceded by {26} a forename the title should not be capitalized: e.g., Lorenzo de’ Medici. Van in Dutch is always capitalized.
9. After Whereas and Resolved, followed by a comma, begin the first word with a capital; e.g., WHEREAS, It has pleased Almighty God … ; therefore be it Resolved, That …
10. After a colon, capitalize the first word only when followed by a complete independent sentence or passage or where preceded by such introductory phrases as namely, as follows, for instance, the point is this, my conclusion is this, etc.
11. In titles of books or essays all words except unimportant adjectives, prepositions, and conjunctions: e.g., The Fall of the House of Usher.
Do not capitalize:
1. Adjectives compounded with an inseparable prefix with proper names; e.g., transatlantic, unamerican.
2. The words apostle, pope, bishop, canon, rector, chaplain, minister, etc., when separated from names or used descriptively: e.g., the apostle Paul; but in direct address they should be capitalized: e.g., “O Apostle Paul.”
INSTITUTIONAL TERMS
Capitalize:
1. Thanksgiving Day, Lord’s Day, New Year’s Day, the Fourth (referring to the {27} Fourth of July), Children’s Day, Easter, Founder’s Day, etc.
2. The word College or University only when part of the title: e.g., Amherst College, Harvard University.
3. Political alliances and terms which have acquired similar significance: e.g., the Dreibund, the Insurgents.
4. Titles of treaties, laws, and acts: e.g., the Treaty of Portsmouth, the Declaration of Independence, the Edict of Nantes.
5. Names of political parties: e.g., Republican, Democrat, etc.; but use lower case for republican form of government, a true democrat, etc., where reference is not made to members of political parties.
6. Names and epithets of races, tribes, and peoples: e.g., Hottentots, Celestials, etc.; but use lower case for negro, colored people, the blacks, the whites, poor whites, etc.
7. Generic parts of names of political divisions (a) when the term is an organic part of the name, directly following the proper name: e.g., the Russian Empire, Norfolk County, etc.; (b) when it is used with the preposition of as an integral part of the name indicating administrative subdivisions of the United States: e.g., Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (c) when it is used singly as designation for a specific division: e.g., the Dominion (of Canada), the Union; (d) when it is used as part of an appellation as though {28} a real geographical name: e.g., the Pine Tree State, the Promised Land; but use lower case for such terms when standing alone or preceding the specific name: e.g., the empire of Germany, the county of Norfolk.
8. Numbered political divisions: e.g., Ward Eleven, Fifth Precinct, Eleventh Congressional District, etc.
Do not capitalize:
1. The words legislature, circuit court, district court, city council, supreme court, senate, and house of representatives except when specifically applied: e.g., the legislature of the State, the circuit court, etc.; but Congress, the Circuit Court of Suffolk County, the House of Representatives of the United States.
2. The words high school, grammar school, except as part of title: e.g., the Dorchester High School; but the high school of Dorchester.
REFERENCES
Capitalize:
1. Nouns followed by a capitalized roman numeral: e.g., Act I, Vol. VIII, etc. In references the nouns and the roman numerals are often lower-cased.
Do not capitalize:
1. Minor subdivisions and their abbreviations of literary references: e.g., line, verse, note, section, chapter, page, etc. {29}
ORDINALS
Capitalize:
1. Sessions of Congress, dynasties, names of regiments, etc.: e.g., the Fifty-fourth Congress, the Sixteenth Dynasty, the Forty-fourth Massachusetts.
IN GENERAL
Capitalize:
1. The first word of a sentence and the first word of each line of poetry.
2. The words I and O.