Rules for Capitalizing Academic Degrees in AP Style In general, you should capitalize the names of countries and languages. When Should You Capitalize Geographic Regions in the United States? Is South capitalized when talking about the Civil War? When to Capitalize People's Titles - The Blue Book Of Grammar And Therefore, use "Black" and "White" instead of "black" and "white" (do not use colors to refer to other human groups; doing so is considered pejorative). In case it's not obvious, I have a bachelor's in writing. Do You Capitalize "Real Estate"? We also lowercase the terms when they refer to people: My friend is a southerner. Should north southeast and West be capitalized? When does a locational distinction change its suffix and capitialization in a proper name? Should aurora borealis be capitalized? Explained by Sharing Culture Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. Capital offenses - The Daily Californian Some could argue the word "Southerner" in the sentence denotes someone who belongs to a specific region, and the letter "S" should therefore be capitalized. (Cap or no cap on east and west). Is it "southern California" or "Southern California?". When north, south, east, and west refer to generic directions (i.e., the points of the compass), they are not capitalized: The master bedroom is in the east wing of the mansion. . Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. Do I Capitalize Western Blot? - Advansta Inc. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. Be the first to read new posts and updates about MLA style. By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: I live in Southern California. But when the term is used in a formal name, it's capitalized, as in "the Hudson River". Is summer a good time? Once again, refer to your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. But southerner and northerner are capitalized when they refer to people on either side of the civil war in the United States: Sallie Ward, a Southern belle. (There is a lot of leniency on whether to capitalize "The." Few would argue that the region is called "The North" as . But the AP Stylebook says to always capitalize Southern when referring to the South in the United States, regardless of whether youre discussing the Civil War. A region could also be a group of nations. Hi, Mary. Everyone on the bus tour enjoyed the southern food in Tennessee. Except for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah, the name of a city and state should be abbreviated when they are used together. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In terms of "human geography", the regions and their subregions are elucidated by the ethnography discipline. Southern, according to a co-author, should not be capitalized because it is an adjective rather than a noun. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia? Do you capitalize Southern in southern United States? If youre referring to a collection of proper nouns, such as the Southern States, this is the case. If youre referring to the Western States, for example, youre referring to a group of proper nouns. As an aside, when we toured through the San Francisco Peninsula earlier this year, our guide told us that the natives generally didn't like the name 'Silicon Valley'. doesn't shout the need for "capitalization", it's safe to write it in lowercase. Which Is More Stable Thiophene Or Pyridine. If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as " the Southern States ." However, if instead you reference a general location, such as "the southern winds," then the word southern should be lowercase. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 10 Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. , Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence. Lowercase with names of nations (southern France) unless they indicate a political division (South Korea). The Midwest is the breadbasket of the United States. If the designation is widely known, the "direction" terms are capitalized for instance, "Southern California". And if so, when? 2 Do you capitalize state when referring to a state? North, South, West, East Capitalizing Can Be a Beast - ProofreadNOW.com What is, In a front-wheel drive setup, theyre what transfers power to the wheels via the transmission or differential (in a rear-wheel drive setup). Should states and territories be Capitalised? Is it Southern or Southern? Most of the north is sandy, and the northern coast is mountainous. Column: Should 'white' be capitalized? It feels wrong, but it's the way Is Southern capitalized in southern states? However, they should be capitalized only in such contexts; names of compass points in sentences such as "I drove southeast for several hours" or "Have you been to any of the southwestern states?" are not capitalized. 'CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions.' When referring to a specific region, you should capitalize the words East Coast such as Im traveling to the East Coast since East Coast is a proper noun in this case. Binomial nomenclature is, of course, also used for animals, including the singularly curious one designated as Homo sapiens. The pastor prayed that God should deliver us from our sins. On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. It's all directional | Grammar Party Though a direction is a general noun, it could at times be not that straightforward to ascertain whether it's a common noun or a proper noun. Here are the types of words that should be capitalized: Proper nouns. However, be consistent and do not write: "Visitors to southern California climbed while visitors to northern California fell." Should south be capitalized? Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. Should Southeast be capitalized? - Wise-Answer Should Pisces be capitalized? [Fact Checked!] Note that exceptions based on specific regional, political, or historical contexts are inevitable and that an author's strong preference should usually be respected. Surely not one word Southeast? The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. As explained in the post, some people do capitalize terms like "the North" when they refer to a well-established geographical area. When to Capitalize North, South, East and West. Capitalize locations in a country if the proper noun is given in other words, the name of a region or city, such as the Congo, the Mississippi River, etc. However, when giving an address, or in tables or other uses in which space is limited, use the US Postal Services symbol system, which consists of a two-letter abbreviation in which both letters are always capitalized and no periods are used (for example, NY for New York). Strength Vs. Strong: Differences, How To Tell Them Apart? For example, Southern France is capitalized because it is a proper noun and . Similar is the case with the following set of words: Here are a couple of sentences for further clarity on the matter: When terms such as "southern district" and "western region" are used as names for specific units within an organization, capitalize them. When in doubt, lowercase. If youre referring to a specific location, such as the southern winds, southern should be lowercase. In other words, directions can be tricky! Lorry Vs. Truck: Meaning And How To Use Each One, Turnip Vs. Radish: Meaning And Differences Of These Words. The image of a Southern belle is often characterized by fashion elements such as a hoop skirt, a corset, pantalettes, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and gloves. Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. A recognized geographical region. However, widely known designations are capitalized: the Upper East Side, Southern California. September 18, 2013, at 9:56 pm. Phil Jamieson Feb 16, 2010 5:00:00 AM. Should Southern Be Capitalized? - Caniry If states is being referred to in a general manner, such as There are two senators for each state, then the word states would remain lower case. Are both letters capitalized in state abbreviations? University Editorial Style Guidelines - Santa Clara University In October 1963, the Department settled on the current two-letter abbreviations. 4 Is Southern California capitalized AP style? 3. The argument I hear is this is a region of the building not a direction, so it should be capitalized. That means that official names of departments and units should be capitalized and not when referring to just a type of department or unit. Whether it's an "official" name or not and how well the thing is defined have no bearing whatsoever. Q. Hello! If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Southern States. However, if instead you reference a general location, such as the southern winds, then the word southern should be lowercase. in the southwestern part an eastward direction These words usually do get capitalized when they describe a region of the world or of a country, but there are some exceptions. But if someone prefers "African American," use that term rather than a more generic "black." I still don't see any "descriptivist argument", much less a strong one. In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. It was put into effect at first for big businesses, but was then gradually adopted by everyone as a standardized format. Guidance to capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. The same rules apply to capitalizing western as capitalizing west. When they indicate compass direction, lowercase north, south, northeast, and so on, but capitalize when it indicates a region: the West Coast. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. capitalization - To capitalize or not to capitalize "southern Posted by Is Colorado in the west or the West? Are coca cola and pepsi owned by the same company? They are written with capital letters. NOTE: When terms like western region and southern district are used to name organizational units within a company, capitalize them. Usage guide. Examples: southern France, northern Canada. When the name of a city and state are used together, the name of the state should be abbreviated (except for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah). To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. How do I connect these two faces together? When to Capitalize Animal and Plant Names - Daily Writing Tips Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. Be consistent (e.g., dont use south England in one part of a document and South England in another if youre referring to the same place). Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. Biden administration should avoid subsidies for risky mortgages However, if you are referring to a general region, such as the east coast of the United States then you should keep the words lowercase. Capitalize common nouns such as party, river and street when they are part of a proper name. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. The street is named Bolton Avenue. You should only capitalize directions, such as south, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the South." If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go south on I-90," then you should keep south lowercase. Capitalization - APA Style Citation Guide 7th Edition - Library proofreading, The same rule applies for specific regions when you add -ern onto the end of a direction. NOTE: Within certain regions it is not uncommon for many who live there to capitalize the adjective because of the special importance they attach to the regional designation. only if it's a proper name. Instead of using the frequently used double-space, only use one space after a period to properly follow AP style guidelines. If the writer is referring to the United States and calling it just the States, then states needs to be capitalized. Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? The AP Stylebook, which is the guiding stylebook for a number of news organizations, including The Daily Tar Heel, advises against using the Oxford comma in most basic series. Another example, "Eastern" in the phrase "Eastern bankers" is capitalized since the word denotes a certain group of people. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This is the sentence that is capitalized correctly. This seems a difficult case; as this discussion at. You wouldnt normally unless north and south are part of a proper noun (e.g., South Africa). The name of a theatrical play, but this is also a conventional geographical region that would be capitalized anyway. We always use a capital letter when we write the days of the week. Is north capitalized there? Which sentence is capitalized correctly I learned that Thor? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Some common examples of when you should capitalize north include: down North. North, East, South or West - Capitalize or Not? - ProofreadNOW.com Lowercase to when it functions in an infinitive. Yes, Southern is capitalized because it refers to the South (= the southern US). To capitalize or not to capitalize "southern" California [duplicate]. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. Hi, Victoria. With states, lowercase in most uses: northern New York. For example, the "river" is a general noun and not capitalized. Southern California; West Texas; the Lower East Side of New York; If in doubt, use lowercase. The following sentence is capitalized correctly : I learned that Thor is the god of thunder when I read a book about myths from Norway. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. To find out when to capitalize North, South, East, and West, read our guide to capitalizing directions below. If as is used as a preposition, it is lowercase; if as is used as an adverb, conjunction or pronoun, it is uppercase. When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. The Department decided on the current two-letter abbreviations in October 1963. southern Atlanta; But capitalize compass points when part of a proper name. Capitalize a persons title when it precedes the name. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. As explained in the post, there is no need to capitalize these words when used generically (only when they're part of a proper noun). The following examples illustrate not only the principles sketched in [an earlier section of CMOS] but also variations based on context and usage. Should You Capitalize Western? (Western World, Culture - Grammarlookup But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. Is this correct. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. Names of people People's names are proper nouns, and therefore should be capitalized. Instead, I have compiled a partial list of things people shouldn't capitalize but commonly do anyway. Some authorities also capitalize titles if they immediately follow the name without the word "the.". My name is Erin. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Thank you. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. 'I have no authority for this opinion, other than my intuition as an English speaker.' Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, and other lowercase letters are used when indicating compass direction. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, capitalization, Chicago style, dictionaries. Most style guides recommend capitalizing "West Coast" when referring to the western seaboard of the U.S. hi, should i capitalize 'west' in 'west Africa' or 'north' in north Africa'? Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the days of the week. Should southern be capitalized? Names of racial and ethnic groups are treated as proper nouns, which means they are capitalized (e.g., African American, Asian American, Black, European American, First Nations, Hispanic, Native American, Latinx, White). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Hope all that helps! In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. The Department provided an initial list of abbreviations in June 1963, but many had three or four letters, which was still too long. Thor and Norway are capitalized because they are proper nouns. Capitalize names of organizations, institutions, stores, businesses, teams, political parties, and government bodies. This format is the official USPS postal abbreviation. Otherwise, not. In "the eastern portion of Colorado", however, "eastern" is written in small letters since it doesn't denote people or specific culture or practice. Popular usage sets the rules for standard practice especially in the case of region names. It is also a great option for general business writing. As noted in the post, there's no need to capitalize generic directions (only when they're part of a proper noun). Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. Of all the various names or terms, direction names could be the trickiest to handle. ), Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Human settlements and their impact on the physical geography, and, The communication between the environment and humanity, The precipitation is the maximum in the interior, Cattle-breeding techniques or practices could vary across, Urundi and Ruanda are fertile, healthy, high-lying, and thickly populated, This text isn't a law but an abstract of the several special usages obtained in those, She passed the Lake Amadeus and the Reynolds range in that direction but had to turn, Many scholars are now studying the global. Should I capitalize "the north" and "the south" in my work on the southern campaign of the Revolutionary war? That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositionshowever, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. rev2023.3.3.43278. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. Should global south be capitalized? For instance, the term "ecoregion" is used commonly in environmental geography, "bioregion" in biogeography, etc. @Devil07, the geographical adjective "southern" is not usurped -- it just means something different. The first instance of when "global" should be capitalized is when used as the first word in a sentence. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN. Which sentence is capitalized correctly on a cloudless night? Colorado is part of the Southwest. "southern California" is not the same as "Southern California". The word 'southern' shouldn't be capitalized in a sentence unless it is a proper noun. Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? References to God (s) The word "god" should be capitalized if it is being used as a proper name of a monotheistic god, as in God in Christianity and Judaism. Capitalization For WebCT Users in Writing Classes: The "caps" icon (usually immediately before a word) indicates either that the following word ought to be capitalized (for one of the reasons listed here) or, if it is already capitalized, that it shouldn't be. CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions. 5 Free French-to-English Translation Services, Broad geographical regions (e.g., the North or the Far East), People from a specific region (e.g., Northerners, Southerners), Cultures or movements related to a region (e.g., Western philosophy). You should read both Western and Eastern philosophy. That means you should lowercase articles, Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. You should always capitalize Southerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns. Should southern hemisphere be capitalized? Explained by Sharing Culture And Wisconsin is known as the Badger State (not "the badger state") even though its official name is Wisconsin. When did they standardize state abbreviations? Consult your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. How can I find out which sectors are used by files on NTFS? Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? Is Grandma a well-behaved woman? Currently, Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary capitalizes Midwesterner, Northerner, Southerner, and Westerner, while Websters New World College Dictionary and The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language only capitalize Midwesterner and allow northerner, southerner, and westerner to be capitalized or lowercased.7. You should capitalize North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). Just make sure you are consistent with the letter case. Capitalize the pronoun. Use the US Postal Services symbol system, which is a two-letter abbreviation that consists of a two-letter abbreviation in which both letters are capitalized and no periods are used when giving an address or in tables or other uses where space is limited. AP Style Directions and Regions - Writing Explained These should not be capitalized unless they are the first or last word of the title. Check your style guide (if applicable) for advice on specific terms. When And When Not To. Should The South Be Capitalized? - FAQS Clear O needs to be capitalized since it is at the beginning of the sentence, I needs to be capital, Pisces is a specific constellation so it is a proper noun, and likewise North is proper noun. The other concern I have is that southern is a geographical term, that I feel shouldn't be usurped in this way. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. Do You Capitalize North, South, East and West? If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go north on I-90," then you should keep north lowercase. The capitalization of as depends upon its function. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites owner is strictly prohibited. In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. For example: The words are also not capitalized if they only indicate locations or the climate or geography of a region. Is south and Southern capitalized? - TimesMojo The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. But the AP Stylebook says to always capitalize Southern when referring to the South in the United States, regardless of whether youre discussing the Civil War. Capitalization in APA, Chicago, MLA, and AP - ProofreadingPal Titles should only be capitalized if they precede a proper name when used as part of the name. In other words, directions can be tricky! I guess you're saying that it's always okay to break any principle if you really want to, because CMOS says so. Do you capitalize north? The first letter of someone's first, middle, and last name is always capitalized, as in John William Smith . To summarize the advice above, we suggest: However, capitalization may depend on the style guide youre using. I have published a variety of other capitalization posts related to time periods, geographic features, people, and product names.

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