If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Southern States. However, if youre referring to a general location, such as the southern winds then southern should be lowercase. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. In this particular sentence, I is capitalized because it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For example: But when the terms are used to indicate a region, they are capitalized for example, the "West Coast". When you're talking about America's West Coast or the Middle East, the directional word is also part of a proper name, and it gets a capital letter. In contrast, The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends lowercasing specific U.S. geographic regions used as adjectives:3. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. For example, we capitalize north, south, east, and west when the terms refer to regions or cultures: Customs in the East differ from those in the West. (Cap or no cap on east and west). The plant common name has to conform to the rules of English, however, so if there's a proper noun in the common name, it must be capitalized. The Department provided an initial list of abbreviations in June 1963, but many had three or four letters, which was still too long. You should always capitalize Southerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns. Here are directions capitalized in sentences: Words such as "southerner" and "northerner" are usually not capitalized if they denote people. 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. Are seasons capitalized or not? When words like northern, southern, eastern, or western precede a place name, they aren't usually capitalized because they only indicate a general location within a region. If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go north on I-90," then you should keep north lowercase. When the word state forms the full name of a specific body, you must also capitalize it. If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Southern States. However, if youre referring to a general location, such as the southern winds then southern should be lowercase. 6 Does the word federal need to be capitalized? Hi, Chris. Most of the north is sandy, and the northern coast is mountainous. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Capitalizing "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a specific geographical region or culture). Am I a midwesterner or a Midwesterner? As a result, noun will always be the first capital letter. Note that exceptions based on specific regional, political, or historical contexts are inevitable and that an author's strong preference should usually be respected. CMOS looks at what a large relevant tranche of people do; this ultimately defines what is acceptable. Many scholars now study the global South. Is Grandma a well-behaved woman? In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. Yes, Southern is capitalized because it refers to the South (= the southern US). Use capital letters in the following ways: The first words of a sentence When he tells a joke, he sometimes forgets the punch line. Wotan is one of the gods in Wagner's Ring Cycle. I is always capitalized, along with all its contractions. Do You Capitalize the Word "Queen" in a Sentence? Just make sure you are consistent with the letter case. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! I guess you're saying that it's always okay to break any principle if you really want to, because CMOS says so. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As a compass direction, south and southern are not capitalized: Capitalize each term when it is used as a proper name or as part of a proper name, and if the region . You should always capitalize Westerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns. So, noun will be always first capital letter. When words like northern, southern, eastern, and western precede a place name, they are not ordinarily capitalized, because they merely indicate general location within a region. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Youd also capitalize the first word and (according to most guides) the last word of a title, regardless of what part of speech they are. Hello! What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? 'CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions.' If the is used, use Prime Minister. To capitalize or not quoted text after be form, How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. At 8.47 ("Popular place names or epithets"), CMOS notes that certain other regions and epithets receive initial caps as well. Characteristics. Hi, James. Names of people People's names are proper nouns, and therefore should be capitalized. When proofreading or editing documents, we often find that writers are confused about when to capitalize these terms. Also, if "region" is the first word in a sentence, it is capitalized. The pronoun "I" In October 1963, the Department settled on the current two-letter abbreviations. 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). Capitalizing North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a specific geographical region or culture). English Proofreading and Copyediting Prices, Spanish Proofreading and Copyediting Prices, northern New Jersey, western Massachusetts. Capitalize these words when they designate regions. AP Style holds to the general rule of lowercasing compass directions and capitalizing regions. When we write the days of the week, we always use a capital letter. On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. He's one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. I tried to describe the difference in my answer below. The following formal names of specific degrees should always be capitalized in AP style: As you can see, master's degrees are capitalized when abbreviated. If it's a name, it's a proper noun. But, generally, you only need to capitalize a direction in a place name if the direction is a standard part of the places name. In general, midwesterners are friendly and down to earth. I live to the west of Detroit Michigan. But southerner and northerner are capitalized when they refer to people on either side of the civil war in the United States: The following examples illustrate not only the principles sketched in [an earlier section of CMOS] but also variations based on context and usage. Knowing whether to capitalize directional adjectives can be challenging. Unless they are actually part of the place name, directions dont need to be capitalized, but this depends on personal preference (e.g., if it might make this clearer to the reader) and whether its specified by a style guide. Hi there! 2023 Caniry - All Rights Reserved However, if youre referring to a specific region, such as the east coast of the United States, keep the words lowercase. In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. Capitalize regional terms when they refer to a commonly accepted proper name of an area. 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'. "The South" is capitalized because it designates a definite region, e.g., "I was born and raised in the South." More answers below Sallie Ward, a Southern belle. You should capitalize the words East Coast when referring to a specific region, such as Im traveling to the East Coast, because East Coast is a proper noun in this case. However, when the terms southerner and northerner refer to people on either side of the United States civil war, the civil war was fought between Southerners and Northerners. The word white is not usually capitalized in this situation; men would never be. If youre referring to a collection of proper nouns, such as the Southern States, this is the case. For example, Southern US is proper because it is a specific region. To Capitalize or not to Capitalize Independence? Job seekers, Is Pepsi the owner of KFC? Guidance to capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. Examples: southern France, northern Canada. With states, lowercase in most uses: northern New York. Each morning, the sun rises in the east . 'I have no authority for this opinion, other than my intuition as an English speaker.' Capitalize the pronoun. However, if you use the word southern instead of a general location, such as the southern winds, the word should be lowercase. The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a consensus. 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). Rule 2. To know what other words you should capitalize, try our free title capitalization tool. It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. When combining with another common noun to form the name for a region . proofreading, Is north capitalized there? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, and other lowercase letters are used when indicating compass direction. Lowercase with names of nations (southern France) unless they indicate a political division (South Korea). when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. 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. Should Southern colonies be capitalized? down South. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. In other words, directions can be tricky! The term "region" is a general noun, and it's usually not capitalized, as a result. Capitalize the traditional geographic regions in the United States: the Midwest, the North, the South, the West, and the combined regions (i.e., the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Southwest). Drive south for five miles. So it would be best to check your style guide if you have one and to make sure whatever you choose is used consistently. Does Counterspell prevent from any further spells being cast on a given turn? Should north East south West be capitalized? It's not a continent, nor is it a country. But the AP Stylebook says to always capitalize "Southern" when referring to "the South" in the United States, regardless of whether you're discussing the Civil War. However, some people also suggest capitalizing the names of: The uniting theme here is the idea of naming a well-known or well-defined region. 2 Do you capitalize state when referring to a state? To summarize the advice above, we suggest: However, capitalization may depend on the style guide youre using. However, the forms bachelor's degree, bachelor's, master's degree and master's are acceptable as general terms. It was put into effect at first for big businesses, but was then gradually adopted by everyone as a standardized format. The state abbreviations are always the same: two letter abbreviations with uppercase letters and no periods or spaces between them. There is room for variation here: if you live in Coventry and youre writing for other Coventry residents, then perhaps writing South Coventry would make sense. Likewise, capitalize terms such as "Native American," "Hispanic," and so on. The key factor here is that were using these words descriptively (i.e., to specify the direction or location of something), not to name something. rev2023.3.3.43278. However, in certain pairings, the common noun appears after a name or proper noun for instance, "the Highlands Region". Home-buyers pay a 1.75% fee up . If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Western States. However, if youre referring to a general location, such as the western winds then western should be lowercase. 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. Is state capitalized when referring to a specific state? 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. But because it has defined boundaries and administration, it's a "region". But when the term is used in a formal name, it's capitalized, as in "the Hudson River". Is it "southern California" or "Southern California?". Should "west coast" be capitalized if it is referring to the western region of the U.S.? Please include the research youve done. The first letter of someone's first, middle, and last name is always capitalized, as in John William Smith . Short story taking place on a toroidal planet or moon involving flying, Doubling the cube, field extensions and minimal polynoms. My friend is a southerner. Each state has its own shortened name codes, which are used in written documents and mailing addresses. It's the inconsistency or the abrupt switching between capitalized letters and lowercase letters is what that puts readers off. When the word "state" comes after a state's name, it should be capitalized. The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. When using a U.S. geographic region as an adjective, the decision to capitalize or lowercase will depend on your style guide. In some cases, like country and city names, this is clear. Surely not one word Southeast? What about capitalizing a Westerner or a Westerner? But you capitalize them when theyre specific regions or an integral part of a proper name. But things become tricky once we get down to the details. I studied Pisces, a constellation of the North sky, on a cloudless night. Opportunities exist on the east and west sides of the city. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. A recognized geographical region. For example: The words are also not capitalized if they only indicate locations or the climate or geography of a region. In other words, capitalize words such as Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Son, Daughter, and Sis when they are used in place of the persons name. In "the eastern portion of Colorado", however, "eastern" is written in small letters since it doesn't denote people or specific culture or practice. 8 What states in the US are consider southern states? The seasons are not proper nouns and are therefore not normally capitalized. MLA style followsThe Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. Geographic Regions Used as Adjectives Capitalize common nouns such as party, river and street when they are part of a proper name. Do you like West Asia? With names of states The same rule applies as with names of nations. What does it mean that the Bible was divinely inspired? Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. For example, Southern France is capitalized because it is a proper noun and . Only a few signs of the zodiac are automatically capitalized (Capricorn, Gemini, Sagittarius, Taurus). You should read both Western and Eastern philosophy. ), Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. There's not enough context in your example to offer any solid advice (e.g., the "north" of where? (Most uses will be uppercase.) A diathermal wall between two thermodynamic systems in thermodynamics allows heat transfer but does not allow for the transfer of matter across it. Without capitalization, it could refer to anyone in the southern hemisphere, or perhaps southern England. Have you ever visited the Western United States? Why do many companies reject expired SSL certificates as bugs in bug bounties? Hope all that helps! When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. The argument I hear is this is a region of the building not a direction, so it should be capitalized. Everyone knows that Southern blot is written with a capital "S". If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Western States. However, if youre referring to a general location, such as the western winds then western should be lowercase. One exception to this rule: common objects with a country or nationality as part of the name ( french fries, scotch whiskey, venetian blinds, and so forth). The other concern I have is that southern is a geographical term, that I feel shouldn't be usurped in this way. 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. But it would be unusual to do this for a less well-known location, such as south Coventry.. 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. When words like northern, southern, eastern, and western precede a place name, they are not ordinarily capitalized, because they merely indicate general location within a region. When words like northern, southern, eastern, or western precede a place name, they arent usually capitalized because they only indicate a general location within a region. AP style is primarily for journalists and writers who want to conform to traditional journalism styles. The mines are in the plateaus western region. Lowercase to when it functions in an infinitive. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Erin Wright with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. . In headlines, the periods are omitted. Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. You should only capitalize directions, such as north, south, east, and west, when you are referring to the direction as a proper noun, such as in the South or up North. If you are merely referring to a direction, such as go south on I-90, then you should keep the direction lowercase. 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.
Tsb Request Redemption Statement,
Harry Potter Fanfiction Lightning Elemental,
What To Do If Your Coach Doesn't Play You,
Accident Northway Today,
Articles S
