Q

The basic rule for capitalizing proper nouns is that the first letter of a proper
noun should be capitalized no matter where it appears in a sentence or how it is

being used. In addition, if a proper noun consists of multiple words, the first
letter of each of the important words needs to be capitalized.
Proper Noun Capitalization Examples

The key to correctly capitalizing proper nouns lies with knowing how to identify
types of proper nouns. Any noun that refers to a specific (rather than general)
person, place or thing is a proper noun. Proper nouns fall into a variety of
different categories.
names of people - Maria Santos, Mr. Michael Jones

names of pets - Lassie, Rover
geographic locations - Chicago, Asia, Ireland, Mount Everest, Mississippi River
months - January, February
days of the week - Monday, Tuesday
holidays - Christmas, Thanksgiving
astronomical names/planets - Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
publications (newspapers, magazines, journals) - Chicago-Sun Times, Vogue, Journal
of Family Psychology
books - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Great Expectations
nonprofit organizations - Amnesty International, Habitat for Humanity
companies - Microsoft, Apple, Hyatt
schools - Oxford University, Auburn University
religions/faiths - Catholic, Islam, Hindu, God
cities - San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta
states - West Virginia, Texas, Hawaii
place names - Cowboys Stadium, Central Park
specific titles - President Obama, King Henry V, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Judge
Thomas
course names - Economics 101, Child Psychology in America, Shakespeare's Comedies
historical periods/events - World War I, the Renaissance, D-Day
languages/nationalities - French, English, German, American
brand names - Nike, Coca-Cola, Levi's
Common Capitalization Mistakes to Avoid
There are a few tricky situations to consider related to proper noun
capitalization. Make sure you’re aware of these common capitalization errors so you
can avoid them in your own writing.
seasons - While days and months are capitalized, seasons are not. Avoid
capitalizing spring, summer, fall, and winter.
general subjects/courses - While you would capitalize Chemistry 101, you would not
capitalize the word chemistry in general usage, such as “I am studying chemistry.”
celestial and lunar terms - The words sun and moon are generally not capitalized in
sentences unless they are a part of a list of other astronomical names.
general titles - When titles are part of the name they are capitalized, but they
are not capitalized when discussed generally. For example, "The president of China
will be in Washington D.C. next week to visit with President Obama."
Proper Noun Capitalization Quiz
Want to test your capitalization knowledge? Have a look at the sentences below. Can
you spot the mistakes?
Mr. Li speaks three languages: chinese, english, and Japanese.

In june we spent a lot of time at the metropolitan museum and at central park.
Next year I'm going to study international business. I'm looking forward to taking
the course, economic history of europe.
We had a very hot Summer. I cannot wait until September.
They took their daughter to see dr. Lucas last friday.
Answer Key: 1 (Chinese, English, Japanese); 2. (June, Metropolitan Museum, Central
Park); 3. Economic History of Europe); 4. (summer); 5. (Dr., Friday)
Clarifying Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns

In case you need a little more clarity on the difference between common and proper
nouns, spend some time reviewing the difference between these two types of nouns
and how they are written with regards to capital or lowercase letters.
Common Nouns
Common nouns are general; they do not refer to a specific person, place or thing.
man
city
ocean
language
day
Example: The woman in the restaurant lives in the city.
The common nouns woman, restaurant, and city in the sentence need to be written in
lowercase.
Proper Nouns
Proper nouns are specific; they do refer to a particular person, place or thing by
formal name or title.
Christopher Roberts
San Francisco
Pacific Ocean
Chinese
Tuesday
Example: When Michelle came to New York City she went to Starbucks.
The proper nouns Michelle, New York City, and Starbucks in the sentence have to be
capitalized.
Perfect Your Capitalization and Punctuation

The rules of capitalization are very specific. Most of the time, words that require
capitalization are proper nouns. However, grammar always has a bit of complication.
Make sure you’re clear on all of the capitalization rules so that your writing is
as accurate and readable as possible. Expand the quality of your work by mastering
correct usage of the many punctuation marks used in English grammar.
Mary Gormandy White

M.A. Communication
MIDDLE SCHOOL
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Post a comment

Q

Uploaded by

Q

Uploaded by

The basic rule for capitalizing proper nouns is that the first letter of a proper

noun should be capitalized no matter where it appears in a sentence or how it is

Proper Noun Capitalization Examples

names of people - Maria Santos, Mr. Michael Jones

Mr. Li speaks three languages: chinese, english, and Japanese.

Clarifying Common Nouns vs. Proper Nouns

Perfect Your Capitalization and Punctuation

Mary Gormandy White

You might also like