On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. 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). Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? Characteristics. Whether it's an "official" name or not and how well the thing is defined have no bearing whatsoever. When Should You Capitalize Geographic Regions in the United States? Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. If you have a question about whether a specific word should be capitalized that doesn't fit under one of these rules, try checking a dictionary to see if the word is capitalized there. Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. A region can be a city, town, village, country, continent, or any area that comes under the jurisdiction or administration of a state. When Do You Capitalize Geographic Terms? - dummies The direction word makes it 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, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. 'CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions.' Southern belle - Wikipedia the Deep South. Chicago style is best for writers who want to adhere to traditional publishing standards and academic writers in non-scientific fields. You should always capitalize Southerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns. Here are some rules to follow. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. For example, Southern France is capitalized because it is a proper noun and . Coordinate conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet & so (FANBOYS). Erin Wright, 20122023. Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? Capitalize words that are part of the formal name, but lowercase in less formal uses: he crossed the Hudson River; but: he fell into the river. When did states go to 2 letter abbreviations? Do not capitalize them when they follow possessive pronouns such as her, his, my, our, your. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. What is thought to influence the overproduction and pruning of synapses in the brain quizlet? In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) suggests capitalizing terms like Midwesterner, Northerner, Southerner, and Westerner:5. To capitalize or not to capitalize "southern" California [duplicate]. He's one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic, as are those lacking any signs of reasonable research. Most style guides say that compass points and the terms derived from them are lowercased if they just mean direction or location. The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. Don't capitalize these words when they refer to the general location, geography or climate of a region. Capitalize these words when they designate regions. 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. 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. Proper nouns should always be capitalized. Capitalizing southern and capitalizing south have the same rules. The following sentence is capitalized correctly : I learned that Thor is the god of thunder when I read a book about myths from Norway. 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. The main style guides all agree on this, although . Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including phrasal verbs such as play with), adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. In a June 11 statement, the National Association of Black Journalists issued a recommendation "that whenever a color is used to appropriately describe race then it should be capitalized . Here is part of that discussion: 8.46 Regions of the world and national regions. However, capitalization may depend on the style guide you're using. The same rule applies for specific regions when you add -ern onto the end of a direction. If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go south on I-90," then you should keep south lowercase. But you capitalize them when theyre specific regions or an integral part of a proper name. MLA style follows The Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. When referring to races, should 'black' and 'white' be capitalized? (MLA) Our primary dictionaries, Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary, Websters New World College Dictionary, and The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language all capitalize U.S. geographic regions when used as adjectives or indicate that these adjectives are typically capitalized.4, Like adjectives, the decision to capitalize or lowercase geographic populations in the United States will depend on your style guide. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. The word god is generally not capitalized if it is used to refer to the generic idea of a deity, nor is it capitalized when it refers to multiple gods. Capitalize the pronoun. Rule 2. Is South Capitalized In South Florida - Beginners Travel Each morning, the sun rises in the east . However, if youre referring to a specific region, such as the east coast of the United States, keep the words lowercase. They live in the western part of the country. However, a co-author argues that southern should not be capitalized, because it is an adjective, not a noun. 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). Capitalize the first word of every sentence. editing, Names of gods are capitalized, including Allah, Vishnu, and God. If the designation is widely known, the "direction" terms are capitalized for instance, "Southern California". Titles should only be capitalized if they precede a proper name when used as part of the name. If a is used, go with prime minister.). Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. If the writer is referring to the United States and calling it just the States, then states needs to be capitalized. PepsiCo, based in Purchase, New York, owns Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC, all of which have 29,000 locations, Money differs from other economic assets in that it is the most liquid asset available. Circling back to the "title" rule, if the headline is in sentence case and the word "region" is not the starting word of the title, "region" should be written in lowercase. It also looks at when to capitalize those regions when they are used as adjectives and to describe U.S. geographic populations. It is also a great option for general business writing. When to Capitalize Words for Compass Points - Daily Writing Tips The concept of a "region" is significant and used widely among the several geography branches, each of which could describe the areas or zones in region-based terms. 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. Do you capitalize the S in Southern California? - TipsFolder.com Sallie Ward, a Southern belle. It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. 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. Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition (2010) has a useful and detailed discussion of this issue. It's the inconsistency or the abrupt switching between capitalized letters and lowercase letters is what that puts readers off. The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. Racial and ethnic groups are designated by proper nouns and are capitalized. Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from proper nouns. 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. Duck Vs. Loon: How Are These Words Connected? AP Style Directions and Regions - Writing Explained Capitalize proper nouns and most adjectives formed from proper nouns. southern Atlanta; But capitalize compass points when part of a proper name. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. The seasons arent proper nouns, so theyre not usually capitalized. Only when it's very apparent or writing the direction names in small letters looks completely off, capitalize them. State names had to be abbreviated to make room for the ZIP code. When referring to regions, capitalize these words. 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. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. Less democratic. Do You Capitalize "Real Estate"? States and territories Use initial capitals for words in the formal name. The AP Stylebook the guiding stylebook for many news outlets, including The Daily Tar Heel advises against using the Oxford comma in most simple series. Direction-denoting terms such as north, south, east, west, etc. To summarize the advice above, we suggest: However, capitalization may depend on the style guide youre using. Is that an argument? Proper nouns - American Psychological Association So capitalize The Pacific Northwest and Central Texas, but not We drove west for two hours., The States that make up The South are usually considered to be: Virginia Tennessee Arkansas Louisiana North Carolina South Carolina Mississippi Alabama Georgia Florida Texas. The name of a theatrical play, but this is also a conventional geographical region that would be capitalized anyway. The word 'southern' shouldn't be capitalized in a sentence unless it is a proper noun. are not capitalized when they merely denote compass direction. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. In general, you should capitalize the names of countries and languages. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? The state postal codes were formalized into two character abbreviations in 1963. 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. Capitalize a persons title when it precedes the name. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Capitalizing North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a specific geographical region or culture). When to Capitalize North, South, East and West - Proofed Does Counterspell prevent from any further spells being cast on a given turn? 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Each state has its own shortened name codes, which are used in written documents and mailing addresses. 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. When to capitalize North East South West? Which sentence is capitalized correctly on a cloudless night? The question as to whether something should be considered a name or not is one of style, and as such you should adhere to the discipline of your editor, publication, or organization, or in the absence of a house style, you should adopt a suitable. The rules are fairly standard for title case: Capitalize the first and the last word. Example: "War-weary ministers in London asked themselves why they fought a costly war in the [north] when they had friends in the Carolinas and Georgia.". West is directly opposite east. What does it mean that the Bible was divinely inspired? If youre referring to a collection of proper nouns, such as the Southern States, this is the case. So you would only capitalize federal when you use it in the name of a federal agency, an act, or some other proper noun. Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. Are coca cola and pepsi owned by the same company? When did they standardize state abbreviations? Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(42679, '499cbd76-cfa5-4fea-836f-ead06058d874', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); North, East, South or West - Capitalize or Not? Prepositions, such as at, around, by, after, along, for, from, of, on, to, with & without. Capitalize the Southern California region? Do you capitalize the word state when referring to a state? How can I find out which sectors are used by files on NTFS? However, if instead you reference a general location, such as "the southern winds," then the word southern should be lowercase. North, South, East, West: Are Directions Capitalized? @EdwinAshworth I didn't notice any argument in his answer at all. Capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. In all cases, though, you should: And if you need help, our expert proofreaders are ready! Capitalize regional terms when they refer to a commonly accepted proper name of an area. "The State Finance Department," for example, is a good example. For example: I live in The North. The names of things are known as common nouns. Here are a few sentences with the word "region" in them: If part of a title or headline, the word "region" can be capitalized to conform to title capitalization rules. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. Everyone on the bus tour enjoyed the southern food in Tennessee. Hi, Michael. In contrast, The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends lowercasing specific U.S. geographic regions used as adjectives:3. Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. 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). Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate direction or general location. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. Geographic Regions Used as Adjectives Surely not one word Southeast? Is the s capitalized in southern hospitality? - Answers I guess you're saying that it's always okay to break any principle if you really want to, because CMOS says so. The word states would remain lower case if states is referred to in a general way, such as There are two senators for each state.. When And When Not To. Filed Under: Use lowercase when referring to directions on a compass. (1) often capitalized: of or relating to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skin (black Americans) (2) : of or relating to the African-American people or their culture (black literature) (a black college) (black pride) (black studies) From Merriam-Webster Dictionary Part of the definition for white Please note that my close-vote reason was 'lack of reasonable signs of research'; I believe that there are differences between the 'northern Europe' example and this one. Regardless of what side of the debate table you are on, the different thoughts clearly illustrate how differing opinions could be on the matter, causing people to use capitalization rules the way they deem appropriate. It only takes a minute to sign up. South Pacific. English Capitalization Rules and Example Sentences - ThoughtCo South-East Albania? Capitalization | Capitalization Rules - GrammarBook Home-buyers pay a 1.75% fee up . At 8.47 ("Popular place names or epithets"), CMOS notes that certain other regions and epithets receive initial caps as well. In all cases, though, you should: Check your style guide (if applicable) for advice on specific terms. 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. Explanation: Because Pisces is a verb. Is "southern" capitalized in this sentence? - Quora But when the words are used in specific contexts, denote people belonging to a particular region, or refer to their social, political, or cultural activities, they are capitalized. Is Southern capitalized in southern states? The correct sentence is Carlotta and I love Halloween. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Lorry Vs. Truck: Meaning And How To Use Each One, Turnip Vs. Radish: Meaning And Differences Of These Words. If youre referring to the Western States, for example, youre referring to a group of proper nouns. But southerner and northerner are capitalized when they refer to people on either side of the civil war in the United States: the Southern States the Eastern Seaboard Northern Ireland the Western Hemisphere For example, The hurricane move north towards the Gulf Coast. are widely recognized as popular names and are thus capitalized. Canada, Western European nations and developed parts of Asia; Global Southern countries are those that are less economically developed such as nations in Africa and some parts of Asia [29 . When it's an adjective ("bicentennial year"), I agree that no cap is needed . Consistency is the most important thing, though, so you should be fine as long as the form chosen is clear and you use it each time. Likewise, the rules for sentences apply: capitalize the common name at the . For example: When words such as "northern", "southern", "western", and "eastern" precede a region or place's name, do not capitalize them as they are only indicating a general location in a region. Do you capitalize state when referring to a state? Examples: southern France, northern Canada. Short story taking place on a toroidal planet or moon involving flying, Doubling the cube, field extensions and minimal polynoms. To capitalize or not quoted text after be form, How to handle a hobby that makes income in US. For example, Southern US is proper because it is a specific region. What about capitalizing western or Westerner? Capitalization Unless the word is part of a formal name, do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board, program, section, unit, or other similar words. By prevailing usage, roughly the most southerly one-third or two-fifths of California is referred to as Southern California, in initial caps. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, capitalization, Chicago style, dictionaries. Capitalize such words as northern, southern, eastern, and western when they refer to the people in a region or to their political, social, or cultural activities. North, South, West, East Capitalizing Can Be a Beast - ProofreadNOW.com If youre referring to a collection of proper nouns, such as the Southern States, this is the case. . You should capitalize "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). In October 1963, the Department settled on the current two-letter abbreviations. A title like this would appear as: A Guide to English: Perfecting Grammar in an Academic Paper. I is always capitalized, along with all its contractions. 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. Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? 1 Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? I studied Pisces, a constellation of the North sky, on a cloudless night. I don't think there's an established norm for identifying regions of Albania in English (although you might get a different answer if you asked an Albanian, I suppose), but looking at Google Ngrams, "southeastern Albania" seems to be the most common option: https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=southeast+Albania%2Csoutheastern+Albania%2Csouth-east+Albania%2Csouth-eastern+Albania&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3&direct_url=t1%3B%2Csoutheast%20Albania%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Csoutheastern%20Albania%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Csouth%20-%20east%20Albania%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Csouth%20-%20eastern%20Albania%3B%2Cc0 When people form a group and give it a name, it should be capitalized. We always use a capital letter when we write the days of the week. 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. Capital offenses - The Daily Californian Southern California; West Texas; the Lower East Side of New York; If in doubt, use lowercase. Is Southern Capitalized? - Capitalize My Title Do you capitalize Southern in southern United States? In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. Southern belle (from French belle 'beautiful') is a colloquialism for a debutante in the planter class of the Antebellum South. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. I am living in Western Downtown. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! Instead of using the frequently used double-space, only use one space after a period to properly follow AP style guidelines. Is north capitalized there? However, it is only compulsory to do so when "North" is part of a proper noun. Pronouns that refer to any god or gods should be lowercased. Seasons. Strength Vs. Strong: Differences, How To Tell Them Apart? 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). Thus people who live in southern California may prefer to write Southern California. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Is it "southern California" or "Southern California?". Settlers moved into the West. Note that it doesn't seem to be treated as a compound proper noun (e.g., searching for "Southeastern Albania" produces an error since Ngrams is case sensitive and there don't seem to be any instances of that capitalization in the Google Books database).