Before capitalizing words like east, west, north, and south, check whether you are using them as part of a proper noun or merely to refer to direction or location.Don't capitalize directions (we sailed due east) and locations (western India), but do capitalize compass points when they occur in proper nouns (North Korea, South Sudan, East Dunbartonshire, the Great Western Plains). the Southern States the Eastern Seaboard Northern Ireland the Western Hemisphere The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a consensus. Names of regions should be capitalized if those are proper nouns or denote a country, city, continent, etc. In some cases, like country and city names, this is clear. Should I capitalize "the north" and "the south" in my work on the southern campaign of the Revolutionary war? Rule 1. 1 The Midwest is the breadbasket of the United States. Proper nouns should always be capitalized. The word 'southern' shouldn't be capitalized in a sentence unless it is a proper noun. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go south on I-90," then you should keep south lowercase. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But in other cases, it is more a matter of convention and habit. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, capitalization, Chicago style, dictionaries. For example: The words are also not capitalized if they only indicate locations or the climate or geography of a region. If youre referring to a collection of proper nouns, such as the Southern States, this is the case. However, the forms bachelor's degree, bachelor's, master's degree and master's are acceptable as general terms. "southern California" is not the same as "Southern California". 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'. So, should you capitalize regions when writing? The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition (2010) has a useful and detailed discussion of this issue. There may be disagreement about where the border of Southern California begins, just as there was and is about the border of the Wild West, but the fact that the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Orange County, and San Diego are all located in Southern California is beyond debate. Here are directions capitalized in sentences: Words such as "southerner" and "northerner" are usually not capitalized if they denote people. States should also be abbreviated when used as part of a short-form political affiliation. any that aren't articles, conjunctions or prepositions) should be capitalised. Besides the global continents, there are also atmospheric and hydrospheric regions that encompass the oceans, discrete climates, or environments above the water and landmasses of earth. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Chicago style is best for writers who want to adhere to traditional publishing standards and academic writers in non-scientific fields. Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. We always use a capital letter when we write the days of the week. Thus, we have rigid goldenrod but Missouri goldenrod, azure penstemon but Torrey's penstemon and California penstemon. 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. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. In 1963, the state postal codes were formalized into two character abbreviations. So, noun will be always first capital letter. If youre referring to the Western States, for example, youre referring to a group of proper nouns. In most forms of writings, not capitalizing direction names when they could have been capitalized doesn't bother the readers much. The state abbreviations are always in the same format: two letter abbreviations where both letters are uppercase and no periods or spaces between each letter. rev2023.3.3.43278. When writing or proofreading manuscripts, names of regions and their capitalization rules could be tricky to discern or ascertain. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. 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. (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 It might be amusing to look for instances of "southern Southern California" or "northern Southern California". On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. When common nouns like party, river, and street are included in a proper name, capitalize them. Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia? However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. In your first paragraph after the caption you make a good comparison between Wild West and Southern California, but I'm still troubled by a couple of issues. For instance, the term "ecoregion" is used commonly in environmental geography, "bioregion" in biogeography, etc. The mines are located in the western part of the plateau. The official USPS postal abbreviation is this format. Everyone knows that Southern blot is written with a capital "S". However, as in the case of plant names, animal names are not capitalized ("I spotted a red-tailed hawk," not "I spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk"), except when an element of the name is a proper noun, as in "Steller . Hi, James. When to Capitalize North, South, East and West. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Thus, here are 10 capitalization rules you should know for a well written write-up: Capitalize the first word of every sentence. 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. Surely not one word Southeast? only if it's a proper name. The periods are omitted in headlines. 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. AP style is primarily for journalists and writers who want to conform to traditional journalism styles. I work in marketing, and I'm wondering if lowercasing the words "off" and "under" in these headlines is correct: "50% off Body Wash" and "Gift Sets under $40.". capitalization. Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. My friend is a southerner. 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 same rule applies for specific regions when you add -ern onto the end of a direction. Are both letters capitalized in state abbreviations? For example, we capitalizenorth,south,east, andwest when the terms refer to regions or cultures: Customs in the East differ from those in the West. Capitalization Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board, program, section, unit, etc., unless the word is part of a formal name. Should southern be capitalized? Another example, "Eastern" in the phrase "Eastern bankers" is capitalized since the word denotes a certain group of people. This confusion can also be attributed to the fact that certain region names have direction names in their official names, such as "the Middle East". They live in the western part of the country. Each state has its own shortened name codes, which are used in written documents and mailing addresses. 2023 Caniry - All Rights Reserved Capitalize the pronoun. Similarly, the European Union is an assortment of multiple countries. 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. 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.". 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. Words such as one, it, its, its, him, and own should all be capitalized no matter where they appear in a title. The sentence reads "I turned on north Bolton." The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) suggests lowercasing terms like midwesterner, northerner, southerner, and westerner, except when referencing the Civil War, in which case Northerner and Southerner should be capitalized:6. North Dakota; West Virginia; Also capitalize compass points when used in denoting widely known sections. Most style guides say that compass points and the terms derived from them are lowercased if they just mean direction or location. 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. But if someone prefers "African American," use that term rather than a more generic "black." When people form a group and give it a name, it should be capitalized. Is this correct. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? Thor and Norway are capitalized because they are proper nouns. Capitalize a persons title when it precedes the name. The basic guidelines for using capital letters in English appear simple enough: Capitalize the first word in a sentence. Hi there! Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. You can even submit asample document for free to see how our services work. 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. 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). However, if you use the word southern instead of a general location, such as the southern winds, the word should be lowercase. When used to refer to direction and location, dont capitalize the names of directions like north, south, east, or west; however, when they appear in the names of places and regions, do capitalize these words. Is it "southern California" or "Southern California?". Do not capitalize them when they follow possessive pronouns such as her, his, my, our, your. That's when even the most exhaustive style . When Should You Capitalize Geographic Regions in the United States? Capitalizing southern and capitalizing south have the same rules. 6 Does the word federal need to be capitalized? 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. If the is used, use Prime Minister. Names of people People's names are proper nouns, and therefore should be capitalized. States and territories Use initial capitals for words in the formal name. 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. 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. 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. It is also a great option for general business writing. Less democratic. 1 Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? The correct answer is option C. In option A, the word Chemistry is only capitalized leaving the other proper noun in lower case. Explanation: Because Pisces is a verb. 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. It was put into effect at first for big businesses, but was then gradually adopted by everyone as a standardized format. Some common examples of when you should capitalize north include: down North. Should southern be capitalized? Title Case Capitalization (APA 7th) Sentence Case Capitalization (APA 7th) However, if, like Northern Ireland and North Korea, the direction is part of the proper name, it should be capitalized. You should capitalize "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). However, be consistent and do not write: "Visitors to southern California climbed while visitors to northern California fell." Should south be capitalized? How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates. Do you capitalize Southern in southern United States? the East, the North, the South, the West (of a country) northern, southern, eastern, western (parts of a country) She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. 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. If the designation is widely known, the "direction" terms are capitalized for instance, "Southern California". 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). Without capitalization, it could refer to anyone in the southern hemisphere, or perhaps southern England. It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. If it's a general noun such as a river, lake, ocean, etc., the region need not be capitalized. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. However, there are a few exceptions you should learn about. I assume CMOS have done reasonable research before arguing against a rigid insistence on 'the principles sketched in [an earlier section of CMOS]' and have thought carefully before arguing against ignoring authors' strong preferences. southern Atlanta; But capitalize compass points when part of a proper name. 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). Is Southern California capitalized AP style? The example you give is a generic direction used as an adjective (like the "east wing of the mansion" example in the post), so no capitalization is required. She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. I am living in Western Downtown. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Southern California; West Texas; the Lower East Side of New York; If in doubt, use lowercase. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. Be the first to read new posts and updates about MLA style. 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. Is Southern capitalized in southern states? This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. For example, "western Massachusetts", "northern New Jersey". 2 Do you capitalize state when referring to a state? But, generally, you only need to capitalize a direction in a place name if the direction is a standard part of the places name. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Which sentence is capitalized correctly I learned that Thor? With names of states The same rule applies as with names of nations. Meaning of Western world and alternative terms, Specifying geography with cardinal directions, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Meaning of " Western world" and alternative terms. The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. One reason partisans capitalize "White" or "Black" is to denote its importance in messages, even subliminally, magnified by lowercasing the "other." As always, we believe that labels can oversimplify, and that a specific description is better. Despite that, knowing how to capitalize names of places, regions, geographical features, directions, etc. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Hi, Lynne. I is always capitalized, along with all its contractions. To properly follow AP style guidelines, only use one space after a period, as opposed to the often used double-space. Thus, here are 10 capitalization rules you should know for a well written write-up: According to most style guides, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are capitalized in titles of books, articles, and songs. 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 youre referring to a general location, such as the southern winds then southern should be lowercase. When does a locational distinction change its suffix and capitialization in a proper name? Are you supposed to capitalize north south east and west? However, if instead you reference a general location, such as "the southern winds," then the word southern should be lowercase. Prepositions, such as at, around, by, after, along, for, from, of, on, to, with & without. Of course, as with other nouns, they should be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and in titles. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites owner is strictly prohibited. To Capitalize or not to Capitalize Independence? In other words, directions can be tricky! The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For example, The hurricane move north towards the Gulf Coast. 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. If youre referring to a specific location, such as the southern winds, southern should be lowercase. Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? In this particular sentence, I is capitalized because it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. What is thought to influence the overproduction and pruning of synapses in the brain quizlet? Likewise, capitalize terms such as "Native American," "Hispanic," and so on. Of all the various names or terms, direction names could be the trickiest to handle. Is South capitalized when talking about the Civil War? It's not a continent, nor is it a country. 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). South-Eastern Albania? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". How do I connect these two faces together? So you would only capitalize federal when you use it in the name of a federal agency, an act, or some other proper noun. are not capitalized when they merely denote compass direction. Popular usage sets the rules for standard practice especially in the case of region names. You capitalize state only when it follows the name of the state, as in New York State is also called the Empire State, or when its part of a traditional name for a state, like Empire State or Lone Star State. When it precedes the name of the state, dont capitalize the word unless its part of a title of . For example, Southern US is proper because it is a specific region. This suffix makes the direction an adjective, and when it describes a specific region, it should be capitalized. On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. 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. Did I miss the memo on this issue? The direction word makes it a proper noun. 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. When a database has been given a proper name, capitalize that name, but do not italicize it or place it inside quote marks. 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. So, option 2 is correct. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. During the Civil War, Northerners and Southerners battled in twenty-three states. The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. Use lowercase when referring to directions on a compass. When the word "state" comes after a state's name, it should be capitalized. Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? What about capitalizing a Southerner or a Southerner? 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. In June 1963, the Department provided an initial list of abbreviations, but many had only three or four letters, which were still too long. Use capital letters in the following ways: The first words of a sentence When he tells a joke, he sometimes forgets the punch line. When to capitalize North East South West? Dont capitalize names of directions like north, south, east, and west when used to refer to direction and location, but do capitalize these words when they appear in the names of places and regions. northern New Jersey, western Massachusetts Northern Ireland, Western Australia The Chicago Manual of Style. Dont capitalize names of directions like north, south, east, and west when used to refer to direction and location, but do capitalize these words when they appear in the names of places and regions. I still don't see any "descriptivist argument", much less a strong one.
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