Only capitalize state when it follows the states name, such as New York State is also known as the Empire State, or when it is part of a traditional state name, such as Empire State or Lone Star State, can be capitalized. Of course, they should be capitalized at the start of sentences and in titles, as they are with other nouns. When did states go to 2 letter abbreviations? Best Book Writing Software and Book Writing Apps, Cursive Text Generator , Buscador de palabras y descifrador de palabras. Capitalizing the Word States If a writer refers to the United States and refers to it only as the States, states must be capitalized. 1. Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, and other lowercase letters are used when indicating compass direction. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including phrasal verbs such as play with), adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. Seasons. Job seekers, Is Pepsi the owner of KFC? Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. 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. The mines are located in the western part of the plateau. So you would only capitalize federal when you use it in the name of a federal agency, an act, or some other proper noun. Hi, Mary. Capitalization Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board, program, section, unit, etc., unless the word is part of a formal name. How can I find out which sectors are used by files on NTFS? Chicago style is best for writers who want to adhere to traditional publishing standards and academic writers in non-scientific fields. Here are the types of words that should be capitalized: Proper nouns. A title like this would appear as: A Guide to English: Perfecting Grammar in an Academic Paper. Pronouns that refer to any god or gods should be lowercased. What states in the US are consider southern states? 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. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". State names had to be abbreviated to make room for the ZIP code. The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) suggests capitalizing terms like Midwesterner, Northerner, Southerner, and Westerner:5. At the most basic level, the standard advice is to lowercase north, south, east and west when used as compass directions and to capitalize them when they are used as part of a proper noun or adjective or refer to regions or geographic areas. South-East Albania? Not capitalizing when referring to a general direction. Lowercase with names of nations (southern France) unless they indicate a political division (South Korea). These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You can even submit asample document for free to see how our services work. Did the Allman Brothers Band play southern rock or Southern rock? Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? If these geographic areas are part of a name, however, such as "River Thames", capitalize the term. South Pacific. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! However, the forms bachelor's degree, bachelor's, master's degree and master's are acceptable as general terms. What about capitalizing western or Westerner? 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. I am living in Western Downtown. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Hi, Victoria. Each morning, the sun rises in the east . But southerner and northerner are capitalized when they refer to people on either side of the civil war in the United States: States and territories Use initial capitals for words in the formal name. Are seasons capitalized or not? Some common examples of when you should capitalize south include: down South the Deep South Duck Vs. Loon: How Are These Words Connected? Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from proper nouns. More answers below In case it's not obvious, I have a bachelor's in writing. North, South, East and West as Proper Nouns You should capitalize North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). Less democratic. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN. Instead of using the frequently used double-space, only use one space after a period to properly follow AP style guidelines. Capitalize names of organizations, institutions, stores, businesses, teams, political parties, and government bodies. Todays post explains when to capitalize geographic regions in the United States. capitalization. In other words, directions can be tricky! Do you capitalize north? 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. Hi there! Do not drive, Five Below Job Opportunities Earning consideration for Five Below jobs begins with meeting the companys minimum employment age, which is 16 years old. Popular usage sets the rules for standard practice especially in the case of region names. Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? It's not a continent, nor is it a country. Most of the north is sandy, and the northern coast is mountainous. For example, NY for New York, use the US Postal Services symbol system. So it would be best to check your style guide if you have one and to make sure whatever you choose is used consistently. The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. In this particular sentence, I is capitalized because it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. Is "Southern California" considered a proper noun? 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 . The English language has grammar and usage rules by the boatload. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate direction or general location. For example, "western Massachusetts", "northern New Jersey". Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. North, east, south, and west are the four cardinal directions, often marked by the initials N, E, S, and W. East and west are at right angles to north and south. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. Copyright 2022 - TheContentAuthority.com, Reindeer Vs. Moose: Main Differences, How To Tell Them Apart. During the Civil War, Northerners and Southerners battled in twenty-three states. Whether it's an "official" name or not and how well the thing is defined have no bearing whatsoever. But things become tricky once we get down to the details. For example, The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) recommends capitalization:2. Thor and Norway are capitalized because they are proper nouns. On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. Unless you are referring to the Four Seasons, there is no reason for seasons to . 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). It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. The seasons arent proper nouns, so theyre not usually capitalized. Which sentence is capitalized correctly on a cloudless night? So the upshot of my answer is that you didn't miss the memo (or perhaps I should say The Memo) on this issue, but at the same time you didn't notice a larger phenomenon in accordance with which initial-capping Southern California is by no means a unique, inexplicable, or indefensible treatment of a regional name. There's not enough context in your example to offer any solid advice (e.g., the "north" of where? Proper nouns should always be capitalized. You don't even want to know what he calls pancakes. So, noun will be always first capital letter. As noted in the post, there's no need to capitalize generic directions (only when they're part of a proper noun). 3. Guidance to capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. For example, the "river" is a general noun and not capitalized. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. 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 opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. When in doubt, lowercase. The state postal codes were formalized into two character abbreviations in 1963. When possessive pronouns like her, his, my, our, and your are used, do not capitalize them. The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook, for instance, say to only capitalize Southern when referring to the American Civil War. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. If you think southern California has properties which one ordinarily associates with countries or states, or at least you want to convey that this is so, then you should use the capitalization ordinarily used for names of countries or states. Words such as one, it, its, its, him, and own should all be capitalized no matter where they appear in a title. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. capitalization, maps, writing tips. Sallie Ward, a Southern belle. Only when it's very apparent or writing the direction names in small letters looks completely off, capitalize them. Some common examples of when you should capitalize north include: down North. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Capitalize My Title makes title capitalization easy. The state abbreviations are always the same: two letter abbreviations with uppercase letters and no periods or spaces between them. This format is the official USPS postal abbreviation. So: North Carolina is north of South Carolina and east of West Virginia. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Are you supposed to capitalize north south east and west? 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. I have published a variety of other capitalization posts related to time periods, geographic features, people, and product names. With names of states The same rule applies as with names of nations. If the writer is referring to the United States and calling it just the States, then states needs to be capitalized. If the is used, use Prime Minister. Alternatively, some style guide suggest that all of the main words (i.e. When dealing with geographic terms, capitalize nouns such as "river", "lake", etc. Is Southern capitalized in southern states? 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. 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. 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. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. Related, but not duplicates (in my opinion): As definitive as it gets. 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. Many scholars now study the global South. In all cases, though, you should: And if you need help, our expert proofreaders are ready! In headlines, the periods are omitted. In general, Midwesterners are friendly and down to earth. That means that official names of departments and units should be capitalized and not when referring to just a type of department or unit. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. @Devil07, the geographical adjective "southern" is not usurped -- it just means something different. Without capitalization, it could refer to anyone in the southern hemisphere, or perhaps southern England. Just make sure you are consistent with the letter case. Opportunities exist on the east and west sides of the city. Why distinguishes money from other assets in the economy. Likewise, capitalize terms such as "Native American," "Hispanic," and so on. In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. We always use a capital letter when we write the days of the week. In general, midwesterners are friendly and down to earth. Thus people who live in southern California may prefer to write Southern California. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The official USPS postal abbreviation is this format. Here are directions capitalized in sentences: Words such as "southerner" and "northerner" are usually not capitalized if they denote people. Rule 1. Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. Do You Capitalize "Real Estate"? Should I capitalize "the north" and "the south" in my work on the southern campaign of the Revolutionary war? Despite that, knowing how to capitalize names of places, regions, geographical features, directions, etc. Proper nouns include the specific names of people, places, and things. 1 The Midwest is the breadbasket of the United States. In the case of prime minister, either both words begin with a capital letter or neither, except, obviously, when it starts a sentence. AP style is primarily for journalists and writers who want to conform to traditional journalism styles. When there is no proper name, lowercase "mountain", "gorge", "valley", "beach", and other geographical features. ), Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 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. Rule 2. Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. The same applies for related adjectives and other compass directions: We live in the eastern part of the country. However, in certain pairings, the common noun appears after a name or proper noun for instance, "the Highlands Region". Dates. It only takes a minute to sign up. To put it another way, capitalize words like Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Son, Daughter, and Sis in place of the persons name. The main thing is to be consistent with whatever you choose. southern Atlanta; But capitalize compass points when part of a proper name. 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. As Sven Yargs' answer shows, there is a strong descriptivist argument involved. West is directly opposite east. 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. Titles should only be capitalized if they precede a proper name when used as part of the name. The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition (2010) has a useful and detailed discussion of this issue. The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook, for instance, say to only capitalize Southern when referring to the American Civil War. 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. Whichever version you use, then, we'd suggest not capitalizing the direction, just the country name. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites owner is strictly prohibited. Should Southern colonies be capitalized? When people form a group and give it a name, it should be capitalized. She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. If it's a name, it's a proper noun. Did any DOS compatibility layers exist for any UNIX-like systems before DOS started to become outmoded? Settlers moved into the West. In most forms of writings, not capitalizing direction names when they could have been capitalized doesn't bother the readers much. However, there are a few exceptions you should learn about. 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 . 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. 4 Is Southern California capitalized AP style? The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. To find out when to capitalize North, South, East, and West, read our guide to capitalizing directions below. Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. Use lower case for generic or plural references. Should "west coast" be capitalized if it is referring to the western region of the U.S.? Strength Vs. Strong: Differences, How To Tell Them Apart? Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). Everyone on the bus tour enjoyed the Southern food in Tennessee. Consult your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. What is the rule for state abbreviations? 8 What states in the US are consider southern states? Similarly, the European Union is an assortment of multiple countries. A diathermal wall between two thermodynamic systems in thermodynamics allows heat transfer but does not allow for the transfer of matter across it. Is north capitalized there? Geographic Regions Used as Adjectives Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. In contrast, The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends lowercasing specific U.S. geographic regions used as adjectives:3. the Southern States the Eastern Seaboard Northern Ireland the Western Hemisphere 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. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. For example, The hurricane move north towards the Gulf Coast. That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositionshowever, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters. I studied Pisces, a constellation of the North sky, on a cloudless night. It does not store any personal data. When did they standardize state abbreviations? The name of a theatrical play, but this is also a conventional geographical region that would be capitalized anyway. What is thought to influence the overproduction and pruning of synapses in the brain quizlet? If youre referring to a specific location, such as the southern winds, southern should be lowercase. If youre referring to a collection of proper nouns, such as the Southern States, this is the case. The mines are in the plateaus western region. northern New Jersey, western Massachusetts Northern Ireland, Western Australia The Midwest is the breadbasket of the United States. However, to, not a dash, should be used when from introduces a range of dates (from 2012 to 2013, not from 2012-13). For example, Silicon Valley isn't a proprietary name or legally defined area, but it receives initial caps anyway. A region can be a city, town, village, country, continent, or any area that comes under the jurisdiction or administration of a state. Another example, "Eastern" in the phrase "Eastern bankers" is capitalized since the word denotes a certain group of people. But you capitalize them when theyre specific regions or an integral part of a proper name. Please include the research youve done. 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. 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. However, it is accepted that these are capitalized when discussing the American Civil War, for example, and, as mentioned in this article in the final Summary section, some style guides prefer north and south to always be capitalized when referring generally to these areas of the United States. 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.". 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? 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. The word should only be capitalized if it appears in the body's name. Is summer a good time? Time arrow with "current position" evolving with overlay number. 'CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions.' 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Is this correct. You should only capitalize directions, such as north, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the North.". When we write the days of the week, we always use a capital letter. By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: I live in Southern California. Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? Should southern be capitalized? And if so, when? AP Style holds to the general rule of lowercasing compass directions and capitalizing regions. 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. only if it's a proper name. For example, you would write "the Southern United States," but "the southern way of . Phil Jamieson Feb 16, 2010 5:00:00 AM. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts.