You should capitalize North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). However, a co-author argues that southern should not be capitalized, because it is an adjective, not a noun. The rules are fairly standard for title case: Capitalize the first and the last word. To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. Is that an argument? Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic, as are those lacking any signs of reasonable research. Note that exceptions based on specific regional, political, or historical contexts are inevitable and that an author's strong preference should usually be respected. 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. Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. Terms that denote regions of the world or of a particular country are often capitalized, as are a few of the adjectives and nouns derived from such terms. Please include the research youve done. editing, 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. 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. 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. For example, "western Massachusetts", "northern New Jersey". Hi, Mary. For example, Southern US is proper because it is a specific region. You should always capitalize Southerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. If the is used, use Prime Minister. References to God (s) The word "god" should be capitalized if it is being used as a proper name of a monotheistic god, as in God in Christianity and Judaism. 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. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. Examples: southern France, northern Canada. 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. Do You Capitalize Regions When Writing? When & When Not To How do I connect these two faces together? Did the Allman Brothers Band play southern rock or Southern rock? She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. Are you captivated by capitalization? For example, The hurricane move north towards the Gulf Coast. Southern belle - Wikipedia In what contexts would I capitalize "city" and "county"? The pastor prayed that God should deliver us from our sins. Posted by 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. A region could also be a group of nations. 9 Should north southeast and West be capitalized? Should global south be capitalized? But in other cases, it is more a matter of convention and habit. 1 Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. Capitalize the Southern California region? Should north East south West be capitalized? 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. Some authorities also capitalize titles if they immediately follow the name without the word "the.". Each state has its own shortened name codes, which are used in written documents and mailing addresses. The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. Whichever version you use, then, we'd suggest not capitalizing the direction, just the country name. In October 1963, the Department settled on the current two-letter abbreviations. rev2023.3.3.43278. It's similar to why your name is always capitalized. Thus people who live in southern California may prefer to write Southern California. 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. Keep reading to learn everything there is to regions and their capitalization, rules for related terms and phrases, what a region is, etc. ANS: Demand, Copyright 2023 TipsFolder.com | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. The United Kingdom, for instance, is a region that comprises four countries: Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. When did states go to 2 letter abbreviations? To find out when to capitalize North, South, East, and West, read our guide to capitalizing directions below. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. 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). As noted in the post, there's no need to capitalize generic directions (only when they're part of a proper noun). If these geographic areas are part of a name, however, such as "River Thames", capitalize the term. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The term "region" is a general noun, and it's usually not capitalized, as a result. 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. The administration's solution: Ease credit for riskier borrowers. The mines are located in the western part of the plateau. In terms of "human geography", the regions and their subregions are elucidated by the ethnography discipline. You wouldnt normally unless north and south are part of a proper noun (e.g., South Africa). Proper nouns - American Psychological Association Here are directions capitalized in sentences: Words such as "southerner" and "northerner" are usually not capitalized if they denote people. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. Should southern be capitalized? When referring to races, should 'black' and 'white' be capitalized? (MLA) 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. The main thing is to be consistent with whatever you choose. Capitalize the pronoun. 10 Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? Capitalization | CSU - California State University For example: I live in The North. Racial and ethnic groups are designated by proper nouns and are capitalized. Geographic Regions and States Editorial Style Guide Purchase College How can I find out which sectors are used by files on NTFS? Should "west coast" be capitalized if it is referring to the western region of the U.S.? Hi, Chris. Here are some rules to follow. Popular usage sets the rules for standard practice especially in the case of region names. are widely recognized as popular names and are thus capitalized. If youre referring to a specific location, such as the western winds, western should be lowercase. By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: I live in Southern California. CMOS looks at what a large relevant tranche of people do; this ultimately defines what is acceptable. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. northern New Jersey, western Massachusetts Northern Ireland, Western Australia Is north capitalized there? Title Case Capitalization (APA 7th) Sentence Case Capitalization (APA 7th) The days of the week are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Capitalize My Title makes title capitalization easy. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. However, there are a few exceptions you should learn about. Capitalization Rules | A Simple Guide For Better Grammar - Thesaurus.com When it's an adjective ("bicentennial year"), I agree that no cap is needed . When to capitalize North East South West? The following sentence is capitalized correctly : I learned that Thor is the god of thunder when I read a book about myths from Norway. (Most uses will be uppercase.) What states in the US are consider southern states? Other assets have a wide range of liquidity. This is the sentence that is capitalized correctly. Unless you are referring to the Four Seasons, there is no reason for seasons to . When there is no proper name, lowercase "mountain", "gorge", "valley", "beach", and other geographical features. Capitalize a persons title when it precedes the name. For example: The words are also not capitalized if they only indicate locations or the climate or geography of a region. 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 . 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. Generally, you do not need to capitalize the names of the seasons. Which sentence is capitalized correctly I learned that Thor? Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. is considered basic and should be known by people who claim to have a good command of the language. Should southern hemisphere be capitalized? Explained by Sharing Culture North, South, East, West: Are Directions Capitalized? Should The South Be Capitalized? - FAQS Clear 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. Surely not one word Southeast? (There is a lot of leniency on whether to capitalize "The." Few would argue that the region is called "The North" as . 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. South-Eastern Albania? However, if, like Northern Ireland and North Korea, the direction is part of the proper name, it should be capitalized. Are seasons capitalized or not? capitalization - To capitalize or not to capitalize "southern The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox. So you would only capitalize federal when you use it in the name of a federal agency, an act, or some other proper 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. That means you should lowercase articles, Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, capitalization, Chicago style, dictionaries. Duck Vs. Loon: How Are These Words Connected? Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites owner is strictly prohibited. Words such as one, it, its, its, him, and own should all be capitalized no matter where they appear in a title. 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.". West is directly opposite east. It is also a great option for general business writing. In general, you should capitalize the names of countries and languages. As Sven Yargs' answer shows, there is a strong descriptivist argument involved. The direction word makes it a proper noun. Geographic Regions Used as Adjectives As explained in the post, some people do capitalize terms like "the North" when they refer to a well-established geographical area. 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. When the word state forms the full name of a specific body, you must also capitalize it. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). That means that official names of departments and units should be capitalized and not when referring to just a type of department or unit. Should I capitalize "the north" and "the south" in my work on the southern campaign of the Revolutionary war? Of course, they should be capitalized at the start of sentences and in titles, as they are with other nouns. The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition (2010) has a useful and detailed discussion of this issue. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. However, if instead you reference a general location, such as "the southern winds," then the word southern should be lowercase. When they indicate compass direction, lowercase north, south, northeast, and so on, but capitalize when it indicates a region: the West Coast. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. However, if you use the word southern instead of a general location, such as the southern winds, the word should be lowercase. Dates. And if so, when? southern Atlanta; But capitalize compass points when part of a proper name. 'CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions.' When used as part of a short-form political affiliation, states should also be abbreviated. 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. For example, "Global is a proper noun." . If the writer is referring to the United States and calling it just the States, then states needs to be capitalized. When the name of a city and state are used together, the name of the state should be abbreviated (except for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah). However, to, not a dash, should be used when from introduces a range of dates (from 2012 to 2013, not from 2012-13). That's when even the most exhaustive style . When to Capitalize Directional Words - Ellii Blog 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. Not capitalizing when referring to a general direction. Is Grandma a well-behaved woman? 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. On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. What about capitalizing a Westerner or a Westerner? When to capitalize North East south west? 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. any that aren't articles, conjunctions or prepositions) should be capitalised. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Is South capitalized when talking about the Civil War? Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, and other lowercase letters are used when indicating compass direction. The main style guides all agree on this, although . I studied Pisces, a constellation of the North sky, on a cloudless night. So, noun will be always first capital letter. Names of regions should be capitalized if those are proper nouns or denote a country, city, continent, etc. In other words, directions can be tricky! Why distinguishes money from other assets in the economy. The word white is not usually capitalized in this situation; men would never be. the Deep South. After all, it was named after its inventor, Edwin Southern, and therefore the use of the capital is justified. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. Best Book Writing Software and Book Writing Apps, Cursive Text Generator , Buscador de palabras y descifrador de palabras. Do you capitalize state when referring to a state? It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. In all cases, though, you should: And if you need help, our expert proofreaders are ready! 8 What states in the US are consider southern states? 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 . When the word "state" comes after a state's name, it should be capitalized. . Knowing whether to capitalize directional adjectives can be challenging. You have entered an incorrect email address! Why are trials on "Law & Order" in the New York Supreme Court? Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. Is Colorado in the west or the West? On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from proper nouns. Should You Capitalize Western? (Western World, Culture - Grammarlookup Rule 1. North, East, South or West - Capitalize or Not? - ProofreadNOW.com The West Coast has beautiful scenery. 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. Capitalizing the Word States If a writer refers to the United States and refers to it only as the States, states must be capitalized. North, South, West, East Capitalizing Can Be a Beast - ProofreadNOW.com To Capitalise or Not To Capitalise: A Useful Guide - Proofed Hi, Michael. 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 is widely known: The Civil War pitted the South against the North. Prepositions, such as at, around, by, after, along, for, from, of, on, to, with & without. 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. Editorial Style Guide - University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. 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). I often have to write north, west in reference to an entrance or exit, for example, the patron exited through the north turnstile. How do I style geographic terms such as - MLA Style Center Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? Only when it's very apparent or writing the direction names in small letters looks completely off, capitalize them. Instead, I have compiled a partial list of things people shouldn't capitalize but commonly do anyway. The same applies for related adjectives and other compass directions: We live in the eastern part of the country. Are coca cola and pepsi owned by the same company? Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. 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. By prevailing usage, roughly the most southerly one-third or two-fifths of California is referred to as Southern California, in initial caps. Related, but not duplicates (in my opinion): As definitive as it gets. Do you capitalize Pacific Northwest? The mines are located in the western part of the plateau. Do you capitalize the word state when referring to a state? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! Guidance to capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. Likewise, the rules for sentences apply: capitalize the common name at the . AP Style states that when referring to the names of a nation, directions should . But if someone prefers "African American," use that term rather than a more generic "black." How to Export PDF Tables from Adobe Acrobat to Excel (PC & Mac), How to Insert Images into Shapes in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac), How to Align the Periods in Numbered Lists in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac), How to Password Protect Files in Microsoft Word, How to Password Protect PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac). When referring to Greek, Roman, and other groups of gods and goddesses, only the name is capitalized. Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. Are you supposed to capitalize north south east and west? MLA style follows The Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. Do you capitalize the S in Southern California? - TipsFolder.com In short, it says to capitalize northern, southern, eastern, western and related words when they refer to the PEOPLE in a region or what they DO (i.e., their political, cultural or social activities) or are part of the place name. The geographical areas "The North," "The East," "The South," and "The West" are treated like proper nouns. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Likewise, capitalize terms such as "Native American," "Hispanic," and so on. Capitalize the first word of every sentence. Capitalize such words as Northerner, Southerner, and Midwesterner. 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. Each morning, the sun rises in the east . However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. . Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? Do You Capitalize the Word "Queen" in a Sentence? Here Chemistry and Spanish are the proper nouns. The same rules apply to capitalizing western as capitalizing west.
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