Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? How should "Northern Europe" be capitalized? Filed Under: The term "region" is a general noun, and it's usually not capitalized, as a result. Proper nouns should always be capitalized. Rule 2. Is it "southern California" or "Southern California?". Capitalize a persons title when it precedes the name. If as is used as a preposition, it is lowercase; if as is used as an adverb, conjunction or pronoun, it is uppercase. 6 Does the word federal need to be capitalized? It was first put into effect for large businesses, but it was gradually adopted as a standardized format by everyone. Geographic Regions Used as Adjectives Phil Jamieson Feb 16, 2010 5:00:00 AM. Capitalize the traditional geographic regions in the United States: the Midwest, the North, the South, the West, and the combined regions (i.e., the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Southwest). 1 The Midwest is the breadbasket of the United States. . Whichever version you use, then, we'd suggest not capitalizing the direction, just the country name. Dates. Short story taking place on a toroidal planet or moon involving flying, Doubling the cube, field extensions and minimal polynoms. Hello! Capitalize such words as Northerner, Southerner, and Midwesterner. 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. The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. 1 Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? 10 Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates. Capitalize the pronoun. Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. 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. As Sven Yargs' answer shows, there is a strong descriptivist argument involved. Capitalize the traditional geographic regions in the United States: the Midwest, the North, the South, the West, and the combined regions (i.e., the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Southwest).1. (Cap or no cap on east and west). In general, you should capitalize the names of countries and languages. So, should you capitalize regions when writing? @Devil07, the geographical adjective "southern" is not usurped -- it just means something different. You should only capitalize directions, such as north, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the North.". Capitalize proper nouns and most adjectives formed from proper nouns. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Not capitalizing when referring to a general direction. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. When writing or proofreading manuscripts, names of regions and their capitalization rules could be tricky to discern or ascertain. I am a technical writer and editor who shares writing-related software tutorials on this website and on YouTube. When referring to regions, capitalize these words. Along with the proper nouns listed in the table above, you should also always capitalize: the first word after a colon when what follows the colon is an independent clause, most nouns when they are followed by numerals or letters (e.g., Table 1, Figure 2, Panel A; see section 4.17), and. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. However, if you use the word southern instead of a general location, such as the southern winds, the word should be lowercase. Should southern be capitalized? When to Capitalize North, South, East and West. To summarize the advice above, we suggest: However, capitalization may depend on the style guide youre using. 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. Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, and other lowercase letters are used when indicating compass direction. The word 'southern' shouldn't be capitalized in a sentence unless it is a proper noun. Are you supposed to capitalize north south east and west? These should not be capitalized unless they are the first or last word of the title. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Thus people who live in southern California may prefer to write Southern California. In October 1963, the Department settled on the current two-letter abbreviations. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. You should read both Western and Eastern philosophy. 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 . To find out when to capitalize North, South, East, and West, read our guide to capitalizing directions below. However, capitalization may depend on the style guide you're using. In contrast, The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends lowercasing specific U.S. geographic regions used as adjectives:3. 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. The West Coast has beautiful scenery. proofreading, Use lower case for generic or plural references. My friend is a southerner. When does a locational distinction change its suffix and capitialization in a proper name? So, if a person is from South Africa, south would be capitalized since it's the proper name of the country. Southern United States, for example, is appropriate because it is located in a specific region. If it's a name, it's a proper noun. 4 Is Southern California capitalized AP style? When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. In other words, directions can be tricky! It's not a continent, nor is it a country. To capitalize or not to capitalize "southern" California [duplicate]. The mines are located in the western part of the plateau. The Chicago Manual of Style. South Pacific. 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". For example, Silicon Valley isn't a proprietary name or legally defined area, but it receives initial caps anyway. The administration's solution: Ease credit for riskier borrowers. By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: I live in Southern California. Is that an argument? Duck Vs. Loon: How Are These Words Connected? 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. 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). Seasons. Coordinate conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet & so (FANBOYS). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. I still don't see any "descriptivist argument", much less a strong one. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. The state abbreviations are always the same: two letter abbreviations with uppercase letters and no periods or spaces between them. Southern, on the other hand, is capitalized by convention when it refers to California: I live in Southern California. He's one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). However, there are a few exceptions you should learn about. O needs to be capitalized since it is at the beginning of the sentence, I needs to be capital, Pisces is a specific constellation so it is a proper noun, and likewise North is proper noun. Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. A title like this would appear as: A Guide to English: Perfecting Grammar in an Academic Paper. The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a consensus. 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. By attaching itself to a common object, the language or country name takes on a new meaning. Southern California; West Texas; the Lower East Side of New York; If in doubt, use lowercase. This is known as 'title case'. Instead, I have compiled a partial list of things people shouldn't capitalize but commonly do anyway. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. Most style guides say that compass points and the terms derived from them are lowercased if they just mean direction or location. 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). 8 What states in the US are consider southern states? 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. AP Style says it should be capitalized while the Chicago Style Manual says it should be lowercased. Is South capitalized when talking about the Civil War? For example: But when the terms are used to indicate a region, they are capitalized for example, the "West Coast". The United Kingdom, for instance, is a region that comprises four countries: Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Capitalizing the Word States If a writer refers to the United States and refers to it only as the States, states must be capitalized. Use capital letters in the following ways: The first words of a sentence When he tells a joke, he sometimes forgets the punch line. 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. You should only capitalize directions, such as south, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the South.". Of course, they should be capitalized at the start of sentences and in titles, as they are with other nouns. 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 . For example, most people would capitalize South London because South London is a well-known part of a famous city. U.S. Capitalize the Southern California region? Is Colorado in the west or the West? Wotan is one of the gods in Wagner's Ring Cycle. Is it Southern or Southern? The seasons arent proper nouns, so theyre not usually capitalized. 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.". For example, NY for New York, use the US Postal Services symbol system. Alternatively, some style guide suggest that all of the main words (i.e. 3. Is "Southern California" considered a proper noun? If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? Explanation: Because Pisces is a verb. 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. is considered basic and should be known by people who claim to have a good command of the language. Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. Use lowercase when referring to directions on a compass. 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. . @SvenYargs This is a very useful answer; I'm processing it. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. down South. The same rule applies for specific regions when you add -ern onto the end of a direction. Can you drive with a broken front differential? Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate direction or general location. When there is no proper name, lowercase "mountain", "gorge", "valley", "beach", and other geographical features. 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. Capitalize regional terms when they refer to a commonly accepted proper name of an area. Everyone on the bus tour enjoyed the Southern food in Tennessee. Capitalizing western and capitalizing west have the same rules. 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). But because it has defined boundaries and administration, it's a "region". North Dakota; West Virginia; Also capitalize compass points when used in denoting widely known sections. 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. If these geographic areas are part of a name, however, such as "River Thames", capitalize the term. That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositionshowever, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters. In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. The basic guidelines for using capital letters in English appear simple enough: Capitalize the first word in a sentence. As explained in the post, some people do capitalize terms like "the North" when they refer to a well-established geographical area. Consult your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. Do you like West Asia? Just make sure you are consistent with the letter case. Pronouns that refer to any god or gods should be lowercased. capitalization. Capitalize north, south, east, west, and derivative words when they designate definite regions or are an integral part of a proper name. 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. Thank you. Here Carlotta is the name hence it needs to be in capital and I, Halloween should be capitalized. The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Handbook, for instance, say to only capitalize Southern when referring to the American Civil War. Most of the north is sandy, and the northern coast is mountainous. . When to capitalize North East South West? Many scholars now study the global South. She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. Other assets have a wide range of liquidity. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Capitalize My Title makes title capitalization easy. In 1963, the state postal codes were formalized into two character abbreviations. 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. Western (and Northern) blots however, were not named after inventors but were given these names in honor of . To put it another way, capitalize words like Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Son, Daughter, and Sis in place of the persons name. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositionshowever, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters. To Capitalize or not to Capitalize Independence? These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? 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. The Department decided on the current two-letter abbreviations in October 1963. Hope all that helps! Direction-denoting terms such as north, south, east, west, etc. The pronoun "I" When words like northern, southern, eastern, or western precede a place name, they arent usually capitalized because they only indicate a general location within a region. 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved When you're talking about America's West Coast or the Middle East, the directional word is also part of a proper name, and it gets a capital letter. Hi there! In June 1963, the Department provided an initial list of abbreviations, but many had only three or four letters, which were still too long. Hi, Lynne. 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 . Capitalization Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board, program, section, unit, etc., unless the word is part of a formal name. Hi, Kelly. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic, as are those lacking any signs of reasonable research. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from proper nouns. Though a direction is a general noun, it could at times be not that straightforward to ascertain whether it's a common noun or a proper noun. I live to the west of Detroit Michigan. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 2 Do you capitalize state when referring to a state? But when these terms are part of an actual place's name, capitalize them, as in "Western Australia", "Northern Ireland", etc. Names of gods are capitalized, including Allah, Vishnu, and God. The main style guides all agree on this, although . The correct answer is option C. In option A, the word Chemistry is only capitalized leaving the other proper noun in lower case. 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. Southern belle (from French belle 'beautiful') is a colloquialism for a debutante in the planter class of the Antebellum South. 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. Sallie Ward, a Southern belle. What is thought to influence the overproduction and pruning of synapses in the brain quizlet? Keep reading to learn everything there is to regions and their capitalization, rules for related terms and phrases, what a region is, etc. 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. Of all the various names or terms, direction names could be the trickiest to handle. Prepositions, such as at, around, by, after, along, for, from, of, on, to, with & without. When it's an adjective ("bicentennial year"), I agree that no cap is needed . Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia? Home-buyers pay a 1.75% fee up . After all, it was named after its inventor, Edwin Southern, and therefore the use of the capital is justified. 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. If you are merely referring to a . Yes, Southern is capitalized because it refers to the South (= the southern US). The English language has grammar and usage rules by the boatload. When a database has been given a proper name, capitalize that name, but do not italicize it or place it inside quote marks. 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. 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. Usage guide. Do you capitalize north? Unless you are referring to the Four Seasons, there is no reason for seasons to . You should always capitalize Southerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns.