Capitalization

• Proper names and proper nouns are capitalized:

Johnny Carson, Saddam Hussein, Corning West High School

• Plural uses:

Southside and Corning West high schools

• Some words can be capitalized or not depending on how they are used:

I joined the Republican Party to protect the republic.

The Democrat lost faith in democracy.

The Nazis were fascists.

• If you are referring to group or organization, by its full, proper name, you will capitalize:

The Wisner Park Farmers Market

• But, often, the shorter version will be downcased:

the farmers market[EB1]

• However, when referring to government agencies and groups, you will retain capitalization:

Ithaca City Council, on second reference, would be – City Council. …

… Because you are still referring to a specific governmental body.

However, if you are not referring to a specific city council, then it will be downcased.

The state put the screws to city councils today.

Note that state is downcased. It almost always is. For example, if the story refers to New York state residents.

The exception is if state is part of a proper noun:

New York State Electric & Gas

But – I drove here on state Route 13.

There is a little debate about New York state Legislature. I think state should be downcased here, but my colleagues disagree, so I will allow it to remain upcased.

Another exception to government names:

Full name: Corning-Painted Post Board of Education.

Short form: Corning school board.

(This shorter version is often used on second reference, but depending on a newspaper's style it's also OK on first reference.)

• Titles

Capitalize titles used directly before a person’s name:

President George Bush, but:

George Bush, the president.

Dean Larry Little

Larry Little, associate dean

Professor[EB2] Jim Jones

Which is right?

The History Department

The History department

The English Department

The English department[EB3]

The history department[EB4]

The U.S. Marines[EB5]

The French Navy[EB6]

The U.S. army[EB7]

The Russian army[EB8]

The Americanization of Iraq

The french fries

A manhattan cocktail[EB9]

Chairman Russell Jones

Russell Jones, chairman of the journalism department[EB10]

Let’s go south.

Let’s go to Southern California

Let’s get out of upstate New York[EB11]

Harper’s Magazine

Newsweek magazine[EB12]

Los Angeles Police Department

The Police Department[EB13]

Chemung County

Steuben County[EB14]

He will move in the summer of 2006.

He will move this summer[EB15] .

He applied for federal assistance.

He applied for a job at the Federal[EB16] Trade Commission.

In the Navy[EB17] , John Kerry fought on a swift boat.

Kerry has been in the Senate[EB18] for decades.

The Rollerblades[EB19]

The in-line skates

The Vaseline

The Fiberglas

The fiberglass

AstroTurf

The aspirin

The cellophane

The escalator

The milk of magnesia[EB20]

SPELLING

(See page 186 in “Working with Words”)

Cancel

Canceling

Canceled

Control

Controlling

Refer

Referring

Referred

Admitted

Dropped

Traveled

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[EB1]Note that there is no apostrophe

[EB2]AP Style actually says that professor should be downcased. I suppose the distinction is whether it is an instructor who has formally earned the academic rank.

[EB3]This is correct

[EB4]This is correct

[EB5]This is correct

[EB6]Not correct. We downcase the military of other countries.

[EB7]Incorrect. We upcase army when referring to the United States army.

[EB8]Correct.

[EB9]These are all correct.

[EB10]Correct.

[EB11]These are all correct.

[EB12]These are correct. The question is whether magazine is part of the proper name.

[EB13]Both are correct

[EB14]Both are correct.

[EB15]Just an example to point out that if we are referring to the upcoming season, we should not use the year with it.

[EB16]So, federal is capitalized only when part of the proper name.

[EB17]Correct

[EB18]Correct.

[EB19]Trademarks must be capitalized. See Pages 30 to 32 in “Working with Words.”

[EB20]These are all products which lost their trademark protection.