A Capital Question

Sometimes tiny details can drive a person to distraction. When exactly is a noun capitalized, and when is lower case correct? A general way to know is to determine whether or not the noun substitutes for a name. Names are capitalized, so a noun that stands in place of a name or serves as part of the name, as in a title, is also capitalized.

It may be tricky at times, so it never hurts to consult a reference book to verify the rules when you have a specific question about a specific noun. One example for when the same noun is capitalized or not is as follows:

“Captain Fearnot steered his ship out to sea in the storm, but the captain of the other ship chose to go into the nearest port.”

In the first part of the sentence, a specific captain goes out to sea, and the title is part of his name. In the second part of the sentence, an unnamed captain heads inland, so no capital letter is used.

Another example shows the difference between father and Father, lower case or capitalized. Which to use depends on how the word is used in a sentence. If the word father is used in place of his name, as in “I told Father that I was going to the beach,” then it is capitalized. If I change the sentence to read, “I told my father that I was going to the beach,” then the word father is not used as his name and is, therefore, not capitalized.

Some words are always capitalized, days of the week or months; public holidays; countries, states, or cities; and brand names, for instance. Again, if there is any question, checking a grammar reference is an excellent idea. If there is no time or opportunity to check a reliable reference for the correct answer, go with the general rule that if the noun is used as a name, capitalize it.

Roxy’s tip: Don’t forget to capitalize proper nouns!

See you next time the breeze is cool, the sun is up, and the waves roll into view! My next entry is coming soon. ‘Til then, hang ten!