For places names and proper names, the word "Southern" should be capitalized, but in other contexts, it is not. Thor and Norway are capitalized because they are proper nouns. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. Geographic Regions Used as Adjectives 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. are not capitalized when they merely denote compass direction. When used as part of a short-form political affiliation, states should also be abbreviated. However, I was recently advised by someone who I consider to be educated to capitalize "southern" in this context. In contrast, The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends lowercasing specific U.S. geographic regions used as adjectives:3. Usage guide. AP Style holds to the general rule of lowercasing compass directions and capitalizing regions. Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. Instead of using the frequently used double-space, only use one space after a period to properly follow AP style guidelines. Copyright 2022 - TheContentAuthority.com, Reindeer Vs. Moose: Main Differences, How To Tell Them Apart. - thanks! You should capitalize North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). When the word state forms the full name of a specific body, you must also capitalize it. Capitalization in APA, Chicago, MLA, and AP - ProofreadingPal The obvious examples of this are countries, states, cities, and other geographical areas: We study the history of Eastern Europe. How do I style geographic terms such as - MLA Style Center Only when it's very apparent or writing the direction names in small letters looks completely off, capitalize them. However, to, not a dash, should be used when from introduces a range of dates (from 2012 to 2013, not from 2012-13). As an Amazon Associate, CapitalizeMyTitle.com earns from qualifying purchases. Likewise, the rules for sentences apply: capitalize the common name at the . 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 names of things are known as common nouns. Is it Southern or Southern? When a database has been given a proper name, capitalize that name, but do not italicize it or place it inside quote marks. It might be amusing to look for instances of "southern Southern California" or "northern Southern California". 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. AP Style Directions and Regions - Writing Explained 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). Best Book Writing Software and Book Writing Apps, Cursive Text Generator , Buscador de palabras y descifrador de palabras. When proofreading or editing documents, we often find that writers are confused about when to capitalize these terms. 1 Is south capitalized when referring to Southern states? However, they should be capitalized only in such contexts; names of compass points in sentences such as "I drove southeast for several hours" or "Have you been to any of the southwestern states?" are not capitalized. It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. Is summer a good time? I still don't see any "descriptivist argument", much less a strong one. Colorado is part of the Southwest. "The State Finance Department," for example, is a good example. Most style guides recommend capitalizing "West Coast" when referring to the western seaboard of the U.S. hi, should i capitalize 'west' in 'west Africa' or 'north' in north Africa'? If you are merely referring to a direction, such as "go north on I-90," then you should keep north lowercase. You should always capitalize Southerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns. 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. Capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. Do not capitalize these words when they merely indicate general location or refer to the geography or climate of the region. The term "region" is a general noun, and it's usually not capitalized, as a result. 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. A region can be a city, town, village, country, continent, or any area that comes under the jurisdiction or administration of a state. Capital Letters with North, East, South, and West - Grammar Monster A recognized geographical region. For example: I live in The North. Which sentence is capitalized correctly Carlotta? Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN. More answers below 5 Free French-to-English Translation Services, Broad geographical regions (e.g., the North or the Far East), People from a specific region (e.g., Northerners, Southerners), Cultures or movements related to a region (e.g., Western philosophy). @SvenYargs This is a very useful answer; I'm processing it. Lorry Vs. Truck: Meaning And How To Use Each One, Turnip Vs. Radish: Meaning And Differences Of These Words. Of all the various names or terms, direction names could be the trickiest to handle. So, noun will be always first capital letter. 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. What states in the US are consider southern states? Chicago style is best for writers who want to adhere to traditional publishing standards and academic writers in non-scientific fields. English Capitalization Rules and Example Sentences - ThoughtCo Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. Note that it doesn't seem to be treated as a compound proper noun (e.g., searching for "Southeastern Albania" produces an error since Ngrams is case sensitive and there don't seem to be any instances of that capitalization in the Google Books database). Except for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah, the name of a city and state should be abbreviated when they are used together. We also lowercase the terms when they refer to people: My friend is a southerner. Erin Wright, 20122023. Is the s capitalized in southern hospitality? - Answers ), Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Is it "southern California" or "Southern California?". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. Capitalize proper nouns and most adjectives formed from proper nouns. Generally, you do not need to capitalize the names of the seasons. North, South, West, East Capitalizing Can Be a Beast - ProofreadNOW.com Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). Dates. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. Southern United States, for example, is appropriate because it is located in a specific region. It was put into effect at first for big businesses, but was then gradually adopted by everyone as a standardized format. My name is Erin. If the writer is referring to the United States and calling it just the States, then states needs to be capitalized. Is "Southern California" considered a proper noun? Title Case Capitalization (APA 7th) Sentence Case Capitalization (APA 7th) Coordinate conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet & so (FANBOYS). (1) often capitalized: of or relating to any of various population groups having dark pigmentation of the skin (black Americans) (2) : of or relating to the African-American people or their culture (black literature) (a black college) (black pride) (black studies) From Merriam-Webster Dictionary Part of the definition for white Each state has its own shortened name codes, which are used in written documents and mailing addresses. Unless the direction is part of the country's actual name, it remains lowercased. How do I connect these two faces together? Does the word federal need to be capitalized? 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. This is known as 'title case'. The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a consensus. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Of course, as with other nouns, they should be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and in titles. 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. 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. That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositionshowever, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters. @Devil07, the geographical adjective "southern" is not usurped -- it just means something different. Everyone knows that Southern blot is written with a capital "S". 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. Words such as one, it, its, its, him, and own should all be capitalized no matter where they appear in a title. States and territories Use initial capitals for words in the formal name. Opportunities exist on the east and west sides of the city. In all cases, though, you should: And if you need help, our expert proofreaders are ready! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! The mines are located in the western part of the plateau. This suffix makes the direction an adjective, and when it describes a specific region, it should be capitalized. 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. is considered basic and should be known by people who claim to have a good command of the language. Most style guides say that compass points and the terms derived from them are lowercased if they just mean direction or location. 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). As a general thumb rule, if a particular direction (north, south, etc.) 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. When words like northern, southern, eastern, and western precede a place name, they are not ordinarily capitalized, because they merely indicate general location within a region. Some common examples of when you should capitalize south include: down South the Deep South However, the Associated Press Stylebook does not recommend capitals in that case. editing, Consult your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. Do you capitalize north? Should southern be capitalized? English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. When possessive pronouns like her, his, my, our, and your are used, do not capitalize them. The geographical areas "The North," "The East," "The South," and "The West" are treated like proper nouns. Words Which Should Not Be Capitalized in a Title. To make room for the ZIP Code, state names needed to be abbreviated. CMOS looks at what a large relevant tranche of people do; this ultimately defines what is acceptable. At 8.47 ("Popular place names or epithets"), CMOS notes that certain other regions and epithets receive initial caps as well. In most forms of writings, not capitalizing direction names when they could have been capitalized doesn't bother the readers much. 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. Capitalize these words when they designate regions. So you would only capitalize federal when you use it in the name of a federal agency, an act, or some other proper noun. Whether it's an "official" name or not and how well the thing is defined have no bearing whatsoever. MLA style follows The Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. southern Atlanta; But capitalize compass points when part of a proper name. 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. How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates. The sentence reads "I turned on north Bolton." Is "southern" capitalized in this sentence? - Quora The same rules apply to capitalizing western as capitalizing west. when they indicate compass direction, but capitalize when they indicate a region: the West Coast. Do You Capitalize Regions When Writing? When & When Not To If the is used, use Prime Minister. Western (and Northern) blots however, were not named after inventors but were given these names in honor of . Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Here Carlotta is the name hence it needs to be in capital and I, Halloween should be capitalized. 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. Hi, Victoria. Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. You would capitalize "Southern" when referring to the people, or their culture, politics, or social activities, e.g., Southern hospitality, Southern cuisine, Southern accents. If these geographic areas are part of a name, however, such as "River Thames", capitalize the term. However, widely known designations are capitalized: the Upper East Side, Southern California. . Currently, Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary capitalizes Midwesterner, Northerner, Southerner, and Westerner, while Websters New World College Dictionary and The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language only capitalize Midwesterner and allow northerner, southerner, and westerner to be capitalized or lowercased.7. 4 Is Southern California capitalized AP style? How should "Northern Europe" be capitalized? Capitalization | CSU - California State University 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. The sentence which is capitalized correctly is My easiest classes are Chemistry and Spanish. Back East. However, the forms bachelor's degree, bachelor's, master's degree and master's are acceptable as general terms. Job seekers, Is Pepsi the owner of KFC? northern New Jersey, western Massachusetts Northern Ireland, Western Australia When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. The correct answer is option C. In option A, the word Chemistry is only capitalized leaving the other proper noun in lower case. Binomial nomenclature is, of course, also used for animals, including the singularly curious one designated as Homo sapiens. 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. 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. Should 'southern' be capitalized in a sentence such as 'These - Quora That means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositionshowever, some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer than five letters. Use lower case for generic or plural references. Lowercase with names of nations (southern France) unless they indicate a political division (South Korea). Should Southeast be capitalized? - Wise-Answer Not capitalizing when referring to a general direction. As an aside, when we toured through the San Francisco Peninsula earlier this year, our guide told us that the natives generally didn't like the name 'Silicon Valley'. 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. It is also a great option for general business writing. The word "southern" is not part of the official name of California or any city or county, so I never capitalize it. With states, lowercase in most uses: northern New York. Have you ever wondered when its okay to capitalize north, east, south, and west? (Cap or no cap on east and west). Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. Names of regions should be capitalized if those are proper nouns or denote a country, city, continent, etc. When used to refer to direction and location, dont capitalize the names of directions like north, south, east, or west; however, when they appear in the names of places and regions, do capitalize these words. But southerner and northerner are capitalized when they refer to people on either side of the civil war in the United States: We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.
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