Ask a Capitalization Question
Not too long ago, we published a post regarding the ins and outs of capitalization. It seems we’ve attracted a great deal of traffic from people looking for answers that aren’t readily available in the post.
If you have a capitalization question on your mind – let loose and ask it in the comment section below. We will promptly answer your inquiries as soon as we receive notice. And don’t be shy, you never know when you can help a fellow writer facing the same dilemma.
Posted by The Priceless Team
When referring to the great depression in a sentence but not a the beginning should it be capitalized? I am thinking yes but not for sure.
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, historical periods and eras, such as the Great Depression, are capitalized.
Should the names of seasons be capitalized?
Hi Peter,
Do not capitalize the names or derivatives of seasons – spring (springtime), summer, winter, fall, and autumn UNLESS:
1) Used as part of a formal name like “Summer Olympics.”
2) Paired with another noun and serving as a proper noun, like:
“Fall 2010 semester”
“Fall television line-up”
“Winter holiday shopping sale”
3) You are personifying a season in prose, poetry, or creative writing, like: “In December, Winter lifts his icy hand.”
Someone has asked us if ‘breast cancer’ and other cancers are capitalized. The answer is no, unless it is being used in a title, such as Breast Cancer Walk-a-Thon.
Example: Did you know that breast cancer can strike both men and women?
In a sentence like:
Look at the atlas and point to an island in the southern hemisphere.
is both the s and the h in southern hemisphere capitalized or is none capitalized.
Hi Valerie,
Capitalize the entire thing: Southern Hemisphere
Capitalize when referring to a specific hemisphere (Western Hemisphere, Northern Hemisphere, and Eastern Hemisphere) BUT lowercase ‘hemisphere’ when speaking about more than one (Eastern and Western hemispheres) and the hemisphere.
Do you capitalize Your Honor when referring to a judge? If so, are both words capitalized or just “honor”?
Hi Teresa,
Oooo – good one. When referring to a judge, use ‘Your Honor’ – both words capitalized. All honorific titles are capitalized, including Your Royal Highness, Her Royal Highness, Your Majesty, Your Grace, My Lord, and His Lordship.
Do you capitalize ailments? Such as breast cancer and autism?
Hello Juan,
Do not capitalize ailments, such as breast cancer or autism…unless they appear in the name of an organization or event, such as the Breast Cancer Society, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week, or the Autism Fun Run.
Suppose I am addressing (for example) Lord Bob, who is nobility. In writing, would he be My Lord, my Lord, or my lord? I feel it falls under the “capitalizing honorifics” rule, but repeatedly I’m told that I could only write My Lord if Bob is God, so it’d be “my lord” unless the word my began the sentence.
TLR,
You’re absolutely right – this question does fall under honorifics. If Bob is nobility and you’re referring to him as ‘My Lord,’ it is capitalized. To quote question 9, “All honorific titles are capitalized, including Your Royal Highness, Her Royal Highness, Your Majesty, Your Grace, My Lord, and His Lordship.”