1. Capitalization—Names
Writing Lab
Capitalization—Names

2. Personal Names Capitalize personal names, nicknames, and epithets.
Examples:
Honest Abe
Michael “Air” Jordan
Ms. Smarty Pants

3. Relationships
Capitalize names of relationships which substitute for proper names.
Examples:
I remember how Dad used to take us shopping.
Uncle James
Do not capitalize names of relationships preceded by a possessive word.
My mother
The father of my friend

4. Animals
Capitalize animals’ names if part or all of the name is derived from a proper noun.
Examples:
German shepherd
Clydesdale
Do not capitalize if the name is not derived from a proper name.
pinto
blue jay

5. Personifications Capitalize personifications Examples: Mother Nature
Father Time
Old Man Winter

6. Hyphens
Capitalize the first and second word in hyphenated proper names.
Examples:
Through the Looking-Glass
My So-Called Life
Do not capitalize the second word in hyphenated proper names if it is not as import as the first word.
Example:
“How to Apply Make-up”

7. That’s all, folks!
This lesson is part of the UWF Writing Lab Grammar Mini-Lesson Series
Lessons adapted from Real Good Grammar, Too by Mamie Webb Hixon
To find out more, visit the Writing Lab’s website where you can take a self-scoring quiz corresponding to this lesson