In general, you should capitalize the names of countries and languages. Opportunities exist on the east and west sides of the city. 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. For example: But when the terms are used to indicate a region, they are capitalized for example, the "West Coast". To Capitalize or not to Capitalize Independence? But the AP Stylebook says to always capitalize "Southern" when referring to "the South" in the United States, regardless of whether you're discussing the Civil War. Coordinate conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet & so (FANBOYS). In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. The word 'southern' shouldn't be capitalized in a sentence unless it is a proper noun. North, South, West, East Capitalizing Can Be a Beast - ProofreadNOW.com When to Capitalize Words for Compass Points - Daily Writing Tips Can you drive with a broken front differential? @Devil07, the geographical adjective "southern" is not usurped -- it just means something different. However, there are a few exceptions you should learn about. Use capital letters in the following ways: The first words of a sentence When he tells a joke, he sometimes forgets the punch line. The periods are omitted in headlines. Capitalization: Guidelines for Using Capital Letters - ThoughtCo If you are referring to a group of proper nouns such as the Western States. However, if youre referring to a general location, such as the western winds then western should be lowercase. However, capitalization may depend on the style guide you're using. Phil Jamieson Feb 16, 2010 5:00:00 AM. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. 10 Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? MLA style follows The Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. , Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence. By prevailing usage, roughly the most southerly one-third or two-fifths of California is referred to as Southern California, in initial caps. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Do you like West Asia? The first letter of someone's first, middle, and last name is always capitalized, as in John William Smith . As a compass direction, south and southern are not capitalized: Capitalize each term when it is used as a proper name or as part of a proper name, and if the region . seems less related to the usual descriptivist process, more opinion-based. For example, capitalizing "Southerner" in the sentence "As a Southerner, she had a distinct drawl" can be up for debate. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. I wanted to know how to write Southeast Albania correctly (proof reading). If you have a question about whether a specific word should be capitalized that doesn't fit under one of these rules, try checking a dictionary to see if the word is capitalized there. As Sven Yargs' answer shows, there is a strong descriptivist argument involved. That's when even the most exhaustive style . Along with the proper nouns listed in the table above, you should also always capitalize: the first word after a colon when what follows the colon is an independent clause, most nouns when they are followed by numerals or letters (e.g., Table 1, Figure 2, Panel A; see section 4.17), and. Explanation: Because Pisces is a verb. The key factor here is that were using these words descriptively (i.e., to specify the direction or location of something), not to name something. Here are a few more examples: When the directional terms are not proper names and are affixed to proper nouns simply to denote direction, they are written in lowercase for example, "southern France", "northern New York", etc. A recognized geographical region. Should north East south West be capitalized? Geographic Regions Used as Adjectives The AP Stylebook the guiding stylebook for many news outlets, including The Daily Tar Heel advises against using the Oxford comma in most simple series. I guess you're saying that it's always okay to break any principle if you really want to, because CMOS says so. Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. Are coca cola and pepsi owned by the same company? The main style guides all agree on this, although . Is south and Southern capitalized? - TimesMojo Did any DOS compatibility layers exist for any UNIX-like systems before DOS started to become outmoded? The seasons arent proper nouns, so theyre not usually capitalized. But when these terms are part of an actual place's name, capitalize them, as in "Western Australia", "Northern Ireland", etc. in the southwestern part an eastward direction These words usually do get capitalized when they describe a region of the world or of a country, but there are some exceptions. AP Style says it should be capitalized while the Chicago Style Manual says it should be lowercased. only if it's a proper name. Should southern be capitalized? Should compass directions (i.e., north, south, east, and west) ever be capitalized? rev2023.3.3.43278. When to Capitalize Animal and Plant Names - Daily Writing Tips Consistency is the most important thing, though, so you should be fine as long as the form chosen is clear and you use it each time. Characteristics. Certain regions of California (Bay Area, Southern California, Central Coast, etc.) Thus, here are 10 capitalization rules you should know for a well written write-up: Capitalize the first word of every sentence. This seems a difficult case; as this discussion at. Biden administration should avoid subsidies for risky mortgages . North, East, South or West - Capitalize or Not? - ProofreadNOW.com Capitalization | CSU - California State University You would capitalize "Southern" when referring to the people, or their culture, politics, or social activities, e.g., Southern hospitality, Southern cuisine, Southern accents. The term "region" is a general noun, and it's usually not capitalized, as a result. (Most uses will be uppercase.) When to Capitalize North, South, East and West. The street is named Bolton Avenue. northern New Jersey, western Massachusetts Northern Ireland, Western Australia Copyright 2022 - TheContentAuthority.com, Reindeer Vs. Moose: Main Differences, How To Tell Them Apart. When it's an adjective ("bicentennial year"), I agree that no cap is needed . In terms of "human geography", the regions and their subregions are elucidated by the ethnography discipline. Are Directions Capitalized? Easy Ways to Know When Keep reading to learn everything there is to regions and their capitalization, rules for related terms and phrases, what a region is, etc. Should the word northwest be capitalized? Explained by Sharing Culture If a is used, go with prime minister.). Capitalizing southern and capitalizing south have the same rules. Editorial Style Guide - University Of Nevada, Las Vegas the East, the North, the South, the West (of a country) northern, southern, eastern, western (parts of a country) Using Kolmogorov complexity to measure difficulty of problems? When words like northern, southern, eastern, or western precede a place name, they aren't usually capitalized because they only indicate a general location within a region. 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. Proper nouns are names of particular individuals, places, or things, such as Josephina, Michigan, Oreo, and United Auto Workers. In other words, directions can be tricky! Capitalization in APA, Chicago, MLA, and AP - ProofreadingPal Should Pisces be capitalized? [Fact Checked!] For example, the "river" is a general noun and not capitalized. So it would be best to check your style guide if you have one and to make sure whatever you choose is used consistently. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. Thor and Norway are capitalized because they are proper nouns. For example: When words such as "northern", "southern", "western", and "eastern" precede a region or place's name, do not capitalize them as they are only indicating a general location in a region. When Do You Capitalize Geographic Terms? - dummies 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. You should only capitalize directions, such as south, when you are referring to it as the proper noun, such as "in the South.". When we write the days of the week, we always use a capital letter. Are you supposed to capitalize north south east and west? The seasons are not proper nouns and are therefore not normally capitalized. Capitalize proper nouns and most adjectives formed from proper nouns. Is it "southern California" or "Southern California?". The same rule applies for specific regions when you add -ern onto the end of a direction. By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: I live in Southern California. 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. 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. Popular usage sets the rules for standard practice especially in the case of region names. Of course, as with other nouns, they should be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and in titles. Do you capitalize the S in Southern California? - TipsFolder.com This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As a general thumb rule, if a particular direction (north, south, etc.) A diathermal wall between two thermodynamic systems in thermodynamics allows heat transfer but does not allow for the transfer of matter across it. When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. And "north" in that sentence refers to a direction (i.e., where you turned), not the place (i.e., Bolton Avenue). 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. Capitalize words that are part of the formal name, but lowercase in less formal uses: he crossed the Hudson River; but: he fell into the river. In some cases, like country and city names, this is clear. Do not capitalize them when they follow possessive pronouns such as her, his, my, our, your. When the word "state" comes after a state's name, it should be capitalized. State names had to be abbreviated to make room for the ZIP code. Capitalize the pronoun. Q. Debating with an editor over capitalization of the word bicentennial. By convention, however, southern is capitalized when it refers to the region of California: I live in Southern California. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. AP Style holds to the general rule of lowercasing compass directions and capitalizing regions. I assume CMOS have done reasonable research before arguing against a rigid insistence on 'the principles sketched in [an earlier section of CMOS]' and have thought carefully before arguing against ignoring authors' strong preferences. It might be amusing to look for instances of "southern Southern California" or "northern Southern California". You should capitalize "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). Canada, Western European nations and developed parts of Asia; Global Southern countries are those that are less economically developed such as nations in Africa and some parts of Asia [29 . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".