Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. Here are a few sentences with the word "region" in them: If part of a title or headline, the word "region" can be capitalized to conform to title capitalization rules. The correct sentence is Carlotta and I love Halloween. To Capitalize or not to Capitalize Independence? You should capitalize North, South, East, and West when theyre part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). You should capitalize "North," "South," "East," and "West" when they're part of a proper noun (i.e., the name of a unique thing). But when these terms are part of an actual place's name, capitalize them, as in "Western Australia", "Northern Ireland", etc. 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. Capitalize such words as Northerner, Southerner, and Midwesterner. Should southern be capitalized? Did I miss the memo on this issue? 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. Related, but not duplicates (in my opinion): As definitive as it gets. southern Atlanta; But capitalize compass points when part of a proper name. 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). For places names and proper names, the word "Southern" should be capitalized, but in other contexts, it is not. Federal or federal? 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. Hi, Victoria. North Dakota; West Virginia; Also capitalize compass points when used in denoting widely known sections. Is it Southern or Southern? The United Kingdom, for instance, is a region that comprises four countries: Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. rev2023.3.3.43278. You capitalize state only when it follows the name of the state, as in New York State is also called the Empire State, or when its part of a traditional name for a state, like Empire State or Lone Star State. When it precedes the name of the state, dont capitalize the word unless its part of a title of . Have you ever visited the Western United States? the Deep South. Is summer a good time? West is directly opposite east. In general, you should capitalize the names of countries and languages. That means that official names of departments and units should be capitalized and not when referring to just a type of department or unit. Alternatively, some style guide suggest that all of the main words (i.e. The Department decided on the current two-letter abbreviations in October 1963. This format is the official USPS postal abbreviation. In some cases, like country and city names, this is clear. Also, if "region" is the first word in a sentence, it is capitalized. proofreading, Is "Southern California" considered a proper noun? The capitalization of as depends upon its function. 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. It's the inconsistency or the abrupt switching between capitalized letters and lowercase letters is what that puts readers off. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Hi, Kelly. Binomial nomenclature is, of course, also used for animals, including the singularly curious one designated as Homo sapiens. She moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. 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. Is that an argument? TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. If the designation is widely known, the "direction" terms are capitalized for instance, "Southern California". What is thought to influence the overproduction and pruning of synapses in the brain quizlet? (There is a lot of leniency on whether to capitalize "The." Few would argue that the region is called "The North" as . The same rules apply to capitalizing western as capitalizing west. Capitalize the traditional geographic regions in the United States: the Midwest, the North, the South, the West, and the combined regions (i.e., the Northeast, the Southeast, and the Southwest).1. In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. When the name of a city and state are used together, the name of the state should be abbreviated (except for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah). And Wisconsin is known as the Badger State (not "the badger state") even though its official name is Wisconsin. Are both letters capitalized in state abbreviations? So, if a person is from South Africa, south would be capitalized since it's the proper name of the country. It only takes a minute to sign up. Strength Vs. Strong: Differences, How To Tell Them Apart? Do You Capitalize the Word "Queen" in a Sentence? Please note that my close-vote reason was 'lack of reasonable signs of research'; I believe that there are differences between the 'northern Europe' example and this one. You should always capitalize Westerner since it refers to a group of people who are proper nouns. Capitalize these words when they designate regions. Consult your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. When did they standardize state abbreviations? It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. O needs to be capitalized since it is at the beginning of the sentence, I needs to be capital, Pisces is a specific constellation so it is a proper noun, and likewise North is proper noun. In terms of "human geography", the regions and their subregions are elucidated by the ethnography discipline. I guess you're saying that it's always okay to break any principle if you really want to, because CMOS says so. Job seekers, Is Pepsi the owner of KFC? Southern, on the other hand, is capitalized by convention when it refers to California: I live in Southern California. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. When using a U.S. geographic region as an adjective, the decision to capitalize or lowercase will depend on your style guide. Proper nouns include the specific names of people, places, and things. You capitalize state only when it follows the name of the state, as in New York State is also called the Empire State, or when its part of a traditional name for a state, like Empire State or Lone Star State. When it precedes the name of the state, dont capitalize the word unless its part of a title of . It is also a great option for general business writing. But you capitalize them when theyre specific regions or an integral part of a proper name. However, it is accepted that these are capitalized when discussing the American Civil War, for example, and, as mentioned in this article in the final Summary section, some style guides prefer north and south to always be capitalized when referring generally to these areas of the United States. For example: The words are also not capitalized if they only indicate locations or the climate or geography of a region. In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. 'CMOS recognizes that common usage and context determine conventional approaches to capitalization in connection with the treatment of certain terms related to regions.' Updated on December 22, 2018. How do I connect these two faces together? When youre talking about Americas West Coast or the Middle East, the directional word is also part of a proper name, and it gets a capital letter. In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. @EdwinAshworth I didn't notice any argument in his answer at all. Yes, Southern is capitalized because it refers to the South (= the southern US). For example, "western Massachusetts", "northern New Jersey". Rule 1. Questions that can be answered using commonly-available references are off-topic, as are those lacking any signs of reasonable research. Hi, Lynne. 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Names of regions should be capitalized if those are proper nouns or denote a country, city, continent, etc. Most style guides say that compass points and the terms derived from them are lowercased if they just mean direction or location. Only a few signs of the zodiac are automatically capitalized (Capricorn, Gemini, Sagittarius, Taurus). You don't even want to know what he calls pancakes. Capitalize names of organizations, institutions, stores, businesses, teams, political parties, and government bodies. A diathermal wall between two thermodynamic systems in thermodynamics allows heat transfer but does not allow for the transfer of matter across it. Likewise, the rules for sentences apply: capitalize the common name at the . 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). Capitalize a persons title when it precedes the name. When does a locational distinction change its suffix and capitialization in a proper name? It only loosely defines a region of California and its border is not officially defined either. "southern California" is not the same as "Southern California". Should north East south West be capitalized? Unless the direction is part of the country's actual name, it remains lowercased. You wouldnt normally unless north and south are part of a proper noun (e.g., South Africa). ANS: Demand, Copyright 2023 TipsFolder.com | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. Each morning, the sun rises in the east . Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) suggests lowercasing terms like midwesterner, northerner, southerner, and westerner, except when referencing the Civil War, in which case Northerner and Southerner should be capitalized:6. Capitalize proper nouns in APA Style. To know what other words you should capitalize, try our free title capitalization tool. Despite that, knowing how to capitalize names of places, regions, geographical features, directions, etc. Why distinguishes money from other assets in the economy. Is state capitalized when referring to a specific state? 1 The Midwest is the breadbasket of the United States. South-East Albania? However, if, like Northern Ireland and North Korea, the direction is part of the proper name, it should be capitalized. The official USPS postal abbreviation is this format. Southern United States, for example, is appropriate because it is located in a specific region. When to Capitalize North, South, East and West. 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. When writing or proofreading manuscripts, names of regions and their capitalization rules could be tricky to discern or ascertain. Why do many companies reject expired SSL certificates as bugs in bug bounties? The sentence reads "I turned on north Bolton." This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He's one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. @Devil07, the geographical adjective "southern" is not usurped -- it just means something different. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Starved Rock Lodge offers world-famous midwestern hospitality in a scenic environment. Prepositions, such as at, around, by, after, along, for, from, of, on, to, with & without. Once again, refer to your dictionary if your preferred style guide doesnt address this issue. References to God (s) The word "god" should be capitalized if it is being used as a proper name of a monotheistic god, as in God in Christianity and Judaism. If you are merely referring to a . How should "Northern Europe" be capitalized? 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 is widely known: The Civil War pitted the South against the North. capitalization, maps, writing tips. 10 Do I capitalize southern as in the US region? 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. AP style is primarily for journalists and writers who want to conform to traditional journalism styles. This suffix makes the direction an adjective, and when it describes a specific region, it should be capitalized. "The South" is capitalized because it designates a definite region, e.g., "I was born and raised in the South." More answers below When these words are included in the place name, however, they must be capitalized. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? 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. 1. 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. The Content Authority is where you will find great content, written by amazing writers, around topics like grammar, writing, publishing, and marketing. Only capitalize state when it follows the states name, such as New York State is also known as the Empire State, or when it is part of a traditional state name, such as Empire State or Lone Star State, can be capitalized. That means you should lowercase articles, Lowercase north, south, northeast, etc. It does not store any personal data. 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. Explanation: Because, Pisces is a noun. But things become tricky once we get down to the details. Should southern be capitalized? Everyone knows that Southern blot is written with a capital "S". The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? On a cloudless night, I studied Pisces, a constellation in the North sky. Less democratic. is considered basic and should be known by people who claim to have a good command of the language. The Starved Rock Lodge offers world-famous Midwestern hospitality in a scenic environment. What are some examples of how providers can receive incentives? Should north southeast and West be capitalized? The example you give is a generic direction used as an adjective (like the "east wing of the mansion" example in the post), so no capitalization is required. Others may argue that the word simply denotes the direction of the region the individual lives and must not have the capital letter. Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from proper nouns. Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, and other lowercase letters are used when indicating compass direction. However, when the terms southerner and northerner refer to people on either side of the United States civil war, the civil war was fought between Southerners and Northerners. You have entered an incorrect email address! Is South capitalized when talking about the Civil War? When proofreading or editing documents, we often find that writers are confused about when to capitalize these terms. This is known as 'title case'. (I have no authority for this opinion, other than my intuition as an English speaker. Be the first to read new posts and updates about MLA style. However, when these words are actually part of the place name, they must be capitalized. The basic guidelines for using capital letters in English appear simple enough: Capitalize the first word in a sentence.