First-Year English FAQs
The following are a list of words that should not be capitalized yet frequently are. If you need further information or examples, you can click on any of the items in this list.
* Do not capitalize seasons of the year.
* Do not capitalize school subjects unless they have a number or name a language.
* Do not capitalize words like north when they are given as a direction.
* Do not capitalize regions of a state, county, or city.
* Do not capitalize the name of a career.
* Do not capitalize musical instruments.
* Do not capitalize games or dances.
Do not capitalize seasons of the year.
Example: winter, fall/autumn, spring, summer
Do not capitalize school subjects unless they have a number or name a language.
Example: science, social studies, history, calculus
Example: Earth Science 202, Social Studies 301, English, Spanish, English 101
Do not capitalize words like north when they are given as a direction.
Example: Turn northeast on this block.
Do not capitalize regions of a state, county, or city.
Example: Their new home is in northwestern Maricopa County.
Words like "northwest" are capitalized only when they refer to a geographic region.
Example: Phoenix is located in the arid Southwest.
Do not capitalize the name of a career.
Example: My mother is a doctor.
Example: cow, rat, duck
If a proper adjective is part of the animal's formal name, the proper adjective portion of the animal's name should be capitalized.Example: Siamese cat, German shepherd
Example: pine tree, grass, shrub
If a proper adjective is part of the plant's formal name, capitalize the proper adjective but not the name of the plant.
Example: Kentucky blue grass, English ivy
Do not capitalize musical instruments.
Example: flute, piano, violin
If a proper adjective appears with the name of a musical instrument, capitalize the proper adjective but not the name of the musical instrument.
Example: French horn, Spanish guitar
Do not capitalize games or dances.
Example: checkers, hop scotch, tango
If a proper adjective appears with a game or dance, capitalize the proper adjective but not the name of the game or dance.
Example: Mexican hat dance, Chinese checkers
Capitalize the name of commercial games.
Example: Life, Monopoly, Uno