Most proper nouns, including the proper names of persons, places, days of the week, holidays, months, important periods of time, wars, documents, books, associations of people, pictures, animals, and boats, should begin with capital letters.

Note 1

If a proper name consists of more than one word, each chief word should begin with a capital letter.

Examples: William the Conqueror, the Czar of Russia, Cape Cod, Thanksgiving Day, The Dark Ages, the Constitution of the United States, Green's Shorter History of the English People, the Sistine Madonna, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, the Board of Education of the City of New York, the War of the Roses.

The custom in regard to capitalizing the words river and street differs when these words are used with proper nouns. Both forms, Mississippi River and Mississippi river, Willow Street and Willow street, will be found in carefully written books. Examine your textbooks for illustrations.

Note 2

A title that immediately precedes the name of a person should begin with a capital letter, since it becomes a part of the proper name.

Examples: General Brown, Mr. A. M. Brown, Chief Justice Fuller, Cadet Brown, the Hon. Mr. Root, Janitor White.

Note 3

A title used without the name of a person as the equivalent of a proper noun should begin with a capital letter.

Example: The General sent out the order.

Note 4

Abbreviated titles of honor used after proper names should have capital letters.

Examples: John Brown, C.E., A. F. Smith, M.D., William Green, A.B.

Note 5

Full titles used after proper names should not be written with capitals, if preceded by the or a.

Examples: John Brown, a representative from Ohio; Champ Clark, the speaker of the House of Representatives.

Note 6

The words north, south, east, and west, used as names of sections of the country, are proper names, and should begin with capitals.

Examples: She has gone East. The people of the South are hospitable.

Exercise 172

Find in histories, geographies, readers, or other books illustrations of each statement made under § 138.