by Bobbie Christmas
Q: When I refer to a specific chapter in my book proposal or in my book, do I capitalize it? For example, when I say, “See Chapter Three for more information,” should it be chapter three or Chapter Three?
A: As used, Chapter Three is the title of the chapter, so capitalize it as you would any title.
Q: Are the seasons capitalized? I’ve seen it both ways, “Spring” and “spring.”
A: Seasons aren’t capitalized unless they are the first word in a sentence. “The weather in Paris in the spring is perfect,” but “Spring in Paris is perfect.”
Q: When a character speaks in dialogue, are terms of endearment such as honey, love, buddy, etc., always capitalized?
A: The Chicago Manual of Style prefers to lowercase pet names and terms of endearment unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence or replace the actual name. For example, “I love you, Honey, but your feet stink.” Examples of when to lowercase the name are: “She’s my honey, but her feet stink.” “Susie, honey, don’t go there.”
Honorifics, however, are not capitalized unless at the start of a sentence. “Yes, ma’am, I can do that.” “Ma’am, the store is closed.” “I’m sorry, sir.”
Q: If the wording following a colon can stand as a complete sentence, is it necessary to capitalize the first letter following the colon?
A: The newest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style changed its position on this issue. It used to say always lowercase the remaining sentence after a colon. It now says to capitalize the first word following a colon if it introduces two or more sentences, when it introduces a speech in dialogue, or when it introduces a direct question.
Example for lowercase: He gave her two choices: move to Miami or end the relationship.
Examples for uppercase after a colon: One must pack many things for a trip to Canada: Carry a sweater for the cool nights. Take comfortable walking shoes.
Q: I always capitalize God, but I’ve seen it in lowercase. Which is right?
A: As with any title, the word god is capitalized when it is not modified by an article, such as a, an, or the: I prayed to God that my sister would live. The word god is lowercased when it is plural or is preceded by an article or pronoun such as my, your, his, etc.: I pray to God every morning. The Greeks thought gods lived on mountains. My god, those are lovely flowers.
Q: When should I capitalize job titles? Is it this: My daughter Alexis is an electrical engineer at Safeco Sanitation. Or should it be this: Alexis is an Electrical Engineer at Safeco Sanitation.
A: The first example is correct: My daughter Alexis is an electrical engineer at Safeco Sanitation. The only time to capitalize a job title is when a name follows, as in this example: In charge today is Electrical Engineer Alexis Jones.
Q: Please help! I was taught in school always to capitalize the word “president” when referring to the president of the United States. Nowadays I don’t see it always capitalized. Was my English teacher wrong?
A: Your English teacher was teaching you one style of writing, possibly academic style, while if you’re writing a book today, you would follow Chicago style. Chicago style capitalizes the word “president” only if followed by a name or used at the start of a sentence. “I voted for Jones for president of the United States.” “I liked President Jones’s White House speech.”
Send your questions to Bobbie Christmas, book editor, author of Write In Style: Use Your Computer to Improve Your Writing, and owner of Zebra Communications. Read Bobbie’s Zebra Communications blog at zebraeditor.com/blog.
