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When it comes to sports, there are a few capitalization rules to keep in mind. The names of sports teams are typically not capitalized, for example, a basketball team or football team. However, when a team name includes the name of a city or school, that part of the name is capitalized, such as Manchester United or the Stanford Cardinal. Brand names of trademarked sports equipment are capitalized, like Frisbee in ultimate Frisbee. Additionally, official job titles or role names are capitalized when they come before the name and are attached to the name, like President Barack Obama. So, should 'basketball' be capitalized? The answer depends on the context in which it is being used.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Names of card games | Lowercased except for words normally capitalized, e.g. Poker, but “Texas hold ’em." |
| Names of games of chance | Capitalized, e.g. Russian roulette, bingo, craps, and three-card monte |
| Names of strategy games | Lowercased, e.g. chess and checkers |
| Names of tile games | Lowercased, e.g. dominoes |
| Traditional children's games | Not capitalized, e.g. tag, hide-and-seek, and king of the castle |
| Brand names of trademarked games | Capitalized, e.g. Monopoly, Scrabble, and Chutes and Ladders |
| Team names/sports | Not capitalized, e.g. men's basketball team, women's soccer team, cross country team |
| Names of committees | Capitalized when using their full names, e.g. Committee on Campus Life |
| Titles | Capitalized only when they appear before the name of the title holder, e.g. Provost Biddy (Carolyn A.) Martin, the provost |
| Headlines | Capitalize all words except articles, conjunctions, and prepositions of fewer than four letters |
| Official job titles or role names | Capitalized only if they come before the name and are attached to the name, e.g. President Barack Obama |
| Specific geographical regions | Capitalized, e.g. South America |
| Names of sports mascots, official names, and colors | Capitalized, e.g. Wally Pilot |
| Course titles | Not capitalized unless it is a very specific class or includes the name of a language within its title |
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What You'll Learn
Sports team names are capitalized
When writing about sports, it is important to note that the names of teams, leagues, and conferences are capitalized. For example, one would write "the Cleveland Browns" or "the Browns," and "the Stanford Cardinal" or "the Cardinal." This is true even when the team name does not include the city or school associated with the team.
However, the names of sports themselves are generally not capitalized. For example, one would write "she plays basketball, soccer, and baseball," with only the personal pronoun ("she") capitalized. This is because basketball, soccer, and baseball are common nouns and do not require capitalization.
There are, of course, exceptions to this rule. When a sport is mentioned as part of a proper noun or title, it is capitalized. For example, one might write, "The Basketball Hall of Fame," or "the Baseball World Series." In these cases, the sport is part of a title or proper noun and is thus capitalized.
Additionally, when a sport is used as an adjective, it is generally capitalized. For example, one might write, "He is a basketball player on the Cleveland Cavaliers." In this case, "basketball" is being used as an adjective to describe the type of player, and so it is capitalized.
Finally, it is worth noting that the names of variations, terminology, and strategies within a sport are generally not capitalized. For example, one would write, "He played small forward in basketball and liked to run the pick-and-roll," with only the proper nouns ("He" and "Cleveland Cavaliers") capitalized.
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Capitalizing job titles
Job titles can be tricky to get right when it comes to capitalisation. The general rule is that most job titles are not capitalised. However, there are several exceptions to this rule.
Firstly, if a job title is an official, one-of-a-kind position, it should be capitalised. For example, "Queen of England" or "the Barnaby G. Gray Professor of Circuses".
Secondly, if a job title precedes someone's name and is part of a proper noun, it should be capitalised. For example, "Reverend James" or "Professor Anita Brown". This also applies when a title is used in place of a name, especially when directly addressing someone. For instance, "Doctor Smith" or "Judge Regina Blake".
Thirdly, job titles are often capitalised when they appear in a list of names, such as in event programmes or donor lists. This is also the case when capitalising a title will show respect to a person in a high-status role.
Fourthly, when signing your name at the end of a letter, email, or other message, your job title should be capitalised. For example, "John Smith, Editor in Chief".
It is also worth noting that some companies prefer to capitalise job roles as a matter of respect or in official documents. Therefore, it is always good practice to check your organisation's style guide for specific details on capitalising titles within the company.
Finally, when using title case, capitalise the first, last, and principal words in a title, but not unimportant words like prepositions ("of", "about", "with"), conjunctions ("and", "but", "or"), or articles ("a", "an", "the").
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Capitalization in headlines
When it comes to crafting headlines, capitalization plays a significant role in ensuring clarity and impact. Here are some detailed guidelines on capitalization specifically for headlines:
Capitalizing Words in Headlines
It is standard practice to capitalize all words in a headline except for articles ("a," "an," and "the"), conjunctions ("and," "but," "or," "nor," and "yet"), and prepositions of fewer than four letters. For example, you would write: "The New York Times Announces Staff Changes: Who Is In and Who Is Out?"
Capitalizing Verbs
Always capitalize verbs in headlines. For example, "New Study Reveals Surprising Benefits of Green Tea."
Capitalizing Short Prepositions
While prepositions of fewer than four letters are typically lowercase in sentences, an exception arises when they are integral parts of two-word verbs. In such cases, the preposition is capitalized. For instance, "Company Looks into the Matter of Misconduct." Here, "into" is a preposition, but when paired with the verb "looks," it becomes a two-word verb, and thus it is capitalized.
Capitalizing First Words
Always capitalize the first word of each deck in a headline, even if it is typically a word that would be lowercase according to other rules. For example, "The, Yet Unidentified, Painting is Stunning."
Capitalizing Proper Nouns
Proper nouns, such as names, specific places, and brand names, are always capitalized. For instance, "Manchester United Announces New Signing: Welcome, Erling Haaland!"
Lowercasing Team Names
When referring to a sports team, do not capitalize the name of the sport. For example, "The Manchester football team." However, if the team name includes the name of a city or school, it is capitalized. For instance, "The Cleveland Browns."
These guidelines will help ensure that your headlines are not only attention-grabbing but also conform to standard editorial practices.
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Capitalization of game names
The capitalization rules for game names can be tricky, and there are a few factors to consider. Firstly, the default setting for game names is lowercase. However, there are exceptions to this rule, especially when it comes to specific types of games.
For example, brand names of trademarked board games like "Monopoly," "Scrabble," and "Chutes and Ladders" are capitalized. This is because they are proprietary product names, similar to trademarks like "Kleenex" or "Cheerios." On the other hand, non-proprietary games like "chess" and "poker" are typically written in lowercase, even though companies produce chess sets and playing cards.
Names of card games are generally lowercased, except for words that are normally capitalized, such as "Poker" or "Texas hold 'em." This rule also applies to games of chance like "Russian roulette" and "bingo," as well as variations and terminology related to these games. Traditional children's games like "tag," "hopscotch," and "hide-and-seek" are also not capitalized.
When it comes to sports, the name of the sport itself is typically not capitalized ("basketball," "soccer," "tennis"). However, team names are often capitalized, even when they do not include the city or school associated with the team (e.g., "the Cleveland Browns" or simply "the Browns"). This is because team names are considered proper nouns. Additionally, specific geographical regions are capitalized ("South America"), but general directions are not ("southwest").
In the context of a title or headline, the rules may vary. For example, in a school report, a student might write, "This semester I'm taking English Literature, Chemistry, Calculus, and Physical Education." Here, "Physical Education" is capitalized as it is part of the course title. However, when referring to the class itself, it would be lowercase: "Our physical education class meets three times a week."
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Capitalizing course titles
When it comes to capitalizing course titles, there are a few guidelines to follow. Firstly, official course titles should be capitalized, excluding articles (a, an, the), prepositions (at, by, for, from, of, to, with, etc.), and coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). For instance, "Introduction to Microeconomics" or "Graphic Design I".
It's important to note that if a course title includes a specific name, such as a person's name, that name should also be capitalized. For example, "John Doe's Seminar on Shakespearean Drama".
Additionally, when referring to academic ranks or titles, there are specific rules to follow. Capitalize a title when it comes directly before the name, such as "Professor Ann Jones". However, when the title follows the name or stands alone, it should not be capitalized. For example, "John Smith, professor of biology" or "the chancellor of the university".
In general, proper nouns and official names are capitalized, while common nouns and informal forms of official names are not. This applies to colleges, schools, departments, divisions, offices, and official bodies. For instance, "Department of Physics" or "School of Education".
When it comes to capitalization in headlines, all words should be capitalized except for articles, conjunctions, and prepositions of fewer than four letters. However, always capitalize verbs and the first word of each deck in a headline.
Lastly, when referring to committee names, capitalize the full names of standing committees, whether they belong to legislative bodies, student assemblies, or other committees.
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Frequently asked questions
No, 'basketball' should not be capitalized unless it is at the beginning of a sentence. This is because it is a common noun and not a proper noun.
Common nouns should be capitalized when they are the first word of a sentence or when they are in a title and are directly preceding the name of the title holder.
Yes, there are always exceptions! If the title is generic or within an organization other than the one you are writing for, do not capitalize it.
