Many English writers usually get flustered about whether or not the first letters of some words should be capitalized in their works. Interestingly, today’s class provides an ample opportunity to extensively discuss when capitalization is required without misapplying its rules. A writer once argued blindly when I inquired why ‘president’ was uppercased in his article. I understand that the title is ‘special’ and ‘well-recognized’, but it is imperative to state that it is wrong to capitalize the first letter without adding the bearer’s name, as in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The President declared, “Fuel subsidies are gone”. (Wrong)
The president declared, “Fuel subsidies are gone”. (Correct)
Below are other examples in this category:
The Professor left Nigeria for an international conference in Germany on Sunday. (Wrong)
The professor left Nigeria for an international conference in Germany on Sunday. (Correct)
The Minister was summoned by the legislators for misappropriation of funds. (Wrong)
The minister was summoned by the legislators for misappropriation of funds. (Correct)
Because ‘president’, ‘professor’, and ‘minister’ are common nouns, they should not be capitalized. The only exception is below:
Capitalize common nouns when they begin sentences.
Study the following sentences:
Presidents always enjoy immunity all over the world.
Women are emotionally wired to cry when life goes sour.
Lecturers are highly respected and well-paid in all Western countries.
Capitalize the Days of the Week, Months of the Year, Historical Eras, Named Events, and Holidays.
Examples:
The newly appointed commissioners are always busy on Mondays.
Nigeria holds her Independence Day on the 1st of October.
Femi and Bisola’s grandmother breathed her last on Christmas Day.
Over 5000 children died during the Napoleonic Wars.
How many African countries were colonized during the Middle Ages?
However, it is wrong to capitalize centuries, decades, and seasons.
Uche’s family members are on a summer vacation. (Correct)
There is an eighteen-century building on our campus. (Correct)
The doctor retired from civil service after serving for three decades. (Correct)
Capitalize Languages and Religions:
Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo are the major languages in Nigeria. (Correct)
Does your friend really speak Hausa in the United Kingdom? (Correct)
Christianity and Islam are recognized in the Nigerian constitution. (Correct)
Do not capitalize:
Animal and plant species
The dog was slaughtered by three traditionalists. (Correct)
Three monkeys ate the bananas we bought at Garki in Abuja. (Correct)
Medical Conditions
Unfortunately, the most respected politician died of cancer on Sunday. (Correct)
The child had a headache before he fainted. (Correct)
Capitalize the pronoun ‘I’, regardless of its position in your sentences.
I was seriously maltreated by some thugs last night. (Correct)
You and I will visit the permanent secretary in Abuja. (Correct)
Suffixes are also capitalized. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man before he died.
The title of any piece of work- books, songs, poems, articles, episodes, etc.-must be capitalized too. However, the articles and prepositions should be lowercased. Nouns, proper nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs all need to be uppercased.
Examples:
Combating The Surge of Academic Drain in The Nigerian University System. (Wrong)
Combating the surge of academic brain in the nigerian university system. (Wrong)
Combating the Surge of Academic Brain in the Nigerian University System. (Correct)
Rules Of Capitalization (Wrong)
Rules of Capitalization (Correct)
The students were instructed to purchase the Spelling bee dictionary. (Wrong)
The students were instructed to purchase the Spelling Bee Dictionary. (Correct)
According to the Oxford advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the word ‘discombobulate’ means… (Wrong)
According to The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the word ‘discombobulate’ means … (Wrong)
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the word ‘discombobulate’ means … (Correct)
Should departments of institutions be capitalized?
If you are referring to a department by its proper noun, keep it capitalized. In contrast, keep it lowercased when you are referring to a general department.
The newly elected chairman was a student in the psychology department. (Wrong)
The newly elected chairman was a student in the Psychology Department. (Correct)
NUC just accredited a Taxation Department at Olabisi Onabanjo University. (Wrong)
NUC just accredited a taxation department at Olabisi Onabanjo University. (Correct)
Does your institution have a Communication Department? (Wrong)
Does your institution have a communication department? (Correct)
The newly recruited lecturers were posted to the Department of English. (Correct)
Assignment
Assignment
Attempt the following questions:
_____________ was written by the late Chinua Achebe. (a) Things fall Apart (b) Things Fall Apart (c) Things Fall apart
_______ is a member of the African Union. (a) Ghana (b) ghana (c) The Ghana
__________ are peace-embracing religions. (a) Islam and christianity (b) Islam and Christianity (c) islam and Christianity
Kindly forward your answers to samueltolulopealimi@gmail.com or 07049203179 via SMS.
Names of those who answered the last questions correctly
Ahmed Roqeeb, Sultan Musa, Adamu Sulaimon, Femi Olorundero, Eze John, Bankole Richard, Oladunjoye Oluwafemi, Adebayo Bukola, John Solomon, Okere Chigozie, Yahyah Aisha, Abdullahi Nuhu, Bello Sulaimon, Adedigba Emmanuel, Phillip Solomon, Alimi Olive, Oreshade Gbenga and Balogun Bolatito.