Capitalization Rules
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3.39.
All principal words are capitalized in titles of addresses, articles, books, captions, chapter and part headings, editorials, essays, headings, headlines, motion pictures and plays (including television and radio programs), papers, short poems, reports, songs, subheadings, subjects, and themes. The foregoing are also quoted.
3.40.
In the short or popular titles of acts (Federal, State, or foreign) the first word and all important words are capitalized.
- Revenue Act; Walsh-Healey Act; Freedom of Information Act; Classification Act; but the act; Harrison narcotic law; Harrison narcotic bill; interstate commerce law; sunset law
3.41.
The capitalization of the titles of books, etc., written in a foreign language is to conform to the national practice in that language.
First words
3.42.
The first word of a sentence, of an independent clause or phrase, of a direct quotation, of a formally introduced series of items or phrases following a comma or colon, or of a line of poetry, is capitalized.
- The question is, Shall the bill pass?
- He asked, "And where are you going?"
- The vote was as follows: In the affirmative, 23; in the negative, 11; not voting, 3.
- Lives of great men all remind us
- We can make our lives sublime.
- Lives of great men all remind us
3.43.
The first word of a fragmentary quotation is not capitalized.
- She objected "to the phraseology, not to the ideas."
3.44.
The first word following a colon, an exclamation point, or a question mark is not capitalized if the matter following is merely a supplementary remark making the meaning clearer.
- Revolutions are not made: they come.
- Intelligence is not replaced by mechanism: even the televox must be guided by its master's voice.
- But two months dead! nay, not so much; not two.
- What is this? Your knees to me? to your corrected son?
