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Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: saxon75 on November 02, 2004, 03:46:37 PM

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: saxon75 on November 02, 2004, 03:46:37 PM

"Tales From an Office Building."

"Tales from an Office Building."

Which one is correct as a title for a running column or blog?  Or are they both wrong?

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: Papa Moose on November 02, 2004, 04:35:26 PM

I'd either capitalize every word, or (preferrably) I'd go with your second option.  Capitalizing "an" and not "from" seems odd where there's not additional emphasis of the word "from."

But I've never cracked a Manual of Style from any city.

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: Jonathon on November 02, 2004, 04:51:54 PM

The general rule is that prepositions, coordinating conjunctions (but not subordinating conjunctions), and articles are always lowercased. I honestly have no idea who is responsible for such a system, because there are lots of time that it makes titles look funny.

But if you want to be correct, do the second option.

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: saxon75 on November 02, 2004, 08:22:54 PM

That's what I thought.  So, is and a coordinating conjunction and but a subordinating conjunction?

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: Jonathon on November 02, 2004, 08:37:26 PM

Nope. The coordinating conjunctions are and, or, but, so, for, nor, and yet. Subordinating conjunctions are things like because, if, while, as, although, than, and so on.

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: imogen on November 14, 2004, 06:05:42 AM

So, this was my title for my honours dissertation (the title was finalised the day the dissertation was due...)

Quote

A Jurisprudential Model for Article 38(1)©: A way forward for General Principles in the International Court of Justice

How terribly bad is the non-capitilsation of 'way'?

(The rest of the dissertation was good.  I'm hoping that makes up for it. *fingers crossed*)

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: Noemon on November 14, 2004, 09:07:51 AM

You didn't captialize "way"?  Oh, man, that's an automatic failing grade, I'm sorry to report.  Plus, I think you have to go to hell now too.

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: Jonathon on November 14, 2004, 09:44:10 AM

You didn't capitalize "forward" either? *shakes head sadly*

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: imogen on November 14, 2004, 03:25:54 PM

Oh dear.   :(

I'll have to remember this moment when I'm out washing car windscreens at traffic lights for a living.  "I had a promising career - until the rogue capitalisation incident of '04..."


(At least the © wasn't a copyright sign in my title.  My computer just changed that for me of its own accord)

Title: Quick Capitalization Question
Post by: Jonathon on November 14, 2004, 03:38:05 PM

That wasn't your computer; that was the forum software.