Capitalize Proper Nouns:

I am Melvin, and you shall follow my command.

Names of persons, places and things.

Dammit, Brad. Stop crying. Even if we never kiss again, we shall always have Jackson Heights.

Deities

I shall never believe in a god that refuses to believe in me.

Every morning I pray to God to make me gay; so far he has not answered my prayer.

Religions

The reason I love Christmas is because it’s so Jewish.

I was born Catholic but raised a Mets fan.

Religious followers

The Puritans came to America because they didn’t have Thanksgiving in England.

Sacred books

I’ve studied The Bible, Koran, and the three Vedas.

Family relationships used as names

My father could take apart a Harley Davidson motorcycle and put it back together in three days.

Oh Father, must you insist on me marrying Craig when you know of my preference for Brad?

Particular places

I grew up in Toronto, a city so boring that a jet crashed and no one died.

Nationalities

Those from the United States are the only people without a name. We have Mexicans and Kenyans and Dominicans, but no United Statesians. And no, Americans refers to everyone from North, South and Central America.

Languages

I speak, French, English, and Swahili, but Spanish is my language of love.

Races

Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. “Asian-American,” please.

Tribes

The Chikasha tribe inhabited the American Southwest.

Educational institutions

Yeah, I attended Baruch College. What did I learn? Nothing, dude.

Departments

The Department of English is located on the 7^th floor of the Vertical Campus building.

Degrees

I hold a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a Masters in journalism.

Particular courses

Baruch forced me to take English 2150 and Introduction to Calculus.

Government departments

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is supposed to defend workers’ rights.

Organizations

Since 1966, The National Organization of Women has been fighting for women’s equality.

Political parties

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are pretty much the same thing.

Historical movements

Before The Reformation and the rise of Protestantism, the Catholic Church controlled most European governments.

Periods

Dinosaurs roamed the earth during Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.

Documents

The Magna Carta of 1215 proclaimed certain rights and took away some of the king’s powers.

Electronic sources

Use Nexus if you want to find out if something has been published.

Trade or brand names

Pass me that box of Kleenex, please, before I spray the room with snot bombs.

When in doubt, use a dictionary.