Capitalization: Titles
We all know that the person in the
Oval Office right now is President Bush with a capital "P" on "President"; but
would we write that he is the President of the United States, with a capital
"P"?
No - you don't capitalize a title
when it's used after a name, or alone in place of a name as a generic term. So:
"President Bush is the president."
You would write about your Uncle
Jack, but mention that your uncle likes to fish. And you would write that "the
archbishop of your region is coming to town," and that "Archbishop Newcomb will
speak at 9 a.m."
Of course we're supposed to honor
our mother and our father, but you don't have to go so far as to capitalize
those words in reference to your parents. If you are using the word "mother" as
a name, you could write: "Mother has prepared a lovely meal," but when you're
referring to her in her role as a mother, use lower case: "My mother has
prepared a lovely meal."
By Susan Darst Williams • www.GoBigEd.com • Grammar Granny
023 • © 2006