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Writing Tip of the Month
February 2010 Capital letters get 'put down' A subscriber recently asked about capitalizing "Credit Union" in the middle of a sentence when no name precedes it. The answer? Don't.
The
Chicago Manual of Style recommends "down style," the use of lower case letters in
situations like this. Initial capital letters are certainly correct in a proper name, such
as "Cornerstone Credit Union," but in subsequent references to the institution, "the
credit union" is now the preferred usage, not "the Credit Union."
Other
examples of down style references to proper names include:
The University of New Hampshire has raised $36 million toward its new business
school. The university must raise another $14 million for the project.
Bill has served on the YMCA Board of Trustees for nine years, including five years
as treasurer. Before joining the board of trustees, he served on the board of another non-profit
organization.
Jim is a longtime member of the Queen City Rotary Club, but he has yet to serve
as the club's president.
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