I am writing an English paper and I was wondering if one is supposed to always capitalize the word gothic? What are the rules?
My paper includes phrases such as:
gothic genre
gothic mother
gothic conventions
gothic story
gothic characteristics
gothic tale
When are they capitalized? When are they not?
You only have to capitalize it if you're starting a sentence with that word, otherwise it stays lowercase.
When it comes to capitalizing the word "gothic" in your English paper, it is important to follow the rules of capitalization. Here's a general guideline for when to capitalize and when not to:
1. Capitalize at the beginning of a sentence or a title: Regardless of the specific word being used, if it is the first word in a sentence or title, it should always be capitalized. For example, "Gothic conventions can be seen in the novel Frankenstein."
2. Capitalize proper nouns: If the word "gothic" is part of a proper noun, such as the title of a specific work, it should be capitalized. For instance, "The Gothic Mother: A Psychological Analysis."
3. Capitalize when referring to a specific movement or time period: If you are discussing the Gothic genre as a specific historical movement or time period, it should be capitalized. For example, "During the Gothic period..."
4. Do not capitalize in generic references: When using the word "gothic" as a general term to describe a genre, characteristics, conventions, or ideas, it is typically not capitalized. For instance, "The gothic genre often features supernatural elements."
In your specific examples, you would apply these guidelines as follows:
- Gothic genre: "genre" is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence or is part of a title.
- Gothic mother: "mother" is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence or is part of a title.
- Gothic conventions: "conventions" is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence or is part of a title.
- Gothic story: "story" is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence or is part of a title.
- Gothic characteristics: "characteristics" is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence or is part of a title.
- Gothic tale: "tale" is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence or is part of a title.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure consistent and accurate capitalization in your English paper.