Capitalizing the Elements of a Compound Word in a Title

Capitalizing the Elements of a Compound Word in a Title Capitalizing the Elements of a Compound Word in a Title Capitalizing the Elements of a Compound Word in a Title By Maeve Maddox A reader asks about the capitalization of this title: â€Å"We Should Be People-oriented†: In this book I’m editing, there are many such [compounds], all with the second element uncapped. I looked for but didn’t find it in the CMS [The Chicago Manual of Style]. Is there a rule on this? It looks incomplete to me! The question of whether to capitalize the second element of a compound word in a title is one of style. Different style guides recommend different usage. Compare the following pairs: Surviving the Top Ten Challenges of Software Testing: A People-Oriented Approach Studying individual Development in An Interindividual Context: A Person-oriented Approach Anti-feminism in the Academy Anti-Intellectualism in American Life Capital in the Twenty-First Century Wealth and Power: Chinas Long March to the Twenty-first Century Neruda: Concerto in E-flat for Trumpet Strings Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major The Chicago Manual of Style addresses the question of hyphenating the second element of a compound in a title in paragraph 8:159. 1. Capitalize the second element of a compound in a title UNLESS it’s an article, a preposition, a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, or, nor) or a modifier like sharp or flat after a musical key: Surviving the Top Ten Challenges of Software Testing: A People-Oriented Approach Neruda: Concerto in E-flat for Trumpet Strings 2. If the first element of the compound is merely a prefix or combining form (like anti-, pre-, etc.) that cannot stand by itself as a word, do not capitalize the second element of the compound UNLESS it’s a proper noun or proper adjective: Anti-feminism in the Academy Cane Fires: The Anti-Japanese Movement in Hawaii, 1865-1945 3. Capitalize the second element in a hyphenated spelled-out number like twenty-one or twenty-first: Capital in the Twenty-First Century Two-Thirds of a Ghost Note: The third rule reflects a change in Chicago style. Here’s what the latest edition has to say: â€Å"This departure from previous Chicago recommendations recognizes the functional equality of the numbers before and after the hyphen.† Related posts: Up Style and Down Style Exceptions for Hyphenating Compound Adjectives Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing LightRunning Amok or Running Amuck?Artist vs. Artisan