首字母大写规范指南
不管是在生活写作中,还是创建 Pull Request,或者给开源项目提交 Issue 的时候,我们都需要用到英文标题,那么对于哪些部分需要首字母大写,则是一件头疼的事情,下面详细列出英文中首字母大写规范,此规范来自 Scribendi,这是一家超过 20 多年的对英文作品和文档进行编辑和校对的团队,其首字母大写规范吸纳了 Chicago, MLA, and APA 等首字母大写规范而成,极具参考价值。
@[toc]
一、人名,地名,物品 📍
人名、地名还有特定的物品和事件都需要首字母大写:
Example:
- The Burj Khalifa is the tallest tower in the world.
- In China, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in late June.
二、季节,月份,方位 🍃
季节单独使用不需要首字母大写,和其他特定的人名或者事件结合在一起的话需要大写。
- My favorite season is autumn. // 不需要大写
- I love the Summer Olympic Games. // 需要大写
月份需要首字母大写:
- I'm going on vacation in April.
- The conference is scheduled for September.
方位和季节一样:
- The café is five minutes south of the station.
- The landscape in Northern Ontario is stunning.
三、职称 🧑💼
职称需要首字母大写:
-
作为人名的一部分,或者跟特定人联系在一起的时候。
- Hi, Professor Clarke. How are you?
- This is Quality Assurance Manager John Smith.
-
求职信
- I am writing to apply for the Content Marketing position.
-
信的签名行:
Example |
---|
Sincerely, Anna Garcia, Human Resources Manager ... |
除上面的情况外,不需要首字母大写:
- My professor drinks a concerning amount of coffee.
- The man at the desk is John Smith, our quality assurance manager.
四、信封和电子邮件:开头语和结束语 ✉️
信封和电子邮件的开头语和结束语的第一个单词和主要单词都需要大写:
Exmaple |
---|
Dear Hiring Manager, I am writing to apply for the Research Assistant position. ... |
Best regards, Jessica Turner ... |
五、学术科目和课程名称 🧑🏫
对于学术科目涉及到,只首字母大写那些专有名词,比如语言、国家或者文化:
- I like my Spanish literature class, but biology is where I truly shine.
- This semester, I'm studying sociology, psychology, English, and French.
对于特定课程,需要首字母大写,并且其中的次要单词则不用:
- Let's grab some coffee together after our East Asian Studies lecture.
- Next semester, I really want to take the Introduction to Scandinavian Lanuages course.
普通的研究领域不需要首字母大写。
六、作品标题 📚
对于英语作品,比如书籍、文章,还有电影,首先,第一个单词首字母大写,然后,主要单词需要首字母大写,次要单词都不用,除非它是第一个或者最后一个:
- I'm reading The Old Man and the Sea.
- My presentation on Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is due tomorrow!
6.1 带有连字符复合词的标题 🧲
对于带有连字符(-)的标题,首先,第一个单词首字母大写,然后,主要单词需要首字母大写:
- I preordered Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
- Can I borrow your copy of The Encyclopedia of Over-the-Counter Medicines?
6.2 带有拼写数字和分数的标题 📟
标题中的拼写数字和分数全都首字母大写:
- Where's my copy of Twenty-First-Century Design Trends?
- I'm writing my next book, Only Three-Quarters Left: A History of Office Lunch Thieves.
6.3 带有物种学名的标题 🐷
当带有物种学名,只需要首字母大写第一个单词:
- My assigned reading today is Antilocapra americana: Its Habitat and Lifestyle.
- I've added "Meep Meep": The Habits of Geococcyx californianus to my reading list.
七、冒号后面的首字母大写 🚧
如果冒号(:)后面有两个及以上的完整句子,句子第一个单词首字母必须大写。如果是一个句子的话,且句子第一个单词是专有名词时首字母大写。
- Garlic is my roommate's favorite ingredient: She uses it in almost everything. I think she uses it a bit too much.
另外两种情况是不需要首字母大写:
- 冒号后面接的不是完整句子,不需要首字母大写,对于专有名词也是:
- I add a secret ingredient to my meatballs: cinnamon.
- 冒号后面接的是一串术语名词,不需要首字母大写,除非是专有名词:
- First aid kits should always contain a few basics: bandages, disinfectant, and sterile gloves.
八、分号后面的首字母大写 🚛
只有当分号(;)后面是专有名词时才需要首字母大写:
- I love the rain; my cat clearly hates it.
- Jeff starts every morning with a cup of coffee; Colombian brews are his favorite.
九、引用 🪗
如果引用("")中是完整句子,并且该完整句子是一个独立的从句,则第一个单词需首字母大写:
- Einstein said, "Love is a better teacher than duty."
- As my Great-Aunt Ethel used to say, "You should always pack an extra pair of socks."
如果不是,则不需要:
- The BBC article reported that Queen Elizabeth "adores her pet corgis."
- Multiple students complained about the new chairs, calling them "an affront to humanity."
附录
- 完整句子 Complete Sentence:一个完整的句子至少包含主语和谓语。
- 主要单词 Major Words:指名词、代词、动词、形容词,以及副词。
- 次要单词 Minor Words:指冠词、连词,以及介词。
最后
GitHub 仓库 Capitalization Rules,仓库中包含 Scribendi 的规范 PDF,有需要的朋友可以自取 🤓。