When you craft titles for your essays, articles, or blog posts, every detail matters, right down to the capitalization of words like ‘since.’ But the big question is, should this word get a capital letter? The answer isn’t as straightforward as a simple yes or no—it actually depends on the style guide you are using. Whether you’re following the guidelines of Chicago, MLA, APA, or AP, each one has its own rules that can change the game. Stick around to unlock the secrets of capitalization in titles and make sure your next headline is picture-perfect.
In title case formatting as recommended by Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP styles, the word ‘since‘ is typically capitalized. It’s considered a preposition, but since it consists of more than four letters, it’s capitalized.
Understanding how to capitalize words in titles is key to creating polished and professional-looking text. Looking at the word ‘since’, it’s clear it has five characters. But does that determine whether it’s capitalized in a title? Not quite.
Capitalize ‘Since’ in a Title?
When it comes to title case, which is often used in book titles, article headings, and other important texts, specific style guides have certain rules. In title case, you capitalize major words, including nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. However, you often do not capitalize smaller words, like conjunctions, articles, and prepositions.
Now, ‘since’ can be both a preposition and an adverb or a conjunction. But don’t get tricked by its roles. Despite its function in a sentence, ‘since’ almost always gets capitalized in a title because it has five letters or more. This is the simple rule of thumb for many styles, including APA, MLA, and Chicago. However, the AP style is more flexible – it suggests capitalizing words with four or more letters. But, even in AP style, ‘since’ would still be capitalized.
For example, in the title “Stories Since the Turn of the Century,” ‘Since’ is capitalized because it fits the criteria of having more than three letters. In contrast, small words like ‘the’, ‘of’, and ‘a’, often remain lowercase in a title.
Examples
Here are several examples to cement the concept:
- In APA, MLA, and Chicago styles: “Adventures Since Dawn”
- In AP style: “Since We Last Spoke”
Always remember that specifics can vary so it’s important to check the guidelines of the style you are using.
Final Thoughts
Remember that word length is a handy guide in figuring out capitalization rules for titles. If ‘since’ appears in your title, feel confident in capitalizing it, following the general principles of title capitalization across different style guides.
Conclusion
Understand that style guides like Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP have their own rules, but they agree on one thing: capitalize words that are important in titles. Now, ‘since’ is not a major word like a noun or verb, it’s a preposition—and these are usually not capitalized. However, the word ‘since’ is also a conjunction and an adverb, and it can be capitalized if it’s important in the title. If ‘since’ is at the start of a title or is crucial to the meaning, you can give it a capital ‘S’. But if it’s just linking ideas, keep it lowercase. Make sure you check the specific rules of the style you’re using for your title. This little detail can make your writing look polished and professional. Thanks for reading and learning how to perfect your titles!
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