International business suffers from a serious overuse and incorrect use of capital (uppercase) letters. Here are examples of incorrect capitalization.
X Be sure to visit our Web Site.
X All the Company Employees are to attend the meeting.
X We are the largest Province in the country.
X Our Bookkeeper paid the invoice.
X She went to University in Japan.
Here are some guidelines for the use of capital letters:
Names of People
Ms Jennifer Karen Montgomery
Mrs Lisa Veronica Mallory
Mr Ming-Wa Nguyen
Family Title as Part of the Name
I wonder where Aunt Susan is. ("Aunt" is used as part of her name.)
I wonder where your aunt is. ("aunt" is NOT used as part of her name.)
Family Title Instead of the Name
I wonder why Mother is late today. ("Mother" is used as her name.)
I wonder why your mother is late today. ("mother" is NOT used as her name.)
Days of the Week
Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
Months of the Year
April, September, December
Holidays
Valentine's Day, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Divali, Tet
Note: the names of the seasons are NOT capitalized.
My favourite season is autumn.
My favourite season is Autumn.
Cities
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, London, Paris
States / Provinces
Florida, California, Guangdong, Shenzhen
Buildings, Parks, Zoos
I visited the San Francisco Zoo on my vacation. ("Zoo" is used as part of the name.)
I visited the zoo on my vacation. ("zoo" is NOT used as part of the name.)
Languages, Countries, Nationalities
Spanish, English, Chinese
South Korea, the United States
German, French, Japanese
CAPITALIZED: We went to South Korea on vacation. ("South" is used as part of the name.)
LOWER CASE: We drove south on Harbour Drive. ("south" is NOT used as part of the name.)
Job Titles and Company Departments
Chief Executive Officer
Sales Manager
Administrative Assistant
the Accounts Department
the Research and Development Department
