Which Words Should Start With Capitals? ....

[The Builder]

Discussion in the pub last night.

Which words in this sentence should begin with a capital letter ...........

"The commanding officer asked the flying officer if he had seen the commander."

Not a trick question. The chap would really like to know, but there were varying opinions.

[MargoTester]

Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Capital letters - Wikipedia, the free ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Capital_letters
Jump to Military terms - Military ranks follow the same capitalization guidelines as given under ... and so forth, are proper names and should be capitalized.

[shoota]

Following the recent hustings should we not Capitalise Everything?

[Quizmonster]

Obviously, I have no idea what military experience any other poster on this thread may have, but I spent about half my working life in military service. Accordingly, what I wrote above is based on actual experience of the 'world' being discussed.

[Hypognosis]

@Prudie,

thanks for clarification.

@Margotester

your link didn't paste correctly and isn't clickable but I have it in my copy/paste buffer. g.m.t.a.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Capital_letters

[jno]

Margo, if Wikipedia talks about capitalization with a Z it's probably a list of American rules (the British generally spell it capitalisation).

But that's presumably just its own style guide? Every publisher has one and they're all different. Some distinguish between the Home Office where the Home Secretary works, and the home office where you work from your spare room; but others don't.

[Prudie]

Quiz I also have 20 years + exp in MOD so I'd agree with you. I've often referred to such ranks in documentation and would always use a capital - but that may well be tradition from that 'world'. :-)

[MargoTester]

Hypognosis - thanks for that, hopeless with links (iPad doesn't help). This could run and run!

[Quizmonster]

Ah, so we have a bit of a shared past, Prudie. That's always nice to know, so...Hello!
What always amazes me is how people who have no idea what they are talking about still have firm views on any matter under discussion!

[jno]

I've spent many years speaking and writing English, Quizmonster!

[Quizmonster]

However well one knows English, J, there is no guarantee one knows the usages of any specific profession.
Incidentally, the OED utiliZes the 'ize' ending system.

[stuey]

Quite often, in various situations, the "normal rules" of grammar are superseded by those of "common usage". It's an extremely grey/gray area, isn't it?

[bednobs]

blah blah blah, if we all only answered quetions about which we had specific personal knowledge, none of the questions would ever get any answers and this site would be really boring. Personally i like the back and forth of discussion.

[stuey]

If indeed the subject of capitalization is considered part of grammar.

[The Builder]

Well ............. sorry I had to go and do something for an hour, but thank you all.
I had an idea this would exercise the minds of Abers. As Prudie said, you can see why this got a good discussion going last night.

For what it's worth, my own opinion was as given by Quizmonster and others. It is one of those classic cases of good practice v common usage.

I think I shall print your replies out and give the lot to the chap in question. He's had the first part of a novel accepted for publication. He now has to finish it! This is only one sentence.

Anyway, I don't think I could get better opinion anywhere. Thank you all very much. I think I'll let the writer decide.

[The Builder]

Oh... and if anyone wants Shoota, he'll be in the next room with a bottle of whisky and a revolver ;o)

[jno]

the OED does, Quizmonster, but most British spellers don't. Even The Times gave it up 10 years ago. But Americans still use it, and Wikipedia is American. Many American newspapers still capitalize most words in headlines - I don't think any British ones do.

As regards professional use: the military may well prefer to give its officers capitals; most non-military media don't seem to bother. That's why I suggested every publisher has its own style book.

[Quizmonster]

"The back and forth of discussion" is wonderful, Bednobs. However, for myself, I have to confess that I absolutely never contribute to threads on quantum mechanics, Coronation Street, line-dancing, crop-rotation or a myriad of other subjects for one simple reason...I don't know a blessed thing about them!
Thus, I feel that a discussion about English usage in general is clearly a free-for-all, but a discussion about British military English usage is surely a much narrower topic. You are, of course, welcome to disagree.

[bednobs]

thanks, i think i will :)
Builder - won't he get an editor if he's not self publishing? I'm glad he wants to get it right - i am currently reading a self published kindle book where on one of the pages he talks about having a flare for cookery! (ps i realise i am not perfect in htis post, but there ya go - im not trying to get people to buy my post!
ALso JNO didn't you rather shoot your theory in hte foot there?

[Khandro]

Well if I was writing it, only the first 'the'.