case in question

[earthshoes]

Erm--I was obviously not paying attention the day they taught this in school or it's been too long ago or something. Does one capitalize the proper name of flowers, birds, bugs and other critters?

Another words, if I was writing a poem about my dog, I would capitalize German Shepherd. If I was writing about the flowers I picked this morning, I would capitalize "Jonquil". Or should I?

Mary




[This message has been edited by earthshoes (edited 04-06-2001).]

[Julie]

I would only capitalize a name that included a place name, if at all.

I wouldn't capitalize the shepherd in German shepherd. I know the AKC would say I'm wrong, but I would find it odd to read about a Standard Poodle, or a Collie in a poem, but I wouldn't blink at either Yorkshire terrier or yorkshire terrier.

Flowers I can't imagine capitalizing unless it's a contest name for a rose or something similar.

This isn't to say what's correct, just what I would find odd and not odd.

Julie

[CHarris]

The examples you've given would be entries in the dictionary, would they not, so you could look them up on a case-by-case basis.

Here's part of what it says in The Merriam-Webster Concise Handbook for Writers (ISBN 0-87779-602-5):

"The common names of animals and plants are not capitalized unless they contain a proper noun as a separate element, in which case the proper noun is capitalized, but any element of the name following the proper noun is lowercased. Elements of the name preceding the proper noun are usually but not always capitalized....In references to specific breeds, as distinguished from the animals that belong to the breed, all elements of the name are capitalized."

[earthshoes]

Thanks folks! Your help is invaluable.

The only grammar handbook I have is "The New English Handbook", which was new in 1982.

The reason I asked this is because I have been told on more than one occasion I did not need to capitalize what was (to me) a proper name-- "LadyBug" being one example and "Birds-foot Violet" another. In looking these up, I found them both to be capitalized.

**Sigh** Can we make a rule that nobody change the rules?



[This message has been edited by earthshoes (edited 04-06-2001).]

[Ralph T]

The only rule I learned is that proper nouns are capitalized, all other nouns are not. A little research on this would be interesting. Unfortunately for me all my old English textbooks have been disposed of. It just proves, as soon as you get rid of something, you will find a need for it. http://www.everypoet.com/poetry/poetry_forums/smile.gif

------------------
If you want to learn to sing, then sing.
If you want to learn to dance, then dance.
If you want to learn to write, then write.

[Harry Rutherford]

Specific names are generally capitalised in publications with a scientific bent to distinguish them from the popular terms for the same animal.
so- 'windhover' or 'kestrel' but 'Common Kestrel' and 'American Kestrel'.
'robin' or 'redbreast' but 'American Robin' and 'European Robin'
I wouldn't think this applied normally in poetry, though as a birdwatcher I find I want to do it anyway. Probably a bad habit.

Harry