Words that come before a name
Sometimes a word goes in front of somebody’s name to show how you address them.
“Mr. Nolan”
“Dr. Ruiz”
These words are titles. A title is a short word that comes before a name.
Two things every title needs
- a capital letter at the front
- a period at the end
The period is there because the word has been shortened. “Dr.” is a short way of writing doctor, and the period shows that letters were left out.
| Title | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. | a man | Mr. Nolan |
| Mrs. | a married woman | Mrs. Cruz |
| Ms. | a woman | Ms. Lopez |
| Dr. | a doctor | Dr. Ruiz |
The one with no period
One title breaks the pattern.
“Miss Ellery”
“Miss” gets a capital letter like the others, but no period. Nothing was shortened. The whole word is right there, so there is nothing for a period to stand in for.
That is the only title in this list that works that way. Learn it as the exception and the rest stay simple.
A mistake to watch for
Leaving off the period is the most common error.
“Mr Nolan” is wrong. “Mr. Nolan” is right.
The title also needs a real name after it. “Mr.” on its own is not somebody’s name.
Your turn
Fix each one.
- “dr. Ruiz”
- “Mrs Cruz”
- “miss. Parker”
Check your answers
- “Dr. Ruiz”
- “Mrs. Cruz”
- “Miss Ellery”
Remember
- A title comes before a name.
- Most titles need a capital letter and a period.
- “Miss” takes a capital and no period.