Show some (dis)respect: capitalizing official titles

Talk about disrespectful! Or maybe where an individual’s official title is concerned, writers show too much respect. There are two easy rules to follow:
• Capitalize an individual’s official title if it appears immediately before the person’s name.
RIGHT: Commanding the USS Enterprise is Captain James T. Kirk.
WRONG: James T. Kirk is Captain of the USS Enterprise.
RIGHT: The captain of the USS Enterprise gazed at the viewscreen.
WRONG: The Captain of the USS Enterprise gazed at the viewscreen.
• Capitalize the official title if it’s in a quotation in which someone is addressing the person holding that title.
RIGHT: “Save me from the alien monster, Captain!
WRONG: “Save me from the alien monster, captain!”

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