Question

Is it correct to capitalize "Everyone" in the following example or should it be lower case? And is there a rule I can refer to in the MLA book?

Example:

Hello Everyone,
Welcome to the class! Please feel free to introduce yourselves.
Sincerely,
Miss Jones

Answer 1

When used as a proper nown.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/1/
http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/capitalization/rules-for-capitalizing-proper-nouns.html

Answer 2

Hi E. McCormick, neither site answered my question unfortunately. One site did tell me to look it up online (which I did) but other than giving me a basic definition, I can't find any rules addressing my question. I would think it "should be" capitalized since it's a part of an address, however....

Answer 3

Anyway, thank you for trying. :)

Answer 4

Everyone is an indefinite pronoun. So, if that can be used as a proper noun, then the rule for proper nouns applies. If not, then it must not be capitalized.

Answer 5

Okay, in the specific example I provided, would it be capitalized since it is replacing the name of a group?

Answer 6

Found two more references:
"The indefinite pronouns (everybody/anybody/somebody/all/each/every/some/none/one) do not substitute for specific nouns but function themselves as nouns (Everyone is wondering if any is left.)"
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/pronouns1.htm

So, that seems to tell me it can be considered a noun.

"CAPITALIZE... ...The first word and all nouns in the greeting of a letter (My dear Sir)" which says to me a noun and by extension the thing doing the job of a noun in a greeting.
http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading-writing/on-line/capital.html

That should give you some support for choosing it to be capitalized!

Oddly, I find no clear reference on do or do not capitalize an indefinite pronoun at such and such point of time. =/ So I am left with this sort of combination of other rules.

Answer 7

I think I may have found an answer at < http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue2/waldvogel.html >. This site gives examples of email greetings and closings in the workplace. One example was "Good morning all"; therefore, it looks like the word "everyone" in "Hi everyone" should be lower case as well. I still can't find a hard and fast rule though and wish I could. I guess such informal greetings are not covered in any grammar books yet...? Thanks for trying, I really appreciate your willingness to help. :)

Answer 8

"Greetings and closings like the following were common in the two workplaces studied"

That is not a standard, but rather the way it was used.

Answer 9

it's capitalized.

Answer 10

Can you give me a rule regarding this? Others say it should be lower case.

Answer 11

When writing a letter you always capitalize. Dear...So and So....that part of the letter is always capitalized

Answer 12

@VanaItsallgood I already pointed out that you always capitalize nouns in a greeting part of a letter and linked a reference to that.

The remaining issue is that everyone is an indefinite pronoun. So, does an indefinite pronoun take the place of a noun and therefore become capitalized? The rules for indefinite pronouns seem to be a tad different than for other pronouns, so it makes it a little hard for me to say for sure or find any link that clearly states it does.

Answer 13

Hi e.mccormick, Thank you but I was referring to VanaItsallgood's reply.

Answer 14

@Grammar00 So was I. I provided a link to the rule he is listing, but for nouns and with clear exceptions. If there was a clarification about indefinite pronouns acting as nouns, which I feel they should but don't see it flat out stated somewhere, then it would be capitalized. See, it would be using two rules together.

Answer 15

Hi e.mccormick,
I appreciate your providing the links to the stated rules, and I understand why you would reach this conclusion on the matter; so did I. Still, I'm being told that it's wrong by other professional writers. Thus, I want a rule out of a grammar book to refute (or confirm) what they're telling me. It's disconcerting to be a TA over a group of professional writers who "know more" than you do. I have been able to contend with some of them using the MSA 7th edition book on some other matters, but not in this matter. It's just purely frustrating. If I were writing to a group of people who don't give a hoot, I wouldn't be asking this question at all. Does this make sense?

Answer 16

Hmmm. In this specific case I would ask them if they mean that an indefinite pronoun is not able to be used as a noun. Put the onus on them to prove that the indefinite pronoun is not a noun because that means the noun rules do not apply. However, if it is a noun, then the noun rules do apply.