When a colon introduces a list or any phrase that is not a complete sentence, do not capitalize the first word (unless it is a proper noun). She filled the picnic basket with a variety of snacks: cookies, bread, dips, and fruits. When a colon introduces a complete sentence, capitalization rules vary between style guides.
Discover the capitalization rules for pronouns, nouns, and titles. Learn about the other instances for capitalizing words beyond the start of a sentence.
Capitalization can be tricky. For example, words like mom are capitalized when used as a name or to address someone (Hi, Mom), but lowercased otherwise (my mom likes pizza).Similarly, titles like president are capitalized when used with a name or as a form of address (President Lincoln, Mr. President) but not otherwise (the president decides).Other commonly used words like sun and moon may be ...
Capitalize proper nouns—and adjectives derived from proper nouns. Examples: the Golden Gate Bridge the Grand Canyon a Russian song a Shakespearean sonnet a Freudian slip. With the passage of time, some words originally derived from proper nouns have taken on a life, and authority, of their own and no longer require capitalization. Examples:
Beginning of a sentence: Always capitalize the first word in a sentence. Example: The dog ran after the cat. Proper nouns: Capitalize the names of specific people, places, organizations, and events, such as Barack Obama, New York City, and Apple Inc. Days of the week and months of the year: Use capital letters for names of days (e.g., Monday) and months (e.g., January).
The first word of a sentence is always capitalized, even if it would not typically be capitalized on its own. Beginning of a sentence capitalization examples. Words that begin with the lowercase prefix “e-” should be capitalized at the beginning of a sentence. E-books are my favorite way to read. e-books are my favorite way to read.
At first glance, the English language capitalization rules might seem simple enough, but as you take a deeper dive into studying English grammar you will realize it gets a little more complicated. Most people know that the first word of every sentence and all proper nouns should be capitalized. However, many people don’t know that sometimes the first word of a quotation and the word after a ...
Rules of capitalization 1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence. A basic rule of capitalization is to start each sentence with a capital letter. This marks the start of the sentence, and the beginning of a new thought or idea. Capitalization rules play a crucial role in improving the readability of your writing.
Capitalization serves an important role in writing to indicate important words and signal new thoughts. For capitalization in English, there are three common rules on which everyone can agree: Capitalize the first letter in every sentence. Capitalize initial letters of proper nouns. Capitalize the pronoun I.
Rule 2: Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence. Capitalizing the first word of a sentence is a fundamental rule of written English. It’s a key element of sentence structure and contributes significantly to readability. This rule applies regardless of the length or complexity of the sentence.
Proper nouns and the first word of a sentence are also capitalized. The Modern Language Association Handbook: This style guide is commonly used in the humanities. It uses title-style capitalization for titles of books, movies, and other works of art, but sentence-style capitalization for headings and subheadings.
This handout lists some guidelines for capitalization. If you have a question about whether a specific word should be capitalized that doesn't fit under one of these rules, try checking a dictionary to see if the word is capitalized there. Use capital letters in the following ways: The first words of a sentence
Here’s are correct and incorrect ways to use capitalization for the rules above: Example #1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence. In this example, the incorrect sentence should start with a capital letter. Example #2. Capitalize proper nouns and names. In both of the incorrect examples above, the capitalized noun should have been lowercase.
The other major type of title capitalization standard is sentence case. Sentence case simply means you capitalize the first letter of a sentence, proper nouns, and nothing else as opposed to capitalizing almost every first letter in title case. It is the same across all of the four styles.
For example: We don't capitalize the word "bridge" unless it starts a sentence, but we must capitalize Brooklyn Bridge because it is the name of a specific bridge. OR. The word "country" would not normally be capitalized, but we would have to write China with a capital "C" because it is the name of a specific country. OR
Here are Seven Rules for Capitalization to Implement Today . 1. Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence. Use a capital letter at the start of every sentence. This rule might seem intuitive, but sometimes business writing such as for business emails can become sloppy. For example: you might say "i need that report by Friday. it's important.
5. Capitalize “I” in Sentences. The usage of I as a pronoun anywhere in a sentence should be capitalized. However, this rule doesn’t apply to words that start with I, unless they are proper nouns. The following examples can help you understand how to use “I” correctly in sentences. Correct: Maeve and I will go to the park at noon.
This is where capitalization gets a little tricky. But don’t worry! Capitalizing quotes just depends on what they are. Generally, you capitalize the first word of a quotation if it’s a full sentence – even if it’s in the middle of a sentence. For example: Carlos asked, “Which one is your mother?” She screamed, “The door is that ...
