Capitalization

Capitalization General Rules

Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence

• Where did I put that book?

• Hey! It’s great to see you! How have you been?

Capitalize Names and Other Proper Nouns(The names of cities, countries, companies, religions, and political parties are also proper nouns)

• My favorite author is Jane Austen.

• We experienced some beautiful Southern California weather last fall

Don't capitalize a title used in place of a person's name

• The pastor will be gone next weekend.

• The doctor is out today.

Don’t Capitalize After a Colon (Usually)

• I have one true passion: wombat racing.

• I went to the store and bought a lot of fruits: peaches, apricots, apples, and oranges.

Capitalize the First Word of a Quote when the quote is a complete sentence.

• Mario asked, “What is everyone doing this weekend?”

• Gretchen said she was “way too busy” to join the gym.

 Capitalize Days, Months, and Holidays, But Not Seasons

• I hate Mondays!

• Having a summer birthday is the best.

Capitalize Most Words in Titles

• Sense and Sensibility is better than Pride and Prejudice.

• The first movie of the series is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Capitalize Cities, Countries, Nationalities, and Languages

• My mother is British, and my father is Dutch.

• English is made up of many languages, including Latin, German, and French.

Specific periods, eras, and historical events that have proper names should be capitalized.

• Most of the World War I veterans are now deceased.

• However, centuries—and the numbers before them—are not capitalized.

• In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, England blossomed into an empire.