Capitalization is writing a word with an initial capital letter (upper case) and making all subsequent letters in that word lowercase. Most of us know that definition, but we need clarification about the myriad rules that apply to capitalization. Some of these rules are basic and maybe familiar to you, while the rest are not as much.
1. Capitalize the first word of a sentence.
This one is the easiest of the rules, and something most people know.
Example:
Have you seen my new house?
2. Proper nouns and names should be capitalized.
Names should always be capitalized since they are proper nouns. Additionally, cities, nationalities, countries, languages, companies, political parties are proper nouns, so they should be capitalized as well.
Example(s):
I spoke to Emily yesterday about the proposed plan.
The trip to Japan was amazing.
He is a fluent speaker of Spanish and French.
I have been using Apple products for a while.
The two major political parties in the UK are the Labour Party and the Conservative Party
It is a good time to travel to New York City
However, "city", "county", etc., need not be capitalized if they are before the proper name.
Examples:
The city of London
The county of Devon
3. Generally, titles should be written with most of the terms capitalised.
There are several rules to this, read more about Capitalizing Titles. In general, here is a quick summary.
- The first and last word of the title should be capitalized.
- Nouns and Pronouns should be capitalized.
- Adjectives and Adverbs should be capitalized.
- Verbs and Helping Verbs
- DO NOT capitalize Articles like “a”, “an”, “the” etc.
- DO NOT capitalize Short Prepositions like “in”, “for”, “of” etc.
- DO NOT capitalize Short Coordinating Conjunctions like “but”,”and”, “or” etc.
Examples:
The Curious Case of a Tiger in the Hill
How to Win Friends and Influence People
A Good Place to Rest In
Also Read:
4. Days, months, and holidays should be capitalized, but not seasons.
Examples:
Her birthday is in October.
I won’t be available this Tuesday, how about next week?
We will be expecting plenty of visitors this Christmas.
This winter, I plan to travel outside the country to escape the heat.
5. When a quote is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word.
Example:
She said, “Hello Gautam, thank you for the introduction! I’m flattered”
However, don't capitalize the first word of a partial quote.
Examples:
I wasn’t sure what he meant, he described him as “a sage”.
There was an interesting sentence in the transcript, I remember reading something about “raising hopes”.
6. Eras, historical events and time periods should be capitalized.
Examples:
The period following the Second World War was one of economic revival.
My opinion is that the Eighties produced some of the best music of our time, but some people say the Seventies were the heyday of music.
However, centuries are not capitalised, nor are the numbers before them.
Example:
Some say this is Asia’s decade, but economists say that the twenty first century is Asia’s century.
7. Capitalize the names of planets
Example:
The mission to Mars will be launched next year.
The orbiter should reach Jupiter very soon and relay images.
'Moon' should be capitalized when referring to Earth's Moon in singular; otherwise, use lowercase 'moon'
Example:
Jupiter has many moons.
Many moons ago, when I was a novice writer, I read an interesting book.
When referring to our Sun, capitalize 'Sun', but not to other suns. The words 'solar system' and 'universe' should not be capitalized. In lowercase, 'earth' refers to soil and ground, not the planet.
8. Do not capitalize the first item following a colon.
Example:
I will be buying the following from the farmer’s market: apple, pumpkin, tomatoes.
9. In all cases, capitalize nicknames and epithets.
Example:
He was called the Sultan of Swing for his ability with fast paced delivery.
Did you know that after a decade spent in the mountains, he was called The Mystic
10. Capitalize relatives' family names when they precede a personal name or when they replace it.
However, this rule doesn't apply when preceded by articles such as "the"," a"," an" etc.; when used with possessive nouns or pronouns; when not referring to a specific person; or following a personal name.
Examples:
My mom is coming home next month.
I will ask Mom if she can join us for the vacation to Paris.
11. Formal titles SHOULDN’T be capitalized when used as a direct address.
Examples:
The prime minister will be calling for a cabinet meeting soon.
Most of the week was spent emailing senators of my state.
However, When referring to high-ranking government officials, capitalize their titles. Civil titles are NOT capitalized if they are used instead of names.
Examples:
The students were impressed with President Hailey’s commencement speech.
Can you arrange a press conference with Madam Prime Minister?
The meeting was attended by the top brass, including General Mitra, Governor Singh and Senator McMahon.
12. The occupation should not be capitalized before the full name.
Examples:
Arunn Nair is the founder and chairperson of Kahuna Consulting.
Amanda, our marketing director will be convening this meeting.
You may contact our communications manager for the press release.
However, you can make an exception in the signature
Example:
Arunn Nair, Founder and Chairperson, Kahuna Consulting