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We capitalize a word when we start it with an uppercase letter while the rest of the letters are in lowercase.
We capitalize a word when we start it with an uppercase letter while the rest of the letters are in lowercase. For example, the word "Monday" is capitalized, and the word "book" is not capitalized.
Skilled writers use capital letters carefully. When in doubt, it's preferable to avoid using them.
Here is a list of rules for the capitalization of English words.
Capitalize the first word of a document or report:
In this article, we will discuss the latest advancements in technology.
in this article, we will discuss the latest advancements in technology.
Capitalize the first word after a period:
The cat slept soundly. Outside, the rain continued to fall.
The cat slept soundly. outside, the rain continued to fall.
Capitalize the first word of a sentence:
A dog barked loudly outside.
a dog barked loudly outside.
Exception: The first word after a semicolon is not typically capitalized, unless it's a proper noun or another type of word that is always capitalized.
The weather was terrible; we decided to stay indoors.
The weather was terrible; We decided to stay indoors.
The first word following a colon is capitalized if it begins a complete sentence:
Remember this: Tomorrow brings new opportunities.
We also capitalize fragmentary responses. These are brief, incomplete sentences used to convey a message or answer a question. They lack some elements that would make them complete sentences, such as a subject or a verb.
Yes, No, Definitely, etc.
Are you coming to the party? Definitely
Are you coming to the party? definitely
Capitalization Rules in Letter Writing:
Proper nouns are the specific names given to unique entities, such as people, places, organizations, and sometimes things, that distinguish them from others of a similar kind.
The word "Spain" is a proper noun, and "country" is not a proper noun.
Proper nouns are always capitalized in English to signify their uniqueness:
Renowned for his theory of relativity, Einstein revolutionized modern physics.
Renowned for his theory of relativity, einstein revolutionized modern physics.
In general, avoid capitalizing the article "the" before proper nouns.
Barbara wrote a detailed essay on the causes and consequences of the French Revolution.
Exceptions: In certain instances, when "the" is an integral part of an official title, it may be capitalized:
On his trip to the Netherlands, James visited The Hague to see the famous art museums.
The main role of capital letters is to highlight specific entities within a group of people, places, or things. For instance, we might mention an important city, or we could specify "Bangkok," which distinguishes it from every other city in the world.
Also capitalize adjectives that are derived from proper nouns.
Her favorite Spanish dish, paella, reminded her of her travels through Spain.
Her favorite spanish dish, paella, reminded her of her travels through Spain.
Exceptions: Over time, some words that originated from proper nouns have developed their own significance and authority, and no longer need to be capitalized. For example, "draconian"" (derived from Draco, the ancient Athenian lawgiver), "herculean" (originating from the mythological hero Hercules, or quixotic (from the hero of the Spanish novel Don Quixote).
Here are some key subcategories of proper nouns:
Individual names and nicknames should be capitalized:
"John", "Alice", "Einstein," "The King of Rock and Roll" (nickname for Elvis Presley), or "The Boss" (nickname for Bruce Springsteen).
During the meeting, John proposed a new strategy for the project.
During the meeting, john proposed a new strategy for the project.
Capitalize names of specific places, natural landmarks, territories, streets, and roads:
"Madrid," "Mount Everest," "Asia," "Mississippi River," "Cook County," "Yellowstone National Park," "Bourbon Street," etc.
The conference will be held in New York next month.
The conference will be held in new york next month.
Capitalize names of specific geographical regions:
Many culinary innovations have their origins in the East and have been adapted by the West.
Do not capitalize, however, compass directions:
The storm moved west, bringing heavy rains to the region.
Some regions are capitalized due to their renown, notoriety, or fame:
Silicon Valley, New York's Upper West Side, or Northern California.
Capitalize terms such as "city," "town," or "county" when they form part of a proper noun (e.g., "New York City"); however, it's not necessary to capitalize them when they precede the proper name (e.g., "the city of New York.")
We also capitalize the days of the week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) and names of months (January, February, etc.) even if they are abbreviated (Mon., Jan., etc.):
The final presentation is scheduled for next Friday afternoon.
The annual conference is set to take place in November.
Because holidays are specific events, they are considered proper nouns and should be capitalized:
"Christmas," "Thanksgiving," "New Year's Day," "Independence Day," "Halloween," "Easter," "Hanukkah," "Valentine's Day," "Labor Day," "Memorial Day," etc.
As Halloween approached, they started decorating their house with spooky themes.
Names of books, songs, movies, and other works are capitalized:
"War and Peace," "Bohemian Rhapsody," or "Titanic."
Often hailed as one of the greatest films ever made, "Citizen Kane" was directed by Orson Welles.
We also capitalize names of companies and brands:
"Google," "Coca-Cola," or "Nike."
They recommended using Google to search for local Italian restaurants with the best reviews.
Names of institutions, organizations, and government matters are always capitalized:
"World Health Organization," "Harvard University," "United Nations," or "Red Cross."
The United Nations passed a new resolution to address climate change challenges.
Historical events and periods are considered proper nouns, and therefore capitalized.
"World War II," "the Renaissance," "the French Revolution," or "the Great Depression."
David wrote his thesis on the impact of the French Revolution on modern political thought.
Unique objects, structures, and monuments are considered proper nouns.
"Eiffel Tower," "Great Wall of China," "Statue of Liberty," "Big Ben (clock tower)," "Golden Gate Bridge," "Hoover Dam," or "Hubble Space Telescope."
They bought a miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty as a souvenir.
The names of planets are capitalized. This rule applies to all celestial bodies, including stars, moons, asteroids, and galaxies.
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, etc.
Scientists are studying the soil samples collected from Mars.
Note: Never capitalize the "sun" or the "moon."
Whether "earth" should be capitalized depends on the context in which it's used:
Nationalities, races, and tribes should be capitalized in English. These are proper nouns or proper adjectives, which require capitalization.
American, Spanish, Japanese, Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, Apache, Zulu, etc.
In the cooking class, they learned to prepare traditional Chinese dishes
Religions and names of deities should be capitalized. These are considered proper nouns as they refer to specific beliefs, religious practices, and divine figures.
Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, God, Allah, Zeus, Vishnu, etc.
Peter developed a keen interest in the teachings of Buddhism.
Since art movements refer to specific styles or periods in art history, they are capitalized.
Impressionism, Surrealism, Cubism, Baroque, Renaissance, Abstract Expressionism, or Pop Art.
The colorful and bold style of Pop Art emerged as a prominent artistic movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
Special occasions, such as festivals and competitions, are often considered proper nouns.
"The Olympic Games," "Cannes Film Festival," "Oktoberfest," or "Rio Carnival."
The streets were alive with music and dance at the Rio Carnival.
Titles are words that denote a specific role, rank, occupation, academic achievement, or honor (e.g., Dr. (doctor), Prof. (professor), president, governor, mayor, chairman of the board, Mr., Mrs., etc.)
Titles should be capitalized when used directly before a person's name:
Dr. Smith, President Lincoln, or Mrs. Thompson.
The successful rescue operation was commanded by Captain Martinez.
Omit the capitalization, however, if the title is followed by a comma.
The financial review was presented by the chairman of the board, Susan Lee, to the stakeholders.
The new initiative was endorsed by the president, Emily Clark, at the international conference.
Avoid capitalizing the title when it appears after a name.
Jacob Brown, the chief executive officer, announced the new operational strategy.
If the title is used instead of the name, do not capitalize it.
The president outlined the company's plans.
Exceptions: Some writers and publishers, as a mark of respect, opt to capitalize the highest positions in royalty, government, religion, and similar domains.
When the King arrived at the ceremony, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Capitalize a formal title when directly addressing someone, with more formal titles being more likely to be capitalized.
"Good morning, President, how are you today?"
"May I help you with anything, Doctor?"
Titles are not the same as occupations. Titles often emphasize rank, honor, or position, while occupations focus on the nature of the work or professional role. A person's title can sometimes be related to their occupation, but it also might reflect a broader societal, academic, or professional status.
Do not capitalize occupations when they precede full names.
The award-winning film was created by director Martin Scorsese, known for her innovative storytelling.
The distinction between title and occupation can become unclear in certain scenarios, particularly when the same term can refer to both a job role and a formal title.
The term "chef" is used for someone who professionally cooks and runs a kitchen (occupation), but it can also imply a title of culinary expertise and leadership in a professional kitchen.
The noun "professor" primarily indicates someone who teaches at a university (occupation), but it is also an academic title awarded to individuals of high academic standing.
Capitalize specific course titles:
"History of Western Art: Renaissance to Modernism," "Behavioral Neuroscience: Foundations and Applications," or "Foundations of Computational Mathematics."
The professor's new book was based on his lectures from "Advanced Topics in Microeconomic Theory".
Do not capitalize, though, general academic subjects:
The following are general academic subjects or broad fields of study: "mathematics," "biology," "economics," "chemistry," or "sociology."
Her favorite school subject is math because it challenges her.
Capitalize family names of relatives when they directly precede a personal name:
During the holidays, we always visit Aunt Susan at her countryside home.
Additionally, they should be capitalized when used independently as substitutes for a personal name:
The book on the shelf is the one that Mom gave me for my birthday.
Do not capitalize family names in the following situations:
When using headlines and composition titles:
Study Reveals That Exercise, Not Diet Alone, Is Key to Long-Term Weight-Loss Success
In a Post-Pandemic World, Educators Explore New Approaches to Teaching That Embrace Technology and Flexibility
Do Not Capitalize:
Schools to Introduce a New Curriculum, Focusing on Digital Literacy and Critical Thinking Skills
City Council to Debate on the Proposed Park, Balancing Community Needs and Environmental Concerns
Prepositions: Some style guides recommend capitalizing prepositions that are longer than three or four letters.
Remember, these are general guidelines and different style guides might have slightly different rules. Use consistent style: If you're following a specific style guide (like APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), make sure to consistently apply its rules.
The capitalization of an abbreviation depends on its origin, usage, and the specific rules of the language or field in which it is used.
Capital letters are generally used in the following situations:
Capitalization is often not used for abbreviations in the following scenarios:
It's important to note that these guidelines can vary based on the specific field, context, and the style guide being followed.
Capitalize the first word of a complete quotation, even when it appears mid-sentence:
John said, "The meeting starts at noon."
John said, "the meeting starts at noon."
Do not capitalize the first word if the quote is part of a sentence:
Olivia said that it was "important to arrive on time" for the meeting.
Olivia said that it was "Important to arrive on time" for the meeting.
Capitalization in scientific nomenclature, particularly in biology, follows specific conventions:
These conventions help maintain clarity and consistency in scientific communication. The rules can vary slightly depending on the scientific field and the specific organism being referred to.
The following is a partial list of categories that are not capitalized unless they include a proper noun, proper adjective, or sometimes, a trademark. In these instances, only the proper noun or adjective should be capitalized.
Remember, the capitalization of these categories changes if they include a proper noun or adjective, which should be capitalized.
Capitalization in English, while governed by well-established rules, often presents gray areas that can lead to confusion. Even seasoned writers sometimes struggle with these nuanced aspects of English grammar. For example:
To further complicate matters, some writers occasionally capitalize an independent clause or question mid-sentence for emphasis:
"One of his guiding principles was, Always speak the truth."
When facing such gray areas, it’s advisable to consider the context and, if available, refer to a specific style guide for consistency in writing.
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