Capitalization

Capitalization and You

When asked, most of us would likely say we've got a handle on capitalizing words in English. After all, when you were six and you named your dog Mr. Flufflepants, there was no question in your mind as to what parts of the name needed to be capitalized, right?

However, it's important to know that with regard to professional or academic writing, capitalization in English entails quite a bit more than simply knowing to begin names and titles with capital letters.

Tips on capitalization

• Capitalize the first word in quotations, provided the quoted material is a complete sentence. For example:

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

• Use capitals for proper nouns, in other words, capitalize not only the names of people but also the names of specific places and things. 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

Likewise, 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

The word state, while not normally capitalized, would be written with a capital if it is in the name of an organization such as The State Board of Education.

• Capitalize titles when they are on the signature line of a letter, when the title comes immediately before a name, or when the title replaces the use of a name (i.e., a title used as a direct address). Here are some examples:

Sincerely,

Vicky Marquez, President

OR

Ms. Vicky Marquez

OR

Hello, Senator. It's nice to see you again.

   Do not capitalize titles when they are not used as a direct address to a person. For example:

The senator will be in town today to inspect the building of the railway.

• Capitalize directions only when they refer to specific regions. For example:

My favorite place in the world is Northern Ontario.

   Do not capitalize "north," "south," "east," and "west" when giving directions:

Drive six blocks north, and then turn right.

• Always capitalize the first and last words in the titles of movies, books, and other publications. For example:

For Whom the Bell Tolls was written by Ernest Hemingway.

All large words in the titles of movies, books, and other publications should also be capitalized, while all small words (a, an, the, but, and, if, as, or, nor, to name a few) should not be capitalized unless they are the first or last words in the title:

A Life Less Ordinary (The word "A" would not normally be capitalized, but because it is the first word in the title, we must capitalize it.)

OR

War of the Worlds (The words "of" and "the" are not capitalized because they are small and are not at the beginning or end of the title.¹)

• The first word of a salutation should be capitalized, as well as the first word of a closing. For example:

Dear Billy,

OR

Regards,

John Smith

• Capitalize words derived from proper nouns. For example:

I like English, but math is my favorite subject. (English would be capitalized because it is derived from the proper noun England, while math would not be capitalized because it is not derived from a proper noun.)

   Specific course titles should, however, be capitalized. For example:

I don't know what I'm going to do. I have to take Math 101 next year and it looks hard!

• Capitalize when two or more sentences follow a colon. For example:

We have set this restriction: Do your chores before watching television. That includes washing the dishes.

   Do not capitalize after a colon if you are writing a list, or if there is only one sentence following the colon:

There are many metals hidden away within the earth's crust: gold, zinc, and lead are just a few examples.

OR

There is a way to remember test information: study a lot the night before your big midterm!

The above are just a few common rules on capitalization to get you started. Good luck! Always remember that when in doubt, submit your paper to one of our English proofreading services for expert advice.  

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¹Exceptions to the "small words" rule do exist! Short verb forms such as is, are, and be must always be capitalized within titles, regardless of their location.