The usage of capital letters is one of the elementary aspects of English punctuation. And rules for capitalization are among the first that most students of the language learn. However, capitalization can still get quite tricky, and confusions about whether capital letters are appropriate or right in certain situations often arise even in seasoned English speakers.
The following list of rules is a great guide to capitalization for beginners as well as for experienced users of the English language.
1. When beginning sentences
The first words in all sentences are capitalized.
He is standing under the tree.
2. For proper nouns
Proper nouns are the specific names for people, places, things, and other entities. They are always capitalized.
Sophia and Katie are sisters.
They visited Tokyo last month.
The headquarters of the World Bank are located in Washington DC.
Sometimes, when words that are otherwise common nouns are included as part of names, they are also capitalized.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest waterbody in the world.
Adjectives derived from proper nouns are capitalized as well, such as Kafkaesque and Freudian. Some such adjectives have been in use for a very long time though and have become a part of the language, such as biblical. They are no longer capitalized.
Scientific elements are not capitalized, even those that are named after people.
hydrogen, calcium, einsteinium (for Albert Einstein), fermium (for Enrico Fermi)
3. The first person pronoun
The first person pronoun, I, is always written in capital.
Jack and I visited the museum yesterday.
4. For countries
The names of all countries, being proper nouns, are capitalized, as are nationalities and languages.
He is Italian but lives in Spain.
She is fluent in English, Spanish, and German.
5. For formal titles
Formal titles are capitalized when used directly before the name, but not when they are followed by a comma.
We welcome Senator Robin Hailey.
The bank’s president, William Green, arrived late to the event.
Titles can also be capitalized when they replace the person’s name in direct address.
What’s the diagnosis, Doctor?
When a person’s occupation is mentioned before their name, it does not count as a title and is not capitalized.
The team was addressed by coach Jamie Eliot and owner Billy Walker.
Family relationships can also be capitalized when they directly precede the person’s name and when used in place of their name, but not when they are used with possessive pronouns.
Cousin Peter is arriving the day after tomorrow.
Mom drove me to the store last night.
My uncle is an engineer.
6. For time
The names of the days of the week, months, and special holidays are all capitalized.
Friday, Wednesday, June, October, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve
The names of historical eras and events are capitalized as well.
the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Cold War
However, centuries are not capitalized.
the twenty-first century
7. For directions
In general usage, the points of the compass are not capitalized. However, they are capitalized when they are used to denote specific and/or well-known geographic regions.
Once out of the city, they headed north.
All flights to and from the Eastern Seaboard were delayed due to bad weather.
Their family often holidays in the South of France.
8. For seasons
The names of seasons are not capitalized, except when they are included in a proper noun.
New York looks lovely during fall.
The Winter Olympics were first held in 1924.
9. For religion
The names of religions, their holy books, and the names of their followers are capitalized.
Christianity, Judaism, the Bible, the Quran, Muslims, Hindus
The names of God are capitalized as well. However, it is “god” in lowercase when the use is non-specific.
In Norse mythology, Thor is the god of thunder and lightning.
10. In salutations and closings
For salutations at the opening of any written communication, all the words are capitalized.
Respected Sir/Madam
Good Morning/Evening
To Whom It May Concern
At the closing of written communication, however, only the first word of the phrase is capitalized.
Yours sincerely
Good night/morning/evening (the last two are less common as closings)
With regards
11. In titles
How capital letters are used in the titles of books, films, essays, and so on may vary based on the style guide the writer is following. A general rule of thumb when titling, however, is to capitalize all the words in the title except for articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and the word “to.” The first and last words of titles must be capitalized, even if they are from among the exceptions.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Subtitles are placed after the title and a colon. They follow the same capitalization rules as the title.
Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
12. In quotes
The first word of a direct and complete quote is always capitalized, even when it is in the middle of a sentence.
Andy said, “I can’t leave home. My car won’t start.”
However, when the direct quote is incomplete but continues the sentence, no capitalization is required.
Sarah isn’t buying books any more because her “shelves can’t handle it.”
13. After the colon
If an inline list follows a colon, the first letter of the first item is not capitalized.
He checked the contents of his bag: books, pens, and an apple.
If items are listed line after line following a colon, it is the writer’s choice whether to capitalize each item or not. Consistency, however, must be maintained. And if the items are sentences rather than single words or short clauses, they must all be capitalized.
If a colon is followed by an independent clause, the first word is often capitalized.
She remembered why she usually avoided this mall: It seemed to be perpetually jam packed with tourists.
14. For the names of planets
The names of all planets and other celestial bodies are capitalized. The words earth, sun and moon are often written in lowercase, but they must be capitalized when they are being spoken of as celestial bodies.
The largest planet in our solar system is Jupiter.
The moon was full and bright last night.
The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite.
The earth was parched and dusty.
Familiarity with the rules of capitalization also builds over time with frequent reading and writing.
