Capitalization Rules in Writing

Introduction

Capitalization is the most basic English grammar writing consideration. Correctly using uppercase or lowercase is very important for writing appealing content. Capitalization might seem a simple and easy task, but it can be tricky in certain cases. Hence, it is necessary to study capitalization rules thoroughly. In this tutorial, we have listed the most prominent rules of capitalization.

Capitalization Rules in Writing

Capitalize the first word of the sentence

Capitalizing the first word of the sentence is the most basic and easiest of all capitalization principles. While starting a new sentence, always capitalize the first word.

Example 1 − The playground was empty due to excessive rain.

Example 2 − Everyone decided to leave the apartment with a heavy heart.

Capitalize days, festivals, holidays, and months

Always capitalize different days, months, festivals, and holiday names. However, do not capitalize the names of seasons as they are not proper nouns.

Example 1 − We never work on Sunday morning.

Example 2 − The month of April was not beneficial for our business.

Example 3 − Children were eagerly waiting for the celebration of Diwali.

Example 4 − My colleagues were unaware of the holiday of Ramadan.

Example 5 − I did not expect the monsoon to come this soon.

Example 6 − How do you cope with the heat of summer in India?

Capitalize proper nouns

Never neglect nouns in the sentence. A proper noun is the type of noun which indicates a certain person, place, or thing. It mainly includes a person’s name, states, mountain name, hotel, shops, banks, towns, republics, etc.

Example 1 − We stayed at The Grand Kingdome hotel.

Example 2 − Mitch Albom’s books never fail to touch your heart.

Example 3 − Mina and Soham played till morning.

Example 4 − The weather in Pune drastically changed.

Capitalize the titles

For book and movie titles, precisely capitalize the first word, adjectives, nouns, and verbs. However, do not capitalize articles, conjunctions, and prepositions in book and movie titles.

Example 1 − The White Tiger is one of the best-written books in India.

Example 2 − The supremacy of The Lords of the Rings books is unmatchable.

Capitalize “I” pronoun

Regardless of where "I" is placed in the sentence, always capitalize "I" in every sentence.

Example 1 − Mohit and I have been best friends since last summer.

Example 2 − I am not surprised by your action but I would like to understand your perspective.

Capitalize the first word in the quotation

It is necessary to capitalize the first word of the quotation in the sentence.

Example 1 − Mihir said, “We were not prepared for her harsh reactions” in disbelief.

Example 2 − Ritu asked, “Can anyone help me in these unfavourable circumstances?”

However, do not capitalize partial phrases in the sentence.

Example 1 − King said he was “not in the mood” to have the meeting.

Example 2 − Teacher defined chapter 6 as “the most difficult one”.

Capitalize countries, continents, nationalities, and languages

The proper nouns such as countries, continents, nationalities, and languages must be capitalized in every sentence.

Example 1 − The geography of Asia proves it is the largest continent in the world.

Example 2 − I and my African friend went to play in the game zone.

Example 3 − My grandmother did not like the culture of Canada.

Example 4 − I am fluent in the French language.

Example 5 − Isn’t it necessary to have proficient writing skills in English for the exams?

Capitalize historical events and time periods

The events that occurred in past and certain time periods must be capitalized in every sentence.

Example 1 − The Battle of Waterloo was one of the greatest battles in history.

Example 2 − Approximately, The Vietnam War lasted for 10 years.

Additionally, do not capitalize the number of centuries in any sentence.

Example 1 − The period of the fourteenth century was not beneficial for tribal people.

Capitalize acronyms

Acronyms are the initials of the first letter of multiple words. It is mandatory to capitalize the whole acronym while writing it in any sentence.

Example 1 − Keshav’s FOMO (fear of missing out) was apparent to everyone.

Example 2 − Did you receive the PIN to operate your card?

Example 2 − I did not give the OTP number to my mother.

Capitalize address

Compulsorily, capitalize the specified address including bungalow name, street name, colony, or any other address components. Also, capitalize direction when it is connected with the address.

Example 1 − North Delhi was not a safe place to live.

Example 2 − My permanent home was not located on Prince Lane.

Capitalizing nicknames

Nicknames are considered proper nouns. Hence, it must be capitalized in sentences. Moreover, the term endearment will not be capitalized.

Example 1 − She was known as Magic in her hometown.

Example 2 − People called him Fuzzy for always causing disputes.

FAQs

Qns. 1. What is the capitalization rule?

Ans. The capitalization rule is a set of instructions to be followed while utilizing uppercase and lowercase in a sentence.

Qns 2. What are some examples of capitalization in a sentence?

Ans. Below-mentioned are examples of using capitalization in sentences,

• Nancy and Stacy were preparing for the grand opening.

• My dream to visit Paris is coming true.

• I was asked to write a paragraph on my experience but I could not do it.

Qns 3. What do you capitalize in the title?

Ans. In the title of books, movies, or song names, capitalize the first word, adjectives, nouns, and verbs. Do not capitalize articles, conjunctions, and prepositions in the titles.

Qns 4. What is the rule of capitalization in the quotation?

Ans. When the quotation sentence is used in a longer sentence, always capitalize the first word in the quotation and do not capitalize partial phrases in the sentence.

Qns 5. What is the rule of capitalizing the pronoun I?

"I" must always be capitalized regardless of where it is placed in the sentence.

Qns 6. Is it compulsory to capitalize acronyms?

Ans. Yes. Acronyms are abbreviations that should always be written in upper case.

Qns 7. Is it compulsory to capitalize the country names?

Yes. It is absolutely necessary to capitalize the name of the country.