Guidelines for Using Capital Letters

1. Capitalize the first word in a sentence.Your mother is in here with us, Karras. Would you like to leave a message?(Linda Blair as Regan in The Exorcist, 1973)Likewise, capitalize the first word of a quotation if it's a complete sentence: Jorge said, "The game is over." But don't capitalize the first word if the quotation is not a complete sentence: Jorge said that the game was "all but over" by the seventh inning.

2. Capitalize the pronoun I.I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor.(Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator, 1940)

3. Capitalize the names and nicknames of particular persons and characters.Elvis, Ginny Weasley, my sister Vicki, Florence Nightingale, Barack Obama, the Simpson family, the Pritchetts, Stefani Joanne Angelina GermanottaAs a general rule, also capitalize the names of cultural movements, schools, and styles if those names are derived from proper nouns: Aristotelian, Reaganomics.

4. Capitalize titles that come before the names of particular persons and characters.Mayor Bloomberg, Doctor Sanjay Gupta, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Lady Bracknell, Queen Elizabeth II, President Obama, Captain Jack Sparrow, Aunt BeeAlthough the titles of business executives aren't usually capitalized (the chairman of BP), in-house publications may choose to use capitals. In most cases, don't capitalize a title that appears after a name (Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City) or that stands alone (a doctor, the mayor).

5. Capitalize the names of specific places (planets, countries, counties, cities, seas, streets, and so on), both real and fictional.Mars, Canberra, London, Monroe County, Yorkshire, the Midwest, Canada, the Ohio River, Narnia, Rosecrans Avenue, Knighton Road, the village of Little Whinging, Chicago's SouthSide, the English Midlands, the Twin Cities (for Minneapolis–Saint Paul)Capitalize common nouns--such as road, river, and republic--only when they're part of the full name of a place. Don't capitalize these common nouns when they stand alone in follow-up references. Also, when two or more geographical names are linked in a single expression, the usual practice is to put the generic part of the names in lower case: the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. As a general rule, capitalize regions (the Eastern Shore, the Left Bank, the West End), but don't capitalize compass points (north, southeast) if they simply indicate direction or location. Don't capitalize sun and moon.

6. Capitalize the names of particular nationalities, languages, ethnic groups, and religions.Filipino people, African-American, a native Newfoundlander, the Welsh language, Na'vi,Judaism, Buddhism, Quantum PresbyteriansDon't capitalize the names of academic subjects (algebra, art, history) unless they are languages (English, Spanish, French) or part of a department name (Department of Languages and Literature). As a general rule, don't capitalize the names of religious services and rites (baptism, bar mitzvah).

7. Capitalize the names of deities and holy books.God, Krishna, Allah, Jehovah, the Qur'an, the BibleAlso capitalize the names of books of the Bible: Genesis, Psalms.

8. Capitalize the names of particular businesses, buildings, schools, and organizations.Google, General Motors, Westminster Abbey, Trump World Tower, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, the Salvation Army, Oxfam International, the Girl Scouts, the League of Women VotersLikewise, capitalize the official names of rooms and offices: the Oval Office, the Situation Room.

9. Capitalize the formal names of government units, agencies, and divisions.White House, House of Representatives, House of Commons, Supreme Court, Department of Education, Georgia Department of Natural Resources

10. Capitalize the formal names of acts, treaties, and government programs.Declaration of Independence, the Act of Union, the Marshall Plan, the Treaty of Versailles

11. Capitalize the official titles of armies, navies, and other military and police units.Army National Guard, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

12. Capitalize the names of wars and major battles.Second World War, Spanish Civil War, the Norman Conquest, the Gulf War

13. Capitalize the names of particular historical periods, events, and documents.VE Day, the Great Depression, the Troubles (Northern Ireland), the Middle Ages, Magna Carta, the Treaty of VersaillesHowever, names of events that occurred at different times in different places are generally not capitalized: the recession, gold rush, secession movements.

14. Capitalize legally protected brand names and trademarks.Xbox 360, Kit Kat, Coca Cola, Adidas, Range Rover, Kleenex, Cadbury FingersThe obvious exceptions are trademarks that begin with a lowercase letter: eBay, iPhone, iPad. Also, don't capitalize a brand name that has been transformed into a common noun through popular usage: aspirin, thermos, escalator. (For further guidance on this last point, see generification and genericide.)

15. Capitalize the names of days, months, holidays, and special days of observation.Wednesday, June, Christmas, Veterans Day (U.S.), Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand), Mother's Day, Boxing Day (Britain and Canada)But don't capitalize the seasons: winter, spring, summer, fall (autumn).

16. Capitalize the principal words in the titles and subtitles of books, movies, plays, magazines, journals, TV shows, video games, musical compositions, and pieces of art.War and Peace, The Sixty-Second Motivator, Avatar, A Midsummer Night's Dream,Entertainment Weekly, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Arrested Development, Grand TheftAuto IV, Rhapsody in Blue, The Starry NightIf a title contains words joined by a hyphen, both words are usually capitalized. Articles, conjunctions, and short prepositions are usually not capitalized unless they begin the title. For more specific guidelines (with examples of both sentence case and title case)

17. Which Words in a Title Should Be Capitalized?

There's not a single set of rules for capitalizing words in a title. For most of us, it's a matter of selecting one convention and sticking to it. The big decision is whether to go with sentence case(simple) or title case (a little less simple).

Sentence case (also known as Down style)Capitalize only the first word of the title and anyproper nouns: "Rules for capitalizing the words

in a title." This form, recommended by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for titles in reference lists, is popular with many online and print publications. In fact it's now the standard form for titles and headlines in most countries--but not (yet) in the United States.

Title Case (also known as Headline Style or Up Style)Capitalize the first and last words of the title and

all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs,adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions (if, because, as, that, and so on): "Rules for Capitalizing the Words in a Title."It's the little words that style guides disagree on. The Chicago Manual of Style, for instance, notes that "articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor), andprepositions, regardless of length, are lowercased unless they are the first or last word of the title."18. Capitalize the names of awards, prizes, and scholarships.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, the Nobel Prizes, the Academy Award (and the Oscar), National Merit Scholarship

19. Capitalize each letter in an acronym (An acronym is an abbreviation formed from the initial

components in a phrase or a word) or initialism (A term formed from the initial letter or letters of several words or parts of words, but which is itself pronounced letter by letter. BBC is an initialism for British Broadcasting Corporation.)

NATO, CNN, BBC, NAACP, TV, LA (or L.A.), FEMA, DVD, AWOL

Capitalization RulesRule 1Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence.Examples:He said, "Treat her as you would your own daughter.""Look out!" she screamed. "You almost ran into my child."Rule 2Capitalize a proper noun.Example:Golden Gate BridgeRule 3Capitalize a person's title when it precedes the name. Do not capitalize when the title is acting as a description following the name.Examples:Chairperson PetrovMs. Petrov, the chairperson of the company, will address us at noon.Rule 4Capitalize the person's title when it follows the name on the address or signature line.

Example:Sincerely,Ms. Haines, ChairpersonRule 5Capitalize the titles of high-ranking government officials when used before their names. Do not capitalize the civil title if it is used instead of the name.Examples:The president will address Congress.All senators are expected to attend.The governors, lieutenant governors, and attorneys general called for a special task force.Governor Fortinbrass, Lieutenant Governor Poppins, Attorney General Dalloway, and Senators James and Twain will attend.Rule 6Capitalize any title when used as a direct address.Example:Will you take my temperature, Doctor?Rule 7Capitalize points of the compass only when they refer to specific regions.Examples:We have had three relatives visit from the South.Go south three blocks and then turn left.We live in the southeast section of town.Southeast is just an adjective here describing section, so it should not be capitalized.Rule 8

Always capitalize the first and last words of titles of publications regardless of their parts of speech. Capitalize other words within titles, including the short verb forms Is, Are, and Be.Exception:Do not capitalize little words within titles such as a, an, the, but, as, if, and, or, nor, or prepositions, regardless of their length.Examples:The Day of the JackalWhat Color Is Your Parachute?A Tale of Two CitiesRule 9Capitalize federal or state when used as part of an official agency name or in government documents where these terms represent an official name. If they are being used as general terms, you may use lowercase letters.Examples:The state has evidence to the contrary.That is a federal offense.The State Board of Equalization collects sales taxes.We will visit three states during our summer vacation.The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been subject to much scrutiny and criticism lately.Her business must comply with all county, state, and federal laws.Rule 10

You may capitalize words such as department, bureau, and office if you have prepared your text in the following way:Example:The Bureau of Land Management (Bureau) has some jurisdiction over Indian lands. The Bureau is finding its administrative role to be challenging.Rule 11Do not capitalize names of seasons.Example:I love autumn colors and spring flowers.Rule 12Capitalize the first word of a salutation and the first word of a complimentary close.Examples:Dear Ms. Mohamed: My dear Mr. Sanchez: Very truly yours,Rule 13Capitalize words derived from proper nouns.Example:I must take English and math.English is capitalized because it comes from the proper noun England, but math does not come from Mathland.Rule 14Capitalize the names of specific course titles.Example:I must take history and Algebra 2.Rule 15

After a sentence ending with a colon, do not capitalize the first word if it begins a list.Example:These are my favorite foods: chocolate cake, spaghetti, and artichokes.Rule 16Do not capitalize when only one sentence follows a sentence ending with a colon.Example:I love Jane Smiley's writing: her book, A Thousand Acres, was beautiful.Rule 17Capitalize when two or more sentences follow a sentence ending with a colon.Example:I love Jane Smiley's writing: Her book, A Thousand Acres, was beautiful. Also, Moo was clever.

10 Rules of Capita

lizationSome people may tell you that there are far more than just ten rules of capitalization in English, and with everything that you have to remember, that may be true. Others may say that there are only three rules, and they are also correct. The truth is that, depending on how you organize the rules, the rules of capitalization may be many or few.Most of the things we capitalize in English are what we call proper nouns. They are the names of specific, unique things. If you are talking about one specific mountain

(Mt. Fuji), state (Idaho) or street (Atlantic Ave.), use a capital letter for every word in the name.

However, when you are talking about a common thing of which there are many - like a mountain, a state or a street - don’t use a capital letter for those words.

Capitals are not used for articles (a, an, the) or prepositions (of, on, for, in, to, with, etc.).

Key Rules1. Names of peopleThis one may seem obvious, but there’s also a catch. Of course, you capitalize the first letters of a person’s first, middle and last names (John Quincy Adams), but you also capitalize suffixes (Jr., the Great, Princess of Power, etc.) and titles.Titles can be as simple as Mr., Mrs. or Dr., but they also apply to situations wherein you address a person by his or her position as though it’s their first name. For example, when we talk about President Lincoln, we are using his role as though it were a part of his name. We don’t always capitalize the word president. Indeed, we could say, "During the Civil War, President Lincoln was the president of the United States."2. Names of mountains, mountain ranges, hills and volcanoesAgain, we’re talking about specific places. The word ‘hill’ is not a proper noun, but Gellert Hill is because it’s the name of one specific hill. Use a capital letter to begin each word in the name of a mountain (Mt. Olympus), mountain range (the Appalachians), hill (San Juan Hill) or volcano (Mt. Vesuvius).3. Names of bodies of water (rivers, lakes, oceans, seas, streams and creeks)From here, it gets pretty easy. The same rules that apply to mountain names also apply to water

names. A river is just a river, but the Mississippi River is a proper noun and must be capitalized, just like Lake Erie, the Indian Ocean and the Dead Sea.4. Names of buildings, monuments, bridges and tunnelsMan-made structures also often have names. The White House, the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel are a few good examples.5. Street namesCapitalize both the actual name part of the name (Capital) and the road part of the name (Boulevard); both are necessary for forming the entire name of the street (Capital Boulevard).6. Schools, colleges and universitiesAll of the words in the name of the educational institution should be capitalized. For example, Harvard University, Wilkesboro Elementary School, Cape Fear Community College.7. Political divisions (continents, regions, countries, states, counties, cities and towns)As is the case with regions of a country, the divisions may not always be political, but you get the idea. When you refer to New England, the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest or the South as a region (as opposed to a compass direction), you capitalize it. Also, continents (South America), countries (Belgium), states (Wisconsin), counties (Prince William County), cities (London) and towns (Lizard Lick) get capitalized.

8. Titles of books, movies, magazines, newspapers, articles, songs, plays and works of artThis one’s a little tricky when ‘and,’ articles or prepositions are involved. If ‘the’ is the first word in the given name of a work, it must be capitalized (The Washington Post, The Glass Menagerie). If ‘a’ or ‘an’ is the first word, it too is capitalized (A Few Good Men), and if a preposition leads the way, you guessed it: Capitalized (Of Mice and Men). However, if any of these words come in the middle of the title, it is not capitalized.9. The first letter in a sentenceThe last two rules are easy. Always capitalize the first letter of a sentence. If the sentence is a quotation within a larger sentence, capitalize it, but only if it’s a complete sentence. If it’s merely a phrase that fits neatly into the larger sentence, it does not require capitalization. Study the following two examples for clarification: The waiter said, “My manager will be here

shortly,” but he never came. The waiter told us that his manager would “be

here shortly,” but he never came.10. The pronoun IIt’s only necessary to capitalize other pronouns when they begin a sentence, but ‘I’ is always capitalized.

CapitalisationBelow are the most important rules for capitalising words in English.

Do not capitalise common nouns.

A common noun is the name for the people, places and things around us, such as woman, cat, tree, table, church, air, river, room, etc. Common nouns can also name non-visible 'things' such as idea, luck, happiness, memory, justice, etc.These words are not capitalised in English.

Capitalise the first person pronoun, I.

Mary and I are no longer friends.

Capitalise the first word of a sentence

The grammar test was very easy.Where did you buy your iPad?

Capitalise proper nouns** A proper noun is a name that identifies a particular person, place or thing.

The names of people: The new student is called Suresh Krishna.The names of countries and continents: Everyone knows that China is the largest country in Asia.The names of pet animals: I have a dog called Spot.The names of towns and cities: My grandparents live in London.The names of planets: The Earth is much smaller than Jupiter.The names of rivers: The longest river is the Nile.The names of lakes: Is there a Buddha statue in Hussain Sagar?The names of streets: I live in King Koti Road.The names of buildings: Have you ever visited the Income-tax Towers?The names of mountains: The highest mountain is Mount Everest.The names of businesses: I think Apple computers are best.The names of organisations: My mother works for the United Nations Organization.

The names of sports teams: Do you like the Team India?The names of days/months: I was born on 2 April 1999, a Monday.Note: Seasons are not capitalised. E.g., My favourite season is spring.

The names of holidays / festivals: Which is your favorite holiday: Christmas or Holy?The names of periods of time: Life was hard and short in the Middle Ages.The names of religions: The most common religion in India is Hinduism.The names of languages / nationalities: Can you speak Russian?Note: Languages and nationalities are always capitalised, both when used as nouns and when used as adjectives. (The French are a proud people. – Many people like French wine.)

Capitalise the first word of direct speech.

My mother asked, "Where have you been?"

Capitalise titles that come before names:

I saw President Pranab Mukherjee in a T.V. interview yesterday.Have you met Doctor Ravi Kumar?

.. otherwise do not capitalise them:

Barack Obama is the first black president of the USA.Ravi Kumar is a doctor at NIMS.

Capitalise compass points if they are regions:

Do you like living in the South?There are many car factories in the Northeast

.. but do not capitalise them if they are directions:

I saw a flock of birds heading south.

Capitalise family words when they are titles or substitutes for a person's name:

Just then Mother Clara called me on my cell phone.The man at the edge of the photo is Father Peter.

.. but do not capitalise them if they are preceded by a possessive:

Have you met my mother?The man at the edge of the photo is my uncle Peter.

Capitalise building words when they are part of a specific building:

I was born in Mother Theresa Hospital.

.. otherwise do not capitalise them:

My brother is in hospital after an accident.

Capitalise brand names:

Our next car will be a Mercedes.

.. but do not capitalise the nouns that follow them:

I got a Wisdom notebook for my birthday.

Capitalise geographical features when they refer to a specific feature:

The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on Earth.

.. otherwise do not capitalise them:

Which is the largest ocean?

Capitalise the first word in a piece of direct speech - if the direct speech is a new sentence:

"If you listen, you will learn," the teacher said. "And you will not get a detention."

.. otherwise do not capitalise it:

"If you listen," the teacher said, "you will learn."

Capitalisation

Below are the most important rules for capitalising words in English.

Do not capitalise common nouns.

A common noun is the name for the people, places and things around us, such as woman, cat, tree,

table, church, air, river, room, etc. Common nouns can also name non-visible 'things' such as idea, luck,

happiness, memory, justice, etc. These words are not capitalised in English.

Capitalise the first person pronoun, I.

Mary and I are no longer friends.Capitalise the first word of a sentence

The grammar test was very easy.Where did you buy your iPad?Capitalise proper nouns*

* A proper noun is a name that identifies a particular person, place or thing.

The names of people: The new student is called Suresh Krishna.The names of countries and continents: Everyone knows that China is the largest country in Asia.The names of pet animals: I have a dog called Spot.The names of towns and cities: My grandparents live in London.The names of planets: The Earth is much smaller than Jupiter.The names of rivers: The longest river is the Nile.The names of lakes: Is there a Buddha statue in Hussain Sagar?The names of streets: I live in King Koti Road.The names of buildings: Have you ever visited the Income-tax Towers?The names of mountains: The highest mountain is Mount Everest.The names of businesses: I think Apple computers are best.The names of organisations: My mother works for the United Nations Organization.The names of sports teams: Do you like the Team India?The names of days/months: I was born on 2 April 1999, a Monday.Note: Seasons are not capitalised. E.g., My favourite season is spring.

The names of holidays / festivals: Which is your favorite holiday: Christmas or Holy?The names of periods of time: Life was hard and short in the Middle Ages.The names of religions: The most common religion in India is Hinduism.The names of languages / nationalities: Can you speak Russian?Note: Languages and nationalities are always capitalised, both when used as nouns and when used as adjectives.

(The French are a proud people. – Many people like French wine.)

Capitalise the first word of direct speech.

My mother asked, "Where have you been?"Capitalise titles that come before names:

I saw President Pranab Mukherjee in a T.V. interview yesterday.Have you met Doctor Ravi Kumar?.. otherwise do not capitalise them:

Barack Obama is the first black president of the USA.Ravi Kumar is a doctor at NIMS.

Capitalise compass points if they are regions:

Do you like living in the South?There are many car factories in the Northeast.. but do not capitalise them if they are directions:

I saw a flock of birds heading south.Capitalise family words when they are titles or substitutes for a person's name:

Just then Mother Clara called me on my cell phone.The man at the edge of the photo is Father Peter... but do not capitalise them if they are preceded by a possessive:

Have you met my mother?The man at the edge of the photo is my uncle Peter.Capitalise building words when they are part of a specific building:

I was born in Mother Theresa Hospital... otherwise do not capitalise them:

My brother is in hospital after an accident.Capitalise brand names:

Our next car will be a Mercedes... but do not capitalise the nouns that follow them:

I got a Wisdom notebook for my birthday.Capitalise geographical features when they refer to a specific feature:

The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on Earth... otherwise do not capitalise them:

Which is the largest ocean?Capitalise the first word in a piece of direct speech - if the direct speech is a new sentence:

"If you listen, you will learn," the teacher said. "And you will not get a detention.".. otherwise do not capitalise it:

"If you listen," the teacher said, "you will learn."