Capitalization Rules

Capitalization is the use of uppercase letters at the beginning of words to indicate proper nouns, sentence beginnings, and other specific cases. Correct capitalization helps convey meaning and proper grammar.

Rules / Guidelines

• First word of a sentence: Always capitalize the first word: The sun rises in the east.
• Proper nouns: Capitalize names of people, places, organizations, and specific things: Malone Global University, Sarah, Paris
• Titles: Capitalize the main words in book, article, and movie titles: To Kill a Mockingbird
• Days, months, and holidays: Monday, January, Christmas
• Pronoun “I”: Always capitalize: I am learning English.
• Abbreviations and acronyms: Capitalize letters in acronyms: NASA, USA
• Important words in headings or emphasis: Follow style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)

Examples

First word: Tomorrow will be sunny.
Proper nouns: Sarah visited New York City.
Titles: I just finished reading The Great Gatsby.
Days and holidays: We met on Monday, during Thanksgiving.
Pronoun I: I cannot wait for the weekend.
Acronyms: The USA is hosting the Olympics.

Practice Exercises

1. Correct capitalization: last summer we visited paris and london.
2. Correct capitalization: i have read the catcher in the rye.
3. Correct capitalization: she said i will meet you on friday.
4. Correct capitalization: the un has issued a new report.
5. Correct capitalization: my favorite holiday is christmas.

Answers / Explanation

1. Last summer we visited Paris and London.
2. I have read The Catcher in the Rye.
3. She said, "I will meet you on Friday."
4. The UN has issued a new report.
5. My favorite holiday is Christmas.