First-Year English FAQs
By reviewing the following list you may be able to solve your capitalization questions. If you should need more information about any of these subjects, you can click on a specific rule to get more information or examples.
Capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence.
Capitalize the pronoun "I" and the interjection "O."
Preserve the original capitalization and line breaks as the poet presents them.
Capitalize proper nouns, proper adjectives, and words used as essential parts of proper nouns.
Capitalize the Roman numerals and the letters of the first major topics in an outline.
Capitalize the first word of dialogue in a dialogue quotation.
Capitalize brand names, but not products.
Capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence.
Example: Christmas is coming.
Capitalize the pronoun "I" and the interjection "O."
Example: I will take you to the movies.
Example: He who thinks himself wise, O heavens, is a great fool. --Voltaire
Capitalize the first letter of the first word in each new line of poetry if the poet has capitalized it.
Example:
Last night's flame
Is only the black sooted fireplace.
Capitalize proper nouns, proper adjectives, and words used as essential parts of proper nouns.
The following rules are specific illustrations of the above general rule. If you need further examples or explanations, click on the specific rule.
Capitalize a person's name or initial(s).
Capitalize Mother, Dad, and other titles if you can insert the person's name and titles like Grandma and Major when they appear with a formal name.
Capitalize days, months, holidays, and special days.
Capitalize the historical events, documents, periods, or movements.
Capitalize names of organizations, businesses,and institutions.
Capitalize specific places, structures, or geographic locations.
Capitalize the names of languages, races, and nationalities.
Capitalize religions and their followers.
Capitalize religious terms for sacred persons and things.Capitalize a person's name or initial(s).
Example: Mrs. Lois T. Lyon
Capitalize Mother, Dad, and other titles if you can insert the person's name and titles like Grandma and Major when they appear with a formal name.
If you can replace the "mother/mom" or "father/dad" with the person's formal name, "Mother/Mom" or "Father/Dad" should be capitalized.
Example: Mother is really my best friend.
Example: Donna is really my best friend.If you cannot replace the "mother/mom" or "father/dad" with the person's formal name, then "mother/mom" or "father/dad" should not be capitalized.
Example: My father is really nice.
Example: Fred is really nice.In the above example when the father's name--"Fred"--replaces the name "father," the sentence does not make sensesuggesting that "father" is a general term, not a formal name and should not be capitalized.
Capitalize days, months, holidays, and special days.
Example: Monday, January, Christmas, New Years, Mother's Day
Capitalize historical events, documents, periods, or movements.
Example: Civil War, Magna Carta, Renaissance, Romantic Movement
Capitalize names of organizations, businesses, and institutions.
Example: The American Red Cross, Southwest Airlines, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
Capitalize specific places, structures, or geographic locations.
Example: Phoenix, Statue of Liberty, the Southwest
Capitalize the names of languages, races, and nationalities.
Example: English, Native American, German
Do not capitalize black or white
Capitalize religions and their followers.
Example: Christian, Christianity; Muslim, Islam; Orthodox Jew, Judaism
Capitalize religious terms for sacred persons and things.
Example: Christ, Allah, Budha, the Bible, the Koran
Capitalize the Roman numerals and the letters of the first major topics in an outline.
Example: I., II., III.
Example: A., B., C.
Capitalize the first word of dialogue in a dialogue quotation.
Example: My teacher stated, "You must be on time to the final."
Capitalize the first word of borrowed material from a direct quotation only if the direct quotation begins with a capital letter and there is an interrupted quotation transition.
Example Interrupted Quotation Transition: The author notes, "Animal cloning needs furtherresearch."
Example of Uninterrupted Quotation Transition: The author notes that "animal cloning needs further research."
Capitalize brand names but not products.
Example: Ford, Xerox, Kleenex tissue
Do not capitalize words like nylon or thermos.
Capitalize titles when they precede proper names, but not when they follow proper names or are used alone.
Example: Principal Smith, Superintendent Kohler.
Example: Mr. Smith, principal; Mr. Kohler, superintendent