{"id":578582,"date":"2023-09-03T12:02:44","date_gmt":"2023-09-03T10:02:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.nl\/?p=578582"},"modified":"2023-09-04T09:31:50","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T07:31:50","slug":"sentence-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/academic-writing\/sentence-case\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Sentence Case? | Explanation & Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sentence case<\/strong> is a capitalization style or set of rules describing when to use lowercase and uppercase letters in headings<\/a> and subheadings. Whether you are writing a research paper, a blog, or a newspaper article, you may have to decide which words need to be capitalized.<\/p>\n

In English, the standard is to capitalize the first letter of a sentence. All other letters should be in lowercase with a few exceptions, such as proper nouns (e.g., \u201cTexas\u201d), abbreviations<\/a> (e.g., \u201cDr.\u201d), and acronyms<\/a> (e.g., \u201cNATO\u201d). Because this style follows the same capitalization rules as sentences, it is called \u201csentence case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note<\/figcaption>The titles of longer works (e.g., books, movies) are generally italicized, while the titles of shorter works (e.g., articles, poems) are usually enclosed in quotation marks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, different style guides may have different rules. It\u2019s important to consistently follow the rules outlined in your chosen style guide. You can also use the Scribbr citation generator<\/a>, which automatically proposes the correct capitalization for citations.<\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

How to use sentence case<\/h2>\n

When using sentence case, capitalize the first letter of the first word of your title or subheading.<\/p>\n

In addition, you need to capitalize proper nouns<\/a><\/span>, such as the names of specific people (e.g., \u201cTom\u201d), places (e.g., \u201cItaly\u201d), or things (e.g., \u201cthe Golden Gate Bridge\u201d) as opposed to common nouns<\/a> like \u201cperson,\u201d \u201ccountry,\u201d or \u201cbridge.\u201d All other words should be written in lowercase.<\/p>\n

Example: Sentence case<\/figcaption>The best way to cook pasta.<\/p>\n

The best way to cook pasta like an Italian<\/span>.<\/figure>\n

Sentence case vs. title case<\/h2>\n

Sentence case is used when you write a title or a subheading the same way you would write a regular sentence. In sentence case, the first letter of the first word is capitalized, and all other letters and words that follow are in lowercase, except for proper nouns (e.g., \u201cMajor heat wave arrives in California\u201d).<\/p>\n

In contrast, title case<\/strong> is used when you capitalize the initial letter of most words in a sentence. Just like in sentence case, some exceptions apply to title case as well. For example, title case distinguishes between major<\/strong> and minor words<\/strong>:<\/p>\n