{"id":74153,"date":"2019-04-19T12:40:16","date_gmt":"2019-04-19T10:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.nl\/?p=74153"},"modified":"2023-09-04T10:45:20","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T08:45:20","slug":"capitalization-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/language-rules\/capitalization-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Capitalization Rules in English | Quick Guide &#038; Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In English, a capital letter is used for the first word of a sentence and for all <a href=index-3564.html>proper nouns<\/a> (words that name a specific person, place, organization, or thing).<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, capitalization is also required for the first word in a <a href=index-1828.html>quotation<\/a> and the first word after a <a href=index-3565.html>colon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<table class=\"kb-table responsive-inline full-width auto-th\">\n<caption>Capitalization rules<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><\/th>\n<th>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>Capitalize<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<th>\n<ul class=\"kb-errorlist\">\n<li>Don&#8217;t capitalize<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>People<\/th>\n<td>Names (and words derived from them); nationalities; titles when used as part of a name<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the works of <strong>Aristotle<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>a <strong>Freudian<\/strong> psychoanalyst<\/li>\n<li>the <strong>Brazilian<\/strong> actor<\/li>\n<li>the campaign of <strong>Senator Sanders<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td>Occupations; titles when not used as part of a name<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the magazine&#8217;s <strong>managing editor<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>an elderly <strong>professor<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>the left-wing <strong>senator<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Places<\/th>\n<td>Names of specific continents, countries, states, cities, regions, monuments and landmarks<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>South America<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>the <strong>West Coast<\/strong> of the US<\/li>\n<li>the <strong>Eiffel Tower<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>the <strong>River Thames<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td>Directions and general areas<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>head <strong>north<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>the <strong>west<\/strong> of the city<\/li>\n<li>the longest <strong>river<\/strong> in the <strong>world<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Times<\/th>\n<td>Days of the week and months of the year; historical eras and named events; holidays<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a <strong>Monday<\/strong> in<strong> July<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>the <strong>Middle Ages<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>the <strong>Napoleonic Wars<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Christmas Day<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td>Centuries, decades, seasons<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>an <strong>eighteenth-century<\/strong> painting<\/li>\n<li>the fashion of the <strong>fifties<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>a <strong>summer<\/strong> vacation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Other<\/th>\n<td>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>Organizations, companies and brand names<\/li>\n<li>Religions and deities<\/li>\n<li>Planets<\/li>\n<li>Languages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<ul class=\"kb-errorlist\">\n<li>Animal and plant species<\/li>\n<li>Elements<\/li>\n<li>Minerals<\/li>\n<li>Theories and models<\/li>\n<li>Medical conditions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Recognizing proper nouns<\/h2>\n<p>A <a href=index-3564.html><span class=\"highlight-green\"><strong>proper noun<\/strong><\/span><\/a> is the specific name of a person, place, organization, or thing. All proper nouns (as well as <a href=index-3479.html>adjectives<\/a> derived from them) should be capitalized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left\"><span class=\"highlight-green\">Michelle Obama<\/span>, the former first lady, was raised in <span class=\"highlight-green\">Chicago<\/span> and is a graduate of <span class=\"highlight-green\">Harvard Law School<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=index-3566.html><strong>common noun<\/strong><\/a>, on the other hand, refers to a general, non-specific category or entity. Common nouns are not normally capitalized (unless they are the first word of a sentence or part of a title).<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left\">Monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy are forms of government classified according to which people have the authority to rule.<\/p>\n<p>There are no proper nouns in the example above. Words like\u00a0<em>democracy<\/em>,\u00a0<em>government<\/em> and\u00a0<em>authority<\/em> refer to general concepts and categories rather than specific names.<\/p>\n<p>Common nouns often become proper nouns when used to name a specific entity:<\/p>\n<table class=\"kb-table responsive-inline full-width auto-th\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th width=\"50%\">Common noun<\/th>\n<th>Proper noun<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>The <strong>nations<\/strong> of the world<\/td>\n<td>The United Nations<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>The local<strong> church<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>The Catholic Church<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>A <strong>conservative<\/strong> viewpoint<\/td>\n<td>The Conservative Party<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>A vast <strong>canyon<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>The Grand Canyon<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>An application for<strong> business school<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Columbia Business School<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span style=\"color: #1b2b68; font-family: Circular-Bold, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6rem; font-weight: bold;\">Times and events<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Specific periods and named events in history are proper nouns and thus capitalized. Centuries, however, stay in lowercase.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>The <strong>Middle Ages<\/strong> were dismissed as backward by <strong>Renaissance<\/strong> thinkers.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Paleozoic Era<\/strong> began 541 million years ago.<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Great Depression<\/strong> affected virtually every country in the world.<\/li>\n<li>Impressionism was a pivotal artistic development in the<strong> nineteenth century<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Days of the week (e.g., <strong>Wednesday<\/strong>), months of the year (e.g., <strong>August<\/strong>), and holidays and festivals (e.g., <strong>Christmas<\/strong>, <strong>Ramadan<\/strong>) are capitalized. However, the four seasons are common nouns and therefore not capitalized unless they appear as part of a proper noun.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>I plan on visiting New York in the <strong>summer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>I plan on attending the <strong>Summer Olympics<\/strong> next year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Directions and regions<\/h2>\n<p>North, east, south, and west are not capitalized when they refer to a direction or general area. This also applies to derivative adjectives and <a href=index-3567.html>adverbs<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>I live five miles <strong>north<\/strong> of London.<\/li>\n<li>Warm, <strong>westerly<\/strong> winds passed through the city.<\/li>\n<li>The fire affected only the <strong>northern<\/strong> region of the forest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, capitalization is required for these words when they are part of a proper name or when they refer to a distinct region.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>The <strong>North Pole<\/strong> has a wider variety of animal life than the South Pole.<\/li>\n<li>The <a href=index-3270.html>scope<\/a> of the book is limited to the history of <strong>Western<\/strong> civilization.<\/li>\n<li>Cameroon&#8217;s <strong>East Region<\/strong> borders the Central African Republic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whether a geographical area is named as a distinct region can vary between countries.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>They took a road trip down the <strong>West Coast of the United States<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>We took a road trip up the <strong>west coast of Scotland<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you&#8217;re unsure whether to capitalize the name of an area or region, check a dictionary or consult academic sources for common usage.<\/p>\n<h2>Theories, models and disciplines<\/h2>\n<p>In academic writing, some <a href=index-3522.html>types of nouns<\/a> are often incorrectly capitalized. The table below shows academic terms that should <strong>not<\/strong> be capitalized. Note, though, that proper nouns within these terms are still capitalized as usual.<\/p>\n<table class=\"kb-table responsive-inline full-width\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Type<\/th>\n<th>Examples<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Theories<\/td>\n<td>string theory, psychoanalytic theory, Einstein\u2019s theory of relativity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Models<\/td>\n<td>five-factor model of personality, Bohr atomic model<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Disciplines and subjects<\/td>\n<td>sociology, economics, French, Japanese<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Schools of thought<\/td>\n<td>rationalism, German idealism<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>However, note that the names of existing tests, inventories and <a href=index-3568.html>questionnaires<\/a> should be capitalized.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\n<li>Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory<\/li>\n<li>UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Capitalization within quotations<\/h2>\n<p>When the <a href=index-1828.html>quote<\/a> forms a complete sentence, capitalize the first word.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">John asked, &#8220;Are these library books overdue?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>When the quote is a fragment incorporated into your own sentence, the first word is not capitalized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">She referred to him as &#8220;a plague sore.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Capitalization after a colon<\/h2>\n<p>When a <a href=index-3565.html>colon<\/a> introduces a list or any phrase that is not a complete sentence, do not capitalize the first word (unless it is a proper noun).<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">She filled the picnic basket with a variety of snacks: cookies, bread, dips, and fruits.<\/p>\n<p>When a colon introduces a complete sentence, capitalization rules vary between style guides. According to <a href=index-1778.html>APA style<\/a>, the first word after the colon should be capitalized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">She had been up all night studying: She was determined to get the top grade in the class.<\/p>\n<p>But according to <a href=index5d3a.html?cat_ID=6173\%22>Chicago style<\/a>, the first word following the colon should be capitalized only if there is more than one complete explanatory sentence following the colon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">She had been up all night studying: she was determined to get the top grade in the class.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">She had been up all night studying: She was determined to get the top grade in the class. It would guarantee her the prestigious scholarship.<\/p>\n<h2>Capitalizing titles<\/h2>\n<p>The capitalization rules for the titles of books, articles, movies, art, and other works vary slightly between style guides. But in general, the following rules apply across major style guides, including <a href=index-1778.html>APA<\/a>, <a href=index-1779.html>MLA<\/a>, and <a href=index5d3a.html?cat_ID=6173\%22>Chicago<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Capitalize the first word of the title and (if applicable) the subtitle<\/li>\n<li>Capitalize the last word<\/li>\n<li>Capitalize all nouns, <a href=index8e8a.html?p=407369\%22>verbs<\/a>, <a href=index-3479.html>adjectives<\/a>, <a href=index-3569.html>adverbs<\/a>, <a href=index-3541.html>pronouns<\/a>, and <a href=index-3570.html#subordinating-conjunctions\">subordinating conjunctions<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Use lowercase for <a href=index-3571.html>articles<\/a> (the, a, an), <a href=index-3572.html>prepositions<\/a>, and <a href=index-3570.html#coordinating-conjunctions\">coordinating conjunctions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">I prefer <em>The Taming of the Shrew<\/em> over <em>Romeo and Juliet<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\"><em>The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King<\/em> is the last in a trilogy.<\/p>\n<h3>Capitalizing headings in papers<\/h3>\n<p>When writing a paper or thesis, you have two options for <a href=index-3573.html>capitalizing the headings of chapters and sections<\/a>. You can use <a href=index-2718.html>title case<\/a> for all <a href=index-1766.html>headings<\/a>, as in the examples above.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">3.1 Emerging Coffee Markets in North America<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, you can choose to use <a href=index-3574.html>sentence case<\/a>, which means you only capitalize the first word and proper nouns, as in a normal sentence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"kb-textbox border-left green\">3.1 Emerging coffee markets in North America<\/p>\n<p>Some style guides have specific requirements for capitalizing headings (see, for example, <a href=index-3461.html>how to format APA headings and subheadings<\/a>). Whichever approach you choose, make sure to be consistent: all headings at the same level should take the same capitalization style.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In English, a capital letter is used for the first word of a sentence and for all proper nouns (words that name a specific person, place, organization, or thing). In some cases, capitalization is also required for the first word in a quotation and the first word after a colon. Capitalization rules Capitalize Don&#8217;t capitalize [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"categories":[28634],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>Capitalization Rules in English | Quick Guide &amp; Examples<\/title>\n
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