Capitalisation

Capital letters are used to show the start of an important word or sentence. The most common rule is to begin every sentence with a capital letter. This helps the reader see where one sentence ends and the next one begins. The letter I is always a capital letter, even when it is in the middle of a sentence. Also use capital letters for proper nouns. Proper nouns name a specific person, place, language, nationality, religion, day, month, or holiday. For example, we write John, London, English, Friday, and Christmas. Do not use capital letters for common nouns unless they begin a sentence. For example, write city, boy, and teacher with small letters. Do not capitalise seasons such as spring, summer, autumn, and winter unless they begin a sentence. • Start every sentence with a capital letter. • Write the pronoun I with a capital letter. • Use capitals for names, places, languages, nationalities, days, months, and holidays. • Do not capitalise seasons unless they begin a sentence.

Some words need capital letters when they are used like names. Titles of people are capitalised when they come before a name. For example, President Lincoln and Doctor Brown use capitals because the title is part of the name. But if the title is used alone, it is usually small: the president, the doctor. Family words can also be tricky. Capitalise a family word when you use it like a name, such as Mum, Dad, or Grandma. Use a small letter when it is just a general word with a determiner: my mum, our dad, your grandma. Titles of books, films, and articles often use title case, where important words start with capitals. Small words like a, an, the, of, in, on, and, and but are usually lowercase unless they are the first word. In sentence case, only the first word and proper nouns are capitalised. Follow the style you are given. • Capitalise titles before a name, such as President Lincoln. • Use small letters for general job titles, such as the president. • Capitalise family words when they are used as names, such as Mum. • In titles, capitalise important words and usually keep small words lowercase.

Capital letters are also important in emails, headings, quotes, and special word forms. In email greetings, many people capitalise the first word and the name: Dear Sam, Hello Maria. In headings, title case is often used, so important words begin with capitals. Use capitals in brand names, acronyms, and initialisms. Brand names are special names, such as Nike or Apple. Acronyms and initialisms are made from first letters, such as NASA, BBC, and USA. School subjects are usually small letters, such as maths, science, and history, unless they are a language like English or French. After a colon, use a capital letter only if what follows is a full sentence or a proper noun. In quotations and dialogue, begin a direct quote with a capital letter if it starts a new sentence. Also remember compass directions versus regions: use small letters for directions like north, south, east, and west, but capitalise them when they name a region, such as the North of England. • Capitalise brand names, acronyms, and initialisms. • Use small letters for most school subjects, but capitalise languages. • After a colon, capitalise only when a full sentence or proper noun follows. • Capitalise quoted words and dialogue when they begin a new sentence. • Use small letters for compass directions, but capitals for regions.

Capital letters help readers see where sentences begin and where special nouns start. The most important basic rule is to capitalise the first word of every sentence. Use a capital letter for the pronoun I in every situation, even in the middle of a sentence. This rule is always the same. Proper nouns also need capitals. These include names of people, places, nationalities, languages, religions, and organizations. Write London, Maria, French, and Christianity with capitals because each one names a specific person, place, or thing. Days of the week, months, and holidays are capitalised, but seasons are not. So we write Monday, September, and Christmas, but spring, summer, autumn, and winter stay lowercase unless they begin a sentence. • Capitalise the first word of a sentence. • Capitalise I every time it appears. • Capitalise specific names, countries, cities, languages, and holidays. • Do not capitalise general words like boy, city, or language unless they are part of a name. A useful check is to ask whether the word names one specific person, place, or event. If it does, it usually needs a capital letter.

Capitalisation often changes depending on whether a word is being used as a title, a general noun, or part of a formal name. Titles of people are capitalised when they come directly before a name or are used as a formal title. We write President Lincoln, Dr Smith, and Queen Elizabeth, but the president, the doctor, and the queen when the title is general. Family words follow a similar rule. Capitalise Mum, Dad, and Grandma when they are used like names or are being addressed directly. Use lowercase in phrases such as my mum, his dad, or the grandma who lives next door. School subjects are usually lowercase, such as history, maths, and biology, unless they are language names or part of a course title. Brand names and company names are capitalised because they are proper nouns: Nike, Google, and Coca-Cola. Acronyms and initialisms also use capitals. Acronyms are read as words, such as NASA, while initialisms are read letter by letter, such as BBC or USA. • Capitalise a title before a name: Professor Chen. • Use lowercase for a title used generally: the professor. • Capitalise family words only when used as names or direct address. • Capitalise brand names and official abbreviations. • Keep most school subjects lowercase. This area causes many errors because the same word can be correct in both forms, depending on how it is used.

Capitalisation also appears in longer writing, such as titles, quotations, emails, and headings. In titles of books, films, songs, and articles, English often uses title case, which means major words are capitalised. Small words such as a, an, the, and, but, or, in, of, and to are usually lowercase unless they are the first or last word of the title. Some styles use sentence case instead, where only the first word and proper nouns are capitalised. After a colon, capitalisation depends on what follows. In general English, the first word after a colon stays lowercase unless it begins a full sentence or is a proper noun. In quotations and dialogue, the first word of a full quoted sentence begins with a capital letter. If the quotation is only a phrase, it does not need a capital. Compass directions are lowercase when they show direction, such as north or south, but capitalised when they refer to a region or formal area, such as the North or the South. In emails and headings, the same rules still matter. Subject lines and headings often use title case, but the exact style may depend on the platform or teacher instructions. Common mistakes include capitalising every important-looking word, forgetting capitals in quotations, or treating general directions as regions. • Capitalise major words in titles, but not most short function words. • Use a capital after a colon only when the following text is a full sentence or a proper noun. • Capitalise the first word of a full quotation. • Use lowercase for directions and capitals for regions. • Be consistent in email subjects and headings. Careful proofreading helps you spot errors where a word looks important but is not actually a proper noun.