Overview
Capitalization of particular words in English sentences follows a few basic rules. However, it is easy to overlook capitalization when proofreading, since most of the time capitalization errors will not be caught by the spell-checker in the computer program.
First Word of a Sentence
The first word of a sentence is always capitalized. Therefore, the first word of the next sentence is capitalized. This is true even if the sentence is not complete, although the writer usually will make that sentence complete, or combine the phrase with another sentence during the editing phase of the document. Also, capitalize the first word of a complete sentence within quotation marks. Do not capitalize words when the quotation is indirect or continues within the same sentence.
Proper Nouns
Proper nouns, such as names of people and places, are capitalized, such as Mary, John, Montana (the state), Canada (the country), Antarctica (the continent), Mars (the planet), Betelgeuse (the star), and so on. If more than one proper name is used, capitalize the words within the name, such as Mary Jones, Golden Gate Bridge, New Horizons, San Francisco, and New York City. Adjectives derived from proper nouns, such as Russian dressing, the English language, and the Martian landscape, should also be capitalized. However, notice that the second word in the phrase is not capitalized as that word is not part of the name. There are many salad dressings, many languages, and many landscapes, for example. Whether the word the is capitalized depends upon whether or not it is part of the proper noun, such as The Dalles, The Bellingham Herald, or The Hague. If it is not part of the proper noun, it is left without capitals.
Titles of Books
Principal words within titles are capitalized, such as the first word, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs. Titles include titles of books, pictures, plays, movies, TV shows, musical compositions, and other documents. For example, one of my favorite children’s books is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. The movie Gone with the Wind is a classic. We watched Game of Thrones on TV.
Common Errors
When addressing a family member, the word is capitalized. Mother, may I go out for a swim? However, when referring to a family member, the word is not capitalized. My mother always attended my concerts. Similarly, I went to visit Aunt Lucille in Alaska, with her name specified. However, I went to visit my aunt in Alaska, as her name isn’t specified.
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