When to Capitalize Words in a Sentence

Knowing which words to capitalize when writing in English can be challenging for native speakers. It presents another level of challenge for those who come from character based writing like Chinese. In a previous post I covered how to pronounce proper nouns. In this post, I will include more cases where capitalization is important.

The easiest rule to remember is to capitalize proper nouns, but there are other cases in which you should use capital letters. Below is a brief summary of each case.

Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence

This is the easiest one to remember. In English, you always capitalize the first word in a sentence. This paragraph contains five sentences, each one beginning with a capital letter. Notice that I capitalized the word English. We cover that in the next section.

Proper Nouns Capitalization

The second most common rule for capitalization is to capitalize proper nouns. Unfortunately, this can be a little tricky if you’re unfamiliar with proper nouns. The definition of a proper noun is a specific name for a particular person, place, or thing. For example, “house” is not a proper noun but “White House” is.

Capitalize Names, Cities, Countries, Nationalities, and Languages

Names, cities, countries, nationalities, and languages are all proper nouns and should be capitalized. Below are examples:

  • Bill Clinton was America’s 42nd president. He was born in the town of Hope, Arkansas
  • The best known house in the country of the United States is the White House.
  • Over 43 million Americans speak Spanish as their first language. It is the second most common spoken language in the United States
  • While the East Coast of the United States was settled primarily by people of European descent, the West Coast was settled by a mix of Asian, Mexican, and European settlers.
  • Seattle is named after Chief Seattle, whose people lived in the Pacific Northwest long before foreign settlers arrived.

Capitalize Days, Months, and Holidays, But Not Seasons

You should always capitalize the seven days of the week and 12 months of the year in English. You do not capitalize the four seasons of the year in English even though months and holidays are.

  • The Supreme Court of the United States begins its annual term on the first Monday in October
  • Americans celebrate Thanksgiving day on the third Thursday in November.
  • This year, the Fourth of July will be on a Sunday. This is the more common name for Independence Day, which is when the United States declared its independence from England.
  • Even though Christmas is in winter, it felt like summer this year because we celebrated in Hawaii. 
  • Many cities in the United States celebrate Chinese New Year in the winter and the Cherry Blossom Festival in spring.

Most Words in Titles are Capitalized

There is some debate about which words in a title should be capitalized. Generally speaking, you should capitalize any word that is not a conjunction, preposition, or article (example: and, from, the). These same rules apply to subtitles.

  • Many people find When Harry Met Sally to be one of the funniest American films.
  • The scene at the top of the Space Needle in the movie You’ve Got Mail was based on a scene at the top of the Empire State Building in the movie An Affair to Remember
  • Top Five Tour Destinations in the United States

Capitalize Time Periods and Events

  • San Francisco is known in the U.S. because of its Victorian homes and the Bay to Breakers foot race.
  • The Roaring Twenties saw a big rise in organized crime in the United States as demand for alcohol continued despite Prohibition

The First Word of a Quote is capitalized when it is a Complete Sentence

  • Jonn F Kennedy is famous for his quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
  • Though he never said this, Mark Twain is often quoted as remarking “The coldest winter I ever experienced was a summer I spent in San Francisco.”

Capitalize Jobs Titles When You Are Including the Job Title as Part of the Name

  • Many are familiar with the words of Doctor Martin Luther King
  • He is a doctor of systematic theology

Capitalize Family Relationship Names when Using the Same Way You Use a Proper Name

You should capitalize a family relationship name when it can be specifically replaced with a proper name.

  • What time is Dad coming home for dinner?
  • What time is your dad coming home for dinner? 

Capitalize After a Colon Only When the Words Following the Colon Form One or More Complete Sentences.

  • I think it’s going to rain today; You should bring an umbrella.
  • I’m cold; Do you have a jacket I can borrow?

These are some of the more common instances of proper use of capital letters in written English. Packard Communications can help you with any further understanding of how to use and speak English like an American.

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