Capitalization means the use of capital (large) letters in writing. Capital letters are usually used at the beginnings of certain words. There are many capitalization rules in the English language.
The first word
of a sentence or direct quotation is capitalized, as in The boy asked, “Do you think I should go?” The first word in each line of most poems or in each part of an outline is capitalized.
Proper nouns
and words used as proper nouns are capitalized. This includes names of persons (Mary Smith), animals (my dog, Rover), places (416 Maple Street, Cincinnati, Ohio), and particular things (White House). Proper nouns include the specific names of rivers, mountains, buildings, business organizations, schools, and commercial products.
Names
of special political, social, or religious groups are capitalized, such as Common Cause or the Lutheran Church. The collective name of members of a group is also capitalized, as in Democrats or Lutherans. Holidays (Fourth of July), days of the week (Monday), and months (June) are capitalized, but not names of seasons (autumn). Geographical regions are capitalized (the West), but not the names of geographical directions (going west). Names of special events in history (Battle of the Bulge) are capitalized, as well as names of meetings (the Yalta Conference), congresses (the Seventy-Fourth Congress), alliances (the Holy Alliance), and expositions (the Golden Gate Exposition). Periods in history are capitalized, as in the Restoration. Nationalities and languages are capitalized, as in Nigerian and Norwegian. Names of school studies are capitalized when they refer to a specific subject (Mathematics 2).
Titles
of persons are capitalized in certain uses. Titles that precede a name are capitalized, as in President Woodrow Wilson. Titles that immediately follow a name or take the place of a name are sometimes capitalized when they show high distinction, as in Woodrow Wilson, President or the President. Words that modify a proper noun and are usually used as part of that name are capitalized, as in Frederick the Great. Names of the Deity are always capitalized, as in God or Jehovah.
All important words in a title
are capitalized, including the first word (All Quiet on the Western Front).
Adjectives taken from proper nouns
are capitalized, such as French or Jeffersonian. When a prefix is used, the prefix is not capitalized, as in pro-French.
Personification
means treating an object that is not human as a human being. A personified noun is capitalized, as in When Fortune flatters, she does it to betray.
Formal statements
begin with capital letters, as in Resolved: That this club meet on the first of every month.
O and I
are always capitalized when used as words.
Many abbreviations
are capitalized, especially those that refer to proper names, such as U.S.A. for United States of America. See Abbreviation.
