Capitalization Rules

Capitalization

There are general rules that govern the use of capital letters in English.

1- The first word of a sentence begins with a capital letter and the first letter of a quote

e.g. They soared above the earth like birds.

Stacy said, “My sister and I are going to the water park”

2- Names of persons are capitalized

e.g. We shall meet Juan and Miller

3- Initials used in names and abbreviations of well- known organisations are capitalized

e.g. The “WHO” World Health Organization

4- The word “I” is always capitalized

e.g. Martha and I will do the job.

5- The names of months

e.g. He was born on January, 1st , 1995.

6- The names of days of the week

e.g. This class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday

N.B Seasons are not capitalized (summer, autumn, winter, spring)

7- The names of holidays

e.g. Christmas day comes in December.

8- The names of countries, states and cities.

e.g. The doctor is native of Mexico.

e.g. I have visited France, England, and U.S.A.

9- The names of streets and avenues

e.g. There are no business buildings on Temple Street.

e.g. Meet me at 212 Fifth Avenue.

10- The names of mountains, parks, and bodies of water.

e.g. The Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans.

11- Titles with names (courtesy titles), titles of books and newspaper.

e.g. Dr. and Mrs. Hill had dinner with Captain Smith.

e.g. The name of a book : “The Old Man and the Sea”

e.g. Did you read The Washington Dc Post advertisements?

12- All the words in the greetings and the first word of the closing of letters

e.g. Dear Mr.Arnaz/ Dear Sir

To Whom It May Concern

Sincerely

13- The names of religions/ companies

e.g. Last fall we attended a Catholic wedding in San Diego

e.g. Coca Cola, Visa Card, Google, Yahoo

14- Specific periods and historical events that have proper names should be capitalized

e.g. Most of the World War I veterans are deceased.

e.g. In the Middle Ages, poor hygiene was partly responsible for the spreading of disease.

15- Nationalities and names of languages should be capitalized.

e.g. Algerian, Chinese, Spanish, English.