Capitalization

Rule 1: First Words and Titles Always capitalize the first word of every sentence. Example: What are you going to do this weekend?

Rule 1: First Words and Titles Always capitalize the first word of a quotation that is a complete sentence. Example: Emerson once said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

Rule 1: First Words and Titles Always capitalize the first word at the beginning of a letter or and the first word in the closing. Example: Dear __________, Yours truly, _________

Rule 1: First Words and Titles Always capitalize the first, last, and important words in titles of books, magazines, movies, etc. Example: The Great Gatsby, Sports Illustrated, Big Bang Theory

Rule 2: Peoples and Cultures Always capitalize people’s titles, names, and initials. Example: Dr. Eckleburg, President Barack H. Obama, Grandpa, Daisy

Rule 2: Peoples and Cultures Always capitalize the pronoun “I.” Example: I, I’m, I’ll

Rule 2: Peoples and Cultures Always capitalize the names of races, nationalities, languages, and religions. Example: Julia is Mexican and her friend Jade is African-American. Julia is Catholic and Jade is Protestant. They both speak English and Spanish.

Rule 3: Places and Transportation Always capitalize the names of streets, cities, states, countries, mountains, bodies of water, etc. (minus words like ‘a’ and ‘of’). Example: Casa de Monterey apartment complex, Main Street, Pacific Ocean, North America, Planet Earth, the Milky Way

Rule 3: Places and Transportation Always capitalize the names of specific buildings, bridges, monuments, and other landmarks. Example: Mount Rushmore, Statue of Liberty, Disneyland

Rule 3: Places and Transportation Always capitalize the names of particular planes, trains, cars, etc. Example: I drive a Honda Accord.

Rule 4: Organizations and Other Subjects Always capitalize important words in the names of organizations, institutions, stores, and companies. Example: I attend Ouchi High School, I shop at Forever 21, and I like to wear Converse shoes.

Rule 4: Organizations and Other Subjects Always capitalize the names of historical events, periods, and documents. Example: The Declaration of Independence was signed after the Revolutionary War.

Rule 4: Organizations and Other Subjects Always capitalize particular months, days, and holidays. Example: My birthday, September 1, was on a Friday. The next day was Memorial Day.

Rule 4: Organizations and Other Subjects Always capitalize the names of special events and awards. Example: the L.A. Marathon, the World Cup, the Heisman Trophy