Capitalization Rules

Capital letters guide readers by signaling where sentences begin and which words are names. The editing questions check whether you capitalize the right words — and, just as often, whether you avoid capitalizing words that should stay lowercase.

Capitalization follows a few dependable rules: capitalize the first word of every sentence, all proper nouns (specific names of people, places, and things), and the important words in titles. Common nouns and ordinary words stay lowercase. Knowing which words are “proper” is the key skill.

Sentence Starts and Proper Nouns

Always capitalize the first letter of a new sentence, no matter what word begins it. Also capitalize proper nouns — the specific name of a particular person, place, or thing. Compare a common noun with a proper noun: “city” stays lowercase, but “Chicago” is capitalized. Wrong: my friend maria moved to denver last spring. The first word is capitalized because it starts the sentence; Maria and Denver are proper nouns. Corrected: My friend Maria moved to Denver last spring. Note that “spring” stays lowercase because seasons are not proper nouns. Days, months, and holidays are capitalized, but seasons are not. Wrong: We visit Grandma every Summer on monday. Corrected: We visit Grandma every summer on Monday. When you are unsure, ask whether the word names one specific thing (capital) or a general category (lowercase).

Titles and Common Mistakes

In the title of a book, movie, or article, capitalize the first and last words and all the important words in between. In this title-case convention, small words like “a,” “an,” “the,” “of,” “and,” and “in” stay lowercase unless they are the first or last word. Other style guides may use sentence case instead. Correct: The Old Man and the Sea. Notice “and” and “the” are lowercase, but the first “The” is capitalized. A frequent error is capitalizing ordinary words for emphasis. Wrong: I really Love my new Job at the Office. None of those words are proper nouns. Corrected: I really love my new job at the office. Another common slip is lowercasing the pronoun “I,” which is always capitalized. Wrong: My sister and i went shopping. Corrected: My sister and I went shopping. Capitalize with purpose, not for decoration.

Watch: A Short Video Lesson

Sparkle English gives a clear overview to go with this lesson:

A Routine for Capitalization

1. Capitalize the first word of every sentence.
2. Capitalize names of specific people, places, and things.
3. Capitalize the important words in titles.
4. Keep ordinary words and seasons lowercase; always capitalize “I.”

Practice

1. How should the first word of a sentence be written?
2. Is “river” or “Mississippi River” a proper noun?
3. Are seasons capitalized?
4. Fix this: “we drove to texas in july.”
5. Fix this: “my Favorite Book is great.”
6. How is the pronoun “I” always written?

Answers

1. It is capitalized.
2. “Mississippi River.”
3. No.
4. “We drove to Texas in July.”
5. “My favorite book is great.”
6. Capitalized.

Where This Fits in Your RLA Prep

Capitalization is part of writing in standard, formal English and pairs with using commas correctly. See every topic on the Language Arts Prep Hub.

Recommended Prep Books

Keep building momentum with a full study guide and practice tests: