Using Capital Letters
Why is correct capitalization important?
First word of a sentence
Salutations and closings of letters
The pronoun I
Proper nouns
Proper adjectives
Abbreviations
School subjects
Titles
Review A
Review B
Why is correct capitalization important?
Capital letters are signals to readers. They can
mark important differences in meaning.
the White House
the white house
First word of a sentence
Capitalize the first word in every sentence.
More and more people are exercising regularly.
Daily workouts have many benefits. For instance,
they can help you sleep better at night.
First word of a sentence
Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence.
“How many pets does your family have?”
asked Gwen.
Felipe said, “We have two dogs,
one cat, and two parakeets, for
a grand total of five.”
Salutations and closings of letters
In letters or e-mails, capitalize the first word in
the salutation
the closing
Dear Sir:
Sincerely,
My dear Brenda,
Very truly yours,
The pronoun I
Capitalize the pronoun I.
When I visited Denver, I went
to the zoo and to the museum.
If you like, I’ll show you
photos from my trip there.
Using capital letters
On Your Own
Correct each capitalization error in the following
sentences.
1. our report is due at the end of the month.
2. my parents let me watch TV only after i have
finished all my chores.
3. the clerk said, “tomorrow is a holiday, isn’t it?”
4. the letter began “dear Manager: i have a
complaint about the service at your store.”
[End of Section]
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
A common noun names any one of a group of
persons, places, things, or ideas. A proper noun
names a particular person, place, thing, or idea.
Common Nouns
Proper Nouns
month
November
country
Kenya
writer
Toni Morrison
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of persons and animals
Eric
the Garza family
W. C. Handy
Ms. Levine
Harriet Tubman
Lassie
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Geographical names
Asia (continent)
San Diego (city)
Costa Rica (country)
Hudson Bay (body of water)
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of organizations, teams, institutions, and
government bodies
League of Women Voters
(organization)
Kennedy Middle School
(institution)
Los Angeles Dodgers
(team)
Louisiana State Senate
(government body)
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of historical events and periods, special
events, calendar items, and holidays
Battle of Bunker Hill
(historical event)
Thanksgiving Day
(holiday)
Texas State Fair
(special event)
December
(calendar item)
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of nationalities, races, and peoples
Mexican
Cherokee
Asian
African American
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of religions and their followers, holy days
and celebrations, sacred writings, and specific
deities
Christianity (religion)
Christian (follower)
the Torah
(sacred writing)
Yom Kippur (holy day)
Allah (specific deity)
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of businesses and the brand names of
business products
Thrifty Dry Cleaners
Nike
Wrangler
Bank of the West (businesses)
Goodyear
(brand names)
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of planets, constellations, stars, and
other heavenly bodies
Venus
Big Dipper
Jupiter
Milky Way
Ursa Major
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of ships, trains, aircraft, and spacecraft
City of New Orleans
Mayflower
Air Force One
Queen Elizabeth 2
Sputnik
Atlantis
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of monuments, memorials, and awards
Mount Rushmore
Jefferson Memorial
Navajo National Monument
Academy Award
Proper nouns
Capitalize proper nouns.
Names of specific buildings and
other structures
Fairmont Hotel
Eiffel Tower
Tower of London
Hoover Dam
Brooklyn Bridge
St. Louis Cathedral
Proper adjectives
Capitalize proper adjectives.
A proper adjective is an adjective formed from a
proper noun.
Proper Nouns
Proper Adjectives
Rome
Roman army
King Arthur
Arthurian legend
Japan
Japanese tea
ceremony
Mars
Martian landscape
Proper nouns and proper adjectives
On Your Own
Correct the capitalization errors in the following word
groups.
1. decorated with chinese lanterns
2. pictures of the golden gate bridge in san francisco
3. to see the florida marlins play in the world series
4. winner of the nobel prize
5. riding on the orient express
[End of Section]
Abbreviations
Capitalize abbreviations if the words they stand for
are capitalized.
Abbreviations that come before or after
personal names
Mr. Edward Yowe
Gary Stamos, Sr.
Gen. Crane
Abbreviations of the names of organizations,
businesses, and government bodies
UN (United Nations)
CIA (Central Intelligence
Agency)
Abbreviations
Capitalize abbreviations if the words they stand for
are capitalized.
Abbreviations used in addresses
9120 Maple Ave.
Apt. 206
P.O. Box 9410
Abbreviations of geographical names
St. Louis
Bahama Is.
Cook Co.
Okla.
School subjects
Do not capitalize the names of school subjects.
health
history
science
art
social studies
Exception: Do capitalize the names of language
classes and courses that contain a number.
English
German
Music III
American History 201
Titles
Capitalize a person’s title when the title comes
before the name.
Judge O’Conner
Mrs. Santos
Mayor Bradley
Generally, a title that is used alone or following a
person’s name is not capitalized.
Has the judge arrived, yet?
Titles
Capitalize a word showing a family relationship
when the word is used before or in place of a
person’s name.
Aunt Susan
Cousin Ben
Grandmother
Do not capitalize a word showing a family
relationship when the word follows a possessive
noun or pronoun.
your aunt Susan
my cousin Ben
Ty’s grandmother
Titles
Capitalize the first and last words and all
important words in titles and subtitles.
Woman’s Day (magazine)
“Broken Chain” (short story)
The Wizard of Oz (movie)
The Ballet Class (artwork)
Abbreviations, school subjects, and titles
On Your Own
Correct the capitalization errors in the following
sentences.
1. According to mom, judge Johnson is very strict.
2. Doesn’t dr. Perry live in st. Louis now?
3. My sister works for the fbi.
4. I asked mrs. Jones for a copy of reader’s digest.
5. Mara just read the short story “gorilla, my love.”
[End of Section]
Review A
Correct the following sentences by capitalizing or
lowercasing letters as needed.
1. Volunteers from the peace corps helped build a Bridge.
2. one of the best dentists in york is dr. ken winslow.
3. In english class on Monday, we watched a Scene from
romeo and juliet.
4. The french revolution changed european Society.
5. Did your Sister’s favorite show win an emmy award?
6. this year i hope to visit the rocky mountains.
[End of Section]
Review B
Correct the sentences in the following paragraph by
capitalizing or lowercasing letters as needed.
(1) The titanic, a huge ocean liner, sank on
april 15, 1912. (2) It lay untouched in the icy waters of
the atlantic ocean for more than seventy years. (3) on
September 1, 1985, dr. robert ballard of the woods
hole oceanographic institution and his Crew found the
ship. (4) The Scientists used a remote-controlled
vehicle called argos to view the ocean floor. (5) they
used a special underwater sled with lights and cameras
to take Photographs of the Titanic.
[End of Section]
The End