Capital letters play a crucial role in standardizing written language by replacing lowercase letters. Although it may seem like a simple rule, many people still struggle with proper capitalization. However, with careful proofreading and a strong understanding of common grammar rules, these mistakes can easily be avoided.
What is Capitalization?
Capitalization is the consistent use of capital letters to replace lowercase letters. In the English language, capital letters are represented by the letters A-Z, also known as "uppercase letters". Lowercase letters, on the other hand, are represented by the letters a-z.
Rules for Capitalization
There are several rules for capitalizing words in writing, including always capitalizing the first letter of a sentence, name, title, pronoun 'I', proper noun, and speech. Let's take a closer look at these rules and some examples.
Capitalizing the First Letter of a Sentence
It is essential to use a capital letter when beginning a new sentence or piece of writing. For instance, the introduction to JRR Tolkien's fantasy novel, The Hobbit (1937), follows this rule with a capital letter at the beginning of each sentence and a full stop at the end.
In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.
Capitalizing the First Letter of a Name or Title
The first letters of people's names, including their surnames and titles, should always be capitalized. This rule applies even if a name appears in the middle of a sentence, as it is a proper noun. For example, in the quote below from The Hobbit (1937), the character named 'Gollum' is capitalized as it is a proper noun.
'What have I got in my pocket?' he said aloud. He was talking to himself but Gollum thought it was a riddle and he was frightfully upset. (JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit, 1937)
Capitalizing the Pronoun 'I'
Unlike other personal pronouns, such as 'he', 'we', 'they', 'she', or 'it', the pronoun 'I' is always capitalized. In this quote from The Lord of The Rings (1955), the character Samwise Gamgee's use of 'I' is capitalized.
I made a promise, Mr Frodo. A promise. (JRR Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings, 1955)
Capitalizing the First Letter of a Proper Noun
Proper nouns refer to specific people, places, or things and should always be capitalized. In Middle Earth, the cities and regions, such as 'Gondor' and 'Rohan', are proper nouns and should be capitalized. Similarly, the names of different species, such as 'Hobbit', 'Orc', and 'Ents', are also proper nouns and require capitalization.
Capitalizing the First Letter of Speech
When a person or character speaks, the first letter of the first word in direct speech must be capitalized. In this quote from The Lord of The Rings (1955), we can see that each speech bracket begins with a capital letter.
'How bright your garden looks!' said Gandalf. 'Yes,' said Bilbo. 'I am very fond indeed of it, and of all the dear old Shire; but I think I need a holiday.' (JRR Tolkien, The Lord of The Rings, 1955)
Capitalization Rules for Titles
In a title, most words should be capitalized, including the first word, nouns, verbs, and adjectives. However, conjunctions, articles, and prepositions are not typically capitalized unless they are the first word in the title. For example, JRR Tolkien's fantasy novels set in Middle Earth have titles like The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion.
In the world of writing, acronyms and initialisms play a critical role in conveying information. These shortened versions of phrases are typically written in all capital letters to differentiate them from ordinary words. For instance, the word "saga" and the acronym "SAGA" (Sexual And Gender Acceptance) are distinct due to their capitalization. Similarly, initialisms, which are abbreviations that cannot be pronounced as words, also capitalize the first letter of each word, like FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).
In addition to acronyms and initialisms, titles and degrees are also abbreviated in writing, with the first letter being capitalized. For instance, "Doctor" becomes "Dr" and "Mister" becomes "Mr". Similarly, "Bachelor of Science" becomes "B.S" and "Doctor of Philosophy" becomes "PhD". This capitalization rule is followed to show respect and to properly distinguish titles and degrees.
While there are instances where writers may use all capital letters for emphasis, it is not recommended in formal writing as it can come across as aggressive or childish. Warning signs, however, use capital letters to draw attention to the central message, whether it is "WARNING" or "DO NOT ENTER".
Capital letters serve as signposts for readers in various ways. They indicate the beginning of a sentence, highlight important keywords in titles, show respect towards people's names and titles, and signal proper nouns. Incorrect usage of capital letters can make a formal or non-fiction piece of writing stand out in a negative way, as it can undermine its credibility.
A common mistake is using capital letters after a colon, which is incorrect. For example: "The witch's recipe had some peculiar ingredients: liver, bile and sharks to name a few". Another confusion arises when it comes to capitalizing Latin abbreviations. Some, like "e.g.", "i.e.", "etc.", and "a.m.", are not capitalized as they directly correspond to their Latin meanings. However, others, such as "PS" and "RIP", have been overwritten with a different meaning and are now commonly understood as abbreviations without capitalization.
When it comes to writing, some authors purposely ignore capitalization rules to convey a specific message or create alternative meanings. For instance, Mark Z. Danielewski's debut novel, House of Leaves, uses sporadic capitalization in a series of written letters between characters to reveal an underlying message. Poet EE Cummings, known for his experimental work, often disregarded capitalization and other grammatical conventions to deconstruct traditional forms and create his own unique style. Similarly, writer bell hooks (or Gloria Jean Watkins) ignored conventional capitalization in her pen-name to draw attention to her work rather than herself.
To ensure clarity and effectively convey meaning, it is important to follow proper letter capitalization in writing. This standard practice involves replacing lowercase letters with uppercase letters in a specific manner. This includes starting a sentence, using proper nouns and names (e.g. Julia), direct speech (e.g. "Good morning"), titles (e.g. Romeo and Juliet), abbreviations (e.g. ASAP), and for emphasis (e.g. NO WAY!).
Capitalization refers to the use of capital letters in writing. This includes capitalizing the first letter of proper nouns and names, such as countries (e.g. France), cities (e.g. New York), nationalities (e.g. Italian), languages (e.g. Spanish), religions (e.g. Buddhism), political parties (e.g. Republican), time periods (e.g. Renaissance), days of the week (e.g. Monday), months (e.g. October), and events (e.g. Woodstock). It is important to use capital letters correctly to guide the reader and avoid confusion.
Using capital letters correctly is crucial in writing to effectively convey information and avoid confusion. Incorrect use of capitalization can not only confuse readers but also undermine the quality of a written piece.
Many may wonder if titles such as "Mr." should be written in capital letters. The answer is yes, as titles such as Mr, Mrs, Sir, and Madam should always begin with a capital letter to show respect and etiquette towards a person's name.
