Punctuation Department · Today with The Mayor

Capitalization

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Capitalization

The Mayor teaches this column himself. Work through each capitalization job below, then take the quiz.

Begin every sentence with a capital letter

The first word of every sentence begins with a capital letter. The word I, when it means yourself, is always capitalized.

In a sentence

We saw a red fox.

I like warm bread.

Now you try

The first word always gets a capital. The word I does too, wherever it lands.

Capitalize the names of specific things

A proper noun names a specific person, place, day, or month, and it begins with a capital letter, such as Maria, Tuesday, and July. (Nelson the Noun teaches what makes a noun proper.)

In a sentence

Maria plays on Tuesday.

My trip is in July.

Now you try

A proper noun names a specific one. You could try Maria, Denver, Tuesday, or July.

Capitalize the important words in a title

The title of a book, film, or song begins each important word with a capital letter.

In a sentence

I read Green Eggs and Ham.

Now you try

Capitalize the first word, the last word, and every important word; small words like a, the, and of stay lowercase.

A capital marks what is special

A capital letter begins a sentence, marks a name, and starts the important words in a title. In every job it shows the reader that the word is special.

In a sentence

We play on Friday.

I like the dog.

Now you try

A sentence start, a name, or a title word. Each capital marks something special.