Capitalization

Is World War, either I or II, capitalized? What about other historical events? Let’s find out. First, here is the quick answer: Historical events such as World War II will be capitalized as proper nouns, as they are specific names rather than general references. These… continue reading

Common nouns are one of the most used groups of words in English. A common noun is often one of the first concepts taught to English-learning children. To put it simply, common nouns refer to people, places, things, groups, or even complex ideas.  Common nouns… continue reading

If you’re wondering whether or not to put a capital letter after a semicolon or colon, the answer is “it depends”. General Rule Usually, the decision requires determining the independent and dependent clauses in the sentence. As a reminder, independent clauses are also known as… continue reading

Whenever you talk to someone in person or online, it is customary to give a proper address such as “good morning” or “good afternoon.”  Sounds easy enough, but how would you capitalize these? Let’s take a look.  In general, both “good morning” and “good afternoon”  should only be capitalized… continue reading

Do we capitalize cardinal directions such as “north” or “south”? Let’s start with a few quick answers: Generally, directional words will be lowercase when referring to a non-specific direction or location. However, capitalize them if they are part of the name of a specific (proper)… continue reading

When conducting business, we often have to submit a lot of our work in writing. We often find ourselves writing emails, newsletters, notes, proposals, and much more. With this, capitalization rules can get somewhat messy, so keep reading to learn more about the basic capitalization… continue reading

Capitalizing The First Word After A Colon Let’s talk capitalization after a colon. In short, if used in British English, the first letter used after a colon is usually capitalized if it is an acronym or popper noun. In contrast, the first word after a… continue reading

Are Academic Degrees Capitalized? As with most things in English, capitalization rules can be vague and usually are up to the readers/writers’ interpretation. If you are unsure if you need to capitalize someone’s degree(s), such as a bachelor’s degree, there are a few main schools… continue reading

It is understandable if you have found yourself pausing when writing spring, summer, fall (autumn), or winter. Should you capitalize them or not? After all, the days of the week get the capitalization treatment, as do the months. Those are partitions of time, just like… continue reading

Days, months, and holidays will always be capitalized because they are proper nouns. Seasons generally aren’t capitalized unless they are personified. Correct          The maid comes on Thursdays and Sundays. Correct          My job interview is on Monday afternoon.… continue reading