Capitalization Rules | Last Updated 9/4/2002 by Henri Dongieux
Dunwoody ISS Writing Lab
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Capitalization Rules
1. Use a capital letter to begin every sentence.
Do not use a figure (for example, 1, or $5.5 million) to begin a sentence. If you must begin a sentence with
a number, spell the number out (one, five-and-a-half million dollars).
Seven people came.
NOT: 7 people came.
Ten thousand dollars is missing.
NOT: $10,000 is missing.
2. Use a capital letter to begin a direct quotation that is a complete sentence.
This rule applies even when the quotation begins in the middle of a sentence.
“Come as quickly as you can,” he said.
He said, “Come as quickly as you can.”
”Come as quickly as you can,” he said, “and don’t be late.”
NOTE: The word “and” is not capitalized because it is part of the sentence that begins with “Come.”
Do not use a capital letter to begin an indirect quotation.
He told us to come as quickly as we could.
He said that we should come as quickly as we could.
3. Capitalize the pronoun “I,” but not “me,” “my,” “myself,” or “mine”
The book I found on the desk is not mine.
4. Capitalize proper names, people, and titles when they precede a person’s name.
Educational degree abbreviations following a person’s name are always capitalized.
Dr. Marian Harvey or Marian Harvey, M.D. or Marian Harvey, Ph.D.
Mr. John Smith or John Smith, M.A.
Mrs. Arthur Moore
Mr. John Brown
Miss Anne Martin (NOTE: There is no period after “Miss.”)
Sir Henry Thornton
Governor Johnston
Aunt Mary and Uncle George
Professor Jones
Major Cummings
Alexander the Great (NOTE: The word “the” is not capitalized.)
The Elizabethan Age
a Christian Civilization
Buddhist Philosophy
Titles are capitalized only when they refer to specific people and come immediately before the person’s
name, not when they refer to one of many.
He is a professor at the university. (He is one of many professors.)
She is a major in the army. (She is one of many majors in the army.)
Capitalization Rules