Grammar Lesson – Capitalization

Basic Rules of Capitalization

Using proper capitalization is one of the easiest ways to show that you are a professional writer.  Here are a few simple rules to help you use capitals correctly.

Rule 1: Always capitalize the word “I.” Always!

Rule 2: Capitalize the first word of a sentence. Always!

Rule 3: Capitalize proper nouns (names of specific people, places or things–Google, George Washington, Albany, OR).

*NOTE: Common nouns, such as a president, a country, a business, a college, DO NOT get capitalized.

Rule 4: Don’t use capitals for emphasis. Writing in all caps is hard to read, and it can seem like you are yelling.

Incorrect example: I am sending you an Important Message about our Meeting (no proper nouns).

Incorrect example: I AM SENDING YOU AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE (all caps).

Correct example: I am sending you an important message.

 

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Technical Writing for Technicians Copyright © 2019 by Will Fleming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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