Capitalization

Marina Lukyanchuk
GRAMMAR TIPS

At first glance, the rules of English capitalization seem simple. You probably
know you should capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence.
But you also (sometimes) capitalize the first word of a quote. Usually you don’t
capitalize after a colon, but there are exceptions. And what do you do when
you’re not sure whether something is a proper noun?

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English Capitalization Rules:

1 Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence

This one’s easy. Always capitalize the first word of a sentence.

The cat is sleeping.

Where did I put that book?

Hey! It’s great to see you! How have you been?

2 Capitalize Names and Other Proper Nouns

You should always capitalize people’s names.

My favorite author is Jane Austen.

Tom and Diane met at Judy’s house.

Have you met my dog, Boomer?

Names are proper nouns. The names of cities, countries, companies, religions,
and political parties are also proper nouns, so you should capitalize them, too.

We experienced some beautiful Southern California weather last fall when we attended a
Catholic wedding in San Diego.

You should also capitalize words like mom and grandpa when they are used as a
form of address.

Just wait until Mom sees this!

But

My mom is not going to like this.

3 Don’t Capitalize After a Colon (Usually)

In most cases, you don’t need to capitalize after a colon.

I have one true passion: wombat racing.

There are a couple of common exceptions. One is when the word following the
colon is a proper noun.

There is only one place I want to visit: New York City.

The other exception is when the words following the colon form one or more
complete sentences.

Maggie wears a brimmed cap at all times for these two reasons: Strong light often gives her
a headache. She also likes the way it looks.
4 Capitalize the First Word of a Quote (Sometimes)

Capitalize the first word of a quote when the quote is a complete sentence.

Mario asked, “What is everyone doing this weekend?”

Stacy answered, “My sister and I are going to the water park.”

Don’t capitalize the first word of partial quotes.

Gretchen said she was “way too busy” to join the gym.

Mr. Thompson described the rules as “extremely difficult to understand if you don’t have a
law degree.”

5 Capitalize Days, Months, and Holidays, But Not Seasons

The names of days, months, and holidays are proper nouns, so you should
capitalize them.

I hate Mondays!

Tom’s birthday is in June.

Oh no! I forgot about Valentine’s Day!

The names of seasons, however, are not proper nouns, so there’s no need to
capitalize them.

I hate winter!

Having a summer birthday is the best.

6 Capitalize Most Words in Titles

The capitalization rules for titles of books, movies, and other works vary a little
between style guides. In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns,
all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns. That
means you should lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositions—however,
some style guides say to capitalize conjunctions and prepositions that are longer
than five letters.

Sense and Sensibility is better than Pride and Prejudice.

The first movie of the series is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

7 Capitalize Cities, Countries, Nationalities, and Languages

The names of cities, countries, nationalities, and languages are proper nouns,
so you should capitalize them.

English is made up of many languages, including Latin, German, and French.

My mother is British, and my father is Dutch.

The capital of Botswana is Gaborone.

8 Capitalize Time Periods and Events (Sometimes)

Specific periods, eras, and historical events that have proper names should be
capitalized.

Most of the World War I veterans are now deceased.

In the Middle Ages, poor hygiene was partly responsible for the spreading of bubonic
plague.

Middle school students often enjoy studying the social changes that took place during the
Roaring Twenties.

However, centuries—and the numbers before them—are not capitalized.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, England blossomed into an empire.

Reflexive Pronouns
What Is a Reflexive Pronoun?
A reflexive pronoun is a type of pronoun that is preceded by the adverb, adjective, pronoun,
or noun to which it refers, so long as that antecedent is located within the same clause.
In English grammar, a reflexive pronoun indicates that the person who is realizing the action of the
verb is also the recipient of the action. While this might seem strange at first glance, the following
examples of reflexive pronouns and the accompanying list of reflexive pronouns will help you gain
thorough understanding. In fact, you will probably notice that you yourself use reflexive pronouns
frequently when speaking or writing.

Examples of Reflexive Pronouns

In the following examples of reflexive pronouns, the reflexive pronoun in each sentence is italicized.

1. I was in a hurry, so I washed the car myself.

2. You’re going to have to drive yourself to school today.
3. He wanted to impress her, so he baked a cake himself.
4. Jennifer does chores herself because she doesn’t trust others to iuikdo them right.
5. That car is in a class all by itself.
6. We don’t have to go out; we can fix dinner ourselves.
7. You are too young to go out by yourselves.
8. The actors saved the local theatre money by making costumes themselves.

Reflexive Pronoun Exercises

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how reflexive pronouns work.
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

1. Each morning, I brush my teeth and stare at ______________ in the mirror.

A. Himself
B. Herself
C. Myself
D. Itself
Answer: C. Each morning, I brush my teeth and stare at myself in the mirror.
2. Dad and I painted the trailer _______________.
A. Myself
B. Himself
C. Itself
D. Ourselves
Answer: D. Dad and I painted the trailer ourselves.

3. The children made holiday decorations by ________________.

A. Itself
B. Ourselves
C. Themselves
D. Their selves
Answer: C. The children mad holiday decorations by themselves.

4. Paul copies his friend’s homework instead of doing it _______________.

A. Itself
B. Himself
C. Myself
D. Yourself
Answer: B. Paul copies his friend’s homework instead of doing it himself.

5. Please make ________________ at home while you wait.

A. Themselves
B. Himself
C. Yourselves
D. Herself
Answer: C. Please make yourselves at home while you wait.

Reflexive Pronouns List

As you read through the following list of reflexive pronouns, consider ways to use them in sentences
like the ones in the preceding section.

Myself
Yourself

Herself

Himself

Itself

Yourselves

Ourselves

Themselves