Capitalization Rules SP1

What is a sentence? How can we find clearly? Use the following to get an idea of Capitalization Rules.

• Definition: A sentence expresses a complete thought and usually ends with a full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark.
• Start point: The first letter after end‑of‑sentence punctuation is the beginning of a new sentence and must be capitalized.
• Example: The girl is reading. She enjoys novels.

1.1.1

The core rule

• Rule: Capitalize the first word in every sentence.
• Reason: It signals a clear start for readers and matches standard English conventions in academic and professional writing.
• Examples:
  • The girl is reading.
  • English helps us communicate.
  • Can you help me?

1.1.2

Tricky cases to watch

• After quotations:
  • Complete quoted sentence: Capitalize the first word.
    • She said, “This book is amazing.”
  • Partial quote within your sentence: Do not capitalize unless it starts the sentence.
    • She said the book was “amazing and inspiring.” Read more
• After end punctuation in the same line:
  • Multiple sentences: Each new sentence begins with a capital.
    • It’s raining. Bring an umbrella. Stay warm.
• After a colon:
  • General rule: Don’t capitalize the first word after a colon unless it starts a complete sentence or a proper noun.
    • Bring three things: water, snacks, and a jacket.
    • Remember: Practice makes progress.
• Parentheses and dashes:
  • Inside a sentence: Keep lowercase if it’s not a new sentence.
    • She studies English (every evening) to improve.
  • If the parenthetical is a full sentence: Capitalize.
    • (She studies every evening.) Her progress shows.
  • After an em dash: Capitalize only if it begins a new sentence.
    • She paused—Then she spoke clearly.
• Bulleted and numbered lists:
  • Full‑sentence items: Capitalize the first word.
    • 1. Read the passage carefully.
  • Phrase fragments: Lowercase is acceptable in informal contexts; capitalize for formal or exam settings.
• Dialogue tags:
  • Tag + quoted sentence: Capitalize inside the quote.
    • He asked, “Are you ready?”
  • Quoted sentence + tag: The quoted sentence already begins with a capital.
    • “We’ll start now,” she said.

1.1.3

Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Starting with lowercase:
  • Wrong: the story begins at dawn.
  • Fix: The story begins at dawn.
• Sentence after an abbreviation:
  • Wrong: She arrived at 7 a.m. then left.
  • Fix: She arrived at 7 a.m. Then she left.
• New sentence after parentheses:
  • Wrong: She practiced daily (even on weekends). this helped a lot.
  • Fix: She practiced daily (even on weekends). This helped a lot.