Misusing capital letters is a sign of an amateur writer. But you’re not an amateur. You’re a pro. So, how can you be sure to capitalize all the right words?
Capitalize the First Letter of a Sentence
Every time you start a new sentence, you need a capital letter. Whether it’s a statement, question, or exclamation, use the big letter.
If you’re writing a story with quotations, the start of a quotation generally deserves a capital letter as well. So, when a robot says, “Don’t forget to get a dozen eggs at the store,” capitalize the first letter. (There is an exception to this rule. If starting a quotation in the middle of a quotation, lowercase the first letter.)
Use Capital Letters with Proper Nouns
Capital letters also belong at the head of proper nouns. What are proper nouns? They’re the specific names of the following:
- People (John Smith, Cher, etc.)
- Places (Cleveland, Food City, etc.)
- Organizations (United Nations, Doctors Without Borders, etc.)
Note: When you call someone Mom or Dad or Boogie Possum, capitalize that word. Because, in essence, you’ve transformed that name into a proper noun.
Capitalize the Pronoun I
Anytime you use the pronoun I, capitalize it. As with Mom or Dad or Boogie Possum, I transforms into a proper noun when used.
Do Not Capitalize for Emphasis
It’s tempting to capitalize words for emphasis. Don’t. It makes you look like an amateur. And you’re not an amateur, remember?
Help with Capital Letters
The good news is that you don’t have to master capital letters. Thanks to the internet, you can get a refresher course whenever needed. Think a word needs capitalization? Look it up at m-w.com or grab a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style.
Want to let someone else deal with capital and lower-cased letters? That’s just one thing we handle here at Argyle Fox Publishing. Submit your manuscript today to begin your publishing journey.