• Identify and use basic capitalization rules

Capitalization Basics

Before we dive into punctuation, quotation marks, commas, and sentence structure, let’s quickly review an essential writing skill: capitalization.

capitalization

Capitalization signals the beginning of a sentence, highlights proper nouns (specific names of people, places, or things), and shows respect for titles and important words.

Without correct capitalization, even the best writing can seem confusing or careless. In academic and professional writing, readers expect capitalization to be used correctly — just like they expect correct punctuation and grammar, which we will be practicing in this module.

Basic Rules of Capitalization

Here are some key situations where you must use a capital letter:

• The first word of a sentence
  • Example: College success requires good study habits.
• Proper nouns (specific names of people, places, organizations, and sometimes things)
  • Example: I’m attending Oregon State University this fall.
• Titles of books, articles, movies, and courses (capitalize important words, not small linking words)
  • Example: I just finished reading The Great Gatsby for my English class.
• The pronoun “I”
  • Example: After class, I met with my advisor.
• Days, months, and holidays
  • Example: My first exam is on Monday, October 14.

Common Capitalization Mistakes to Avoid

Do not capitalize random words for emphasis.

• Incorrect: Studying Hard is Important.
• Correct: Studying hard is important.

Do not capitalize general nouns that are not proper names.

• Incorrect: I’m majoring in Biology. (unless “Biology” is part of an official course title)
• Correct: I’m majoring in biology.