FAQs
What to capitalize in a title
- Always capitalize the first word as well as all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. ...
- Articles, conjunctions, and prepositions should not be capitalized. ...
- Capitalize the first element in a hyphenated compound. ...
- Capitalize both elements of spelled-out numbers or simple fractions.
What to capitalize if the title is a question? ›
Answer
- Always capitalize the first word and the last word in a title. ...
- Always capitalize what are called the "important words": nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions. ...
- Do NOT capitalize prepositions, articles, and coordinating conjunctions.
Which words do you not capitalize in title? ›
If all else fails and you don't have a reference guide to help, a good rule to follow is to capitalize all words in a title. Exceptions include the following: a, an, and, as, at, but, by, for, in, nor, of, on, or, the, and up. Again, this trick holds true unless they're the beginning or ending words in the title.
How do you write a sentence that correctly capitalize a person's title? ›
Rule: Capitalize a title when used as a direct address even when the person is not named. Examples: Will you be holding a press conference, Madame President? Please give us your opinion of this latest development, Senator.
What is an example of a title case? ›
In title case, the first letter of each word in the title should be capitalized except for certain small words like “a,” “the,” and “of.” Example: Title case I read The Catcher in the Rye yesterday.
Can your title be a question? ›
Titles are usually in the form of a phrase, but can also be in the form of a question. Use correct grammar and capitalization with all first words and last words capitalized, including the first word of a subtitle.
When to capitalize titles of essays? ›
Yes! Similar to the title of a book, you should capitalize the title of your essay. However, words like of, and, the or similar filler words should not be capitalized. Of course if your title starts with 'the', it should be capitalized like you would in a sentence.
What should be capitalized in this sentence? ›
Revised on September 4, 2023. In English, a capital letter is used for the first word of a sentence and for all proper nouns (words that name a specific person, place, organization, or thing). In some cases, capitalization is also required for the first word in a quotation and the first word after a colon.
Is me capitalized in a title? ›
Yes, in titles, 'me' is important and should be capitalized. This is true across different title capitalization styles like Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP. These styles agree that pronouns, even short ones like 'me,' are significant enough to stand out with a capital letter.
What is a sentence case with an example? ›
Sentence case is used when you write a title or a subheading the same way you would write a regular sentence. In sentence case, the first letter of the first word is capitalized, and all other letters and words that follow are in lowercase, except for proper nouns (e.g., “Major heat wave arrives in California”).
Job Titles and Positions
Only capitalize a job title or position when it precedes the name of the job holder.
How do I know which words to capitalize in a title? ›
According to most style guides, nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are capitalized in titles of books, articles, and songs. You'd also capitalize the first word and (according to most guides) the last word of a title, regardless of what part of speech they are.
What are the rules for title case? ›
In title case, major words are capitalized and most minor words are lowercase. If your title uses alternate capitalization where a letter other than the first letter of a word is used in the acronym and requires special emphasis, please capitalize as you feel is best indicated for your acronym.
How to write a title correctly? ›
Generally and grammatically speaking, put titles of shorter works in quotation marks but italicize titles of longer works. For example, put a “song title” in quotation marks but italicize the title of the album it appears on.
What words are not capitalized in a title in MLA? ›
Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), the coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet), or the words to and as unless such a word is the first or last word in the title or subtitle.
What are the rules for capitalization in Bluebook? ›
Capitalization (Rule 8) (B.7.3.1)
In headings, capitalize the initial word, any word that immediately follows a colon, and all other words except articles, conjunctions, and prepositions of four or fewer letters.
Should titles be capitalized without a name? ›
If there is no name, the title is usually lowercase. For example, if you write, The president came to dinner. president is lowercase.