lesson
Updated 6 days ago · 3 views
Imagine driving down a highway where all the street signs are written in tiny, faded letters with no spacing. You wouldn't know where one street ends and a new town begins!
In writing, capital letters work like bright neon signposts that show your reader exactly where a new thought starts and which words are special.
Starting Every Sentence
Every single sentence you write must begin with a capital letter. This signals to your reader's brain that a brand-new complete idea is starting.
📊Interactive diagram
It does not matter whether your sentence is a statement, a question, or an exclamation. The very first letter is always uppercase.
This rule also applies to Direct Quotations that form a complete sentence on their own.
For example, capitalize the quote in She said, "We should go." but leave it lowercase when quoting a partial phrase like She called it "the best day ever."
This rule also extends to Direct Quotations that form a complete sentence, such as: She said, "We should go."
If a quotation is just a partial phrase woven into your own sentence, leave the first word lowercase (e.g., She called it "the best day ever").
What about tiny single-letter words that show up right in the middle of a sentence?
The Standalone Pronoun I
A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun. Whenever you write the single-letter pronoun I to talk about yourself, it must always be capitalized.