When listing items one by one, one per line, following a colon, capitalization and ending punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases preceded by letters, numbers, or bullet points. Thats because the colon signals that what comes next is directly related to the previous sentence. If you have a specific question that isnt addressed in the usagov platform style guide, consult the united states government publishing office style manual pdf, download adobe reader. The ama manual of style includes chapters on grammar, plurals, and capitalization and quite long chapters on punctuation and correct and preferred usage. The challenge for me is fitting grammar and mechanics into my fifteenminute word study block. Only the chicago manual of style gives the topic the respect it deserves. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and dirty tips for better writing.
A colon is used to draw attention to what comes after it. Prepositions, articles, and conjunctions arent capitalized unless theyre the first word. Capitalize the first word after a colon capitalize the first word after a colon when it 1 begins a complete sentence, 2 begins with a proper noun, or 3 begins a list. As the lattermost suggests, some of these rules are up to interpretation or preference but others are simply right. According to the chicago manual of style, the word after a colon is lowercase, even if it starts a complete sentence, unless its a proper noun.
If only one sentence follows the colon, it is often not necessary to capitalize the first word of the new sentence. Because your second example uses a capital h after the semicolon, it suggests that youre talking about god. In this sequel to the last tip, well zero in on some specific guidelines for capitalizing hyphenated words in titles and headings. Dec 14, 2018 so in apa style, you can use a colon only after a complete sentence, and you capitalize the first word after a colon when its the start of a complete sentence. Also, in your example, a colon might be a better choice than a semicolon. In general, you should capitalize the first word, all nouns, all verbs even short ones, like is, all adjectives, and all proper nouns.
Do you capitalize the word after a colon and a semicolon. The exception is when the colon introduces multiple sentences or when it introduces speech. If it is important that you follow one of these styles precisely, be sure to use the appropriate manual to look up the rule. A semi colon combines two independent clauses into one compound sentence, and it is now just one sentence.
Most popular press and public grammar issues concerned misplaced apostrophes and the use of apostrophes to make words plural as in potatos and lemons truss 49. In writing these chapters, i came to a realization that has slowly been dawning on me during my 15 years as a technical editor. Behind the style capitalization grammar lists punctuation quotations writing tips. Apas title case refers to a capitalization style in which most words are capitalized, and sentence case refers to a capitalization style in which most words are lowercased. This book series, writing skills made funis one way to help you meet these curriculum demands and make grammar and writing fun. Its an honor that must be warranted, and in writing, capitalization is reserved only for special words.
The home for discussions and comments on language, grammar, spelling, and such. Book titles should use a semicolon in the same circumstance as colons. The most important guiding principle in all such matters is consistency within a document and consistency within an office or institution. She is an inductee in the podcasting hall of fame, and the show is a fivetime winner of best education podcast in the podcast awards. After that, it looked like the author was trying to make a book out of an essay. In british english, the first letter after a colon is capitalized only if its a proper noun or an acronym.
After all, if the style calls for capitalization after a colon, the csl already converts it, right. Grammar girl discusses how to properly use a colon and format what comes after it, according to three different styles. If two or more sentences follow the colon, capitalize the first word of each sentence following. Is it proper to use a colon if there is only one clause or phrase. If each point is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and end the sentence with appropriate ending punctuation. Cliffsnotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what youre studying, cliffsnotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. Do not put a colon after any word, such as most verbs or prepositions, that cannot logically end a sentence. Listen to grammar girl quick and dirty tips for better writing episodes free, on demand. Capitalization rules can be extremely difficult to master, and there are a number of common capitalization errors that our proofreaders and editors come across time and time again. When a colon is used after an introduction, it is often bullet points that follow.
The chicago manual of style chicago style and mla style from the modern language association recommend lowercasing the first word of a sentence after a colon unless the colon precedes multiple closely related sentences, in which case the first word should be capitalized. We decided another form of recognition might be more agreeable to wilson. Should you capitalize the first word of a sentence after a colon. The two styles agree that whenever the stuff that follows a colon is less than a complete sentence, start with a lowercase letter. Read more12 capitalization rules most people dont know. The second question asks about capitalization after the colon and the answer is it depends. Most of the grammar books i own only partially address vertical lists.
Youre going to capitalize the first word of the second and third sentences, so you capitalize the first one too so they all look the same. Grammar girl quick and dirty tips for better writing listen. Capitalization after colons grammar and punctuation. A semicolon or colon joining two independent clauses signals a connection between them. Some style and grammar guides even permit you to write a complete sentence within the dashes.
Title case and sentence case capitalization in apa style. Should you capitalize the first letter after a colon. Lots of opinions here, but lets look to a higher authority. Like a semicolon, a colon can connect two independent clauses, but it has several other uses as well. Christmas just came early for those passionate about punctuation. Lose the colon before a subtitle, or secondary title, when the title is displayed on a book cover or movie poster.
Its not the kind of thing that, if you get wrong, people will roll their eyes or giggle behind your back or pass you over for a job or even notice. Experts have raised valid concerns that people overuse lists in powerpoint presentations 1 and for presenting. I anticipated this book for weeks while i waited on the library reserve list. American psychological association, chicago, and associated press. If the first word after a colon in a sentence is a proper name, the pronoun i, or the start of another sentence, capitalize it. A dash doesnt require any extra thought regarding capitalization. Do you capitalize the word after a colon and a semi colon. When should i capitalize the first letter of the first. The style book has plentiful examples of used, but utilized makes at least 1 surreptitious appearance. Find spelling and punctuation rules, naming conventions, and other traits that characterize the usagov writing style. Colons and semicolons should never be used interchangeably.
If only one sentence follows the colon, do not capitalize the first word of the new sentence. Jun 24, 2016 the mysteries of punctuation are myriad, and they often come out when you are writing an essay. Mignon fogarty, grammar girl todays topic is how to use colons. Keep these three things in mind when you use a semicolon. Dont add anything else to a sentence after youve finished introducing the elements. A colon can be used to separate two independent clauses when a the second clause is directly related to the first clause not just vaguely related and b when the emphasis is on the second clause. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules,realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests. For those looking for a quick and dirty answer, a word is not capitalized after a colon. Colon vs semicolon with examples colon versus semicolon. Just like in group names, we only capitalize important words in the titles of books, songs, and other types of art. Sanghoon finished typing the report and saved multiple copies of it two hours after his supervisor gave.
When a colon introduces a complete sentence, you may capitalize the first word after the colon according to some style guides. Yes, theres a difference between dashes, colons, and. One of my favorite old grammar books, titled punctuate it right, has a wonderful name for the colon. When i think about my students as learners, i want them to be more than just good spellers. Capital letters after colons are a classic example. When to capitalize after a colon grammar underground with. The easiest way to listen to podcasts on your iphone, ipad, android, pc, smart. Should the first word of the clause or phrase following a colon be capitalized. When to capitalize after a colon grammar underground.
Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language, including the new york times bestseller grammar girls quick and. I believe both the colon and the capitalization in this example are acceptable. Dashes colons and commas grammar girl how to use english punctuation correctly with examples. No, not unless it is a word that would always be capitalized. We were studying robert frosts poem the death of the hired man. The guide to grammar and writing is a monument to inconsistency on this issue.
There are a couple of questions in this question, so lets address the colon question first. Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and. In current common usage, utilized is not preferred because use is concise. Since no one really knows how to handle this issue, youll at least have something to fall back on. When a colon introduces a list of of things, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. According to most style guides, nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are the only words capitalized in titles of books, articles, and songs.
A word is not capitalized after a semi colon as well. If only one sentence follows the colon, it is often not necessary to capitalize the first word of the new. You must have a complete sentence in front of a colon used to introduce a list within a sentence. Posted in commas or semicolon after a colon, flierflyer, semicolons and commas at 10. Capitalization and punctuation ma2015 page 2 now its your turn. Dont capitalize the word that follows the semicolon unless that word is a proper noun, one that is always capitalized.
According to grammar girl, the associated press is pro capitalization when an independent clause follows the colon, while the chicago manual of style is anti capitalization. Another case where it is common to capitalise after a colon is in titles, as in all these many examples where the initial word after the colon is frequently of a type article, preposition that would not have been capitalised if it hadnt been preceded by a colon. From the quick and dirty tips series, grammar girl aka mignon fogarty provides you tips to improve your writing in a short and fun format. When do you use a colon or a semi colon, and should you capitalize your first letter after one of these fullstop hybrids. One basic rule of apa style is to capitalize the first word after the colon in a title. If the word that comes after a colon or semi colon is a proper name, you definitely would capitalize it.
See more ideas about grammar, grammar and punctuation and grammar tips. Both of us taught for years and are now writers, with thirty plus books between us, including our two popular grammar guides, nittygritty grammar and more nittygritty grammar. See our article using the colon for more on that topic. What better way to do this than to look at how authors put words together. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. Capitalization after colons colons separating independent clauses. Capitalization in titles and headings hyphenated words. So why wouldnt you want to store it as a lowercase, and let the style handle any conversions to capitals as necessary, which would maintain the ability for those styles that dont use capitalization to be correct. When you use a semicolon in a sentence, is the word after.
Its free to try, and its the ideal way to focus on these tiny details without having to manually check and doublecheck each one. Many writers would be tempted to put a colon after the leadin for lists 2a through 2f above. Capitalization after colons the blue book of grammar and. Capitalize the first letter if the quotation appears after a verb of saying, regardless of the case used in the sourcebut flag any alterations you make. Smashing grammar our grammar book, 2019 related pages. The capitalization rules for titles of books, movies, and other works vary a little between style guides. You treat the first word after a dash the same way youd treat it if it followed a comma.
Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from proper. Tips for capitalization from the grammar patrol we edith hope fine and judith josephson are the grammar patrol. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. Heres something you probably never have to worry about.
But they disagree on what to do when the colon introduces a complete sentence. For that, i prescribe a pair of em dashes to set off the elements instead. This question has been sent in by jake, and posted by the grammar exchange. The same would be true for titles in a reference list where only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a. Perfectit is an addin for ms word that checks among other things the consistency of capitalization and punctuation of bulleted and numbered lists. When including these, put a colon after the works title and follow the same rules of composition capitalization for the subtitle. This handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. Capitalize the first word after a colon if the information following the colon requires two or more complete sentences.
The two main clauses that the semicolon joins should be closely related in meaning. If what follows the colon is a series of sentences, then you should capitalize the first letter of the first word in them all. In this case, the second phrase is an expanded explanation of the first phrase. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. A colon is also used between hours and minutes, titles and subtitles of books, city and publisher in bibliographies, in biblical citations between chapter and verse, and for salutations in business letters and other formal letter writing. Nov 10, 2011 most of the grammar books i own only partially address vertical lists. Mignon fogarty, better known as grammar girl, is the author of 101 misused words youll never confuse again. See more ideas about teaching writing, grammar and punctuation and punctuation.
Capitalization is the writing of a word with its first letter in uppercase and the remaining letters in lowercase. From punctuation to style, grammar girl has you covered in her weekly on demand podcasts. The quest for peace, the is capitalized because it is placed directly after the colon. Different citation styles such as mla, apa, chicago, and ama have slightly different rules regarding whether to capitalize the first letter after a colon. It should be lowercase, unless of course the word after the semicolon always needs an initial capital for example, because its a proper name.
In this sequel to the last tip, well zero in on some specific guidelines for capitalizing hyphenated words in titles and. Whether youre thinking about pursuing a career in dentistry or you just have a curiosity as the patient in the chair, getting a grasp on the lingo can come in handy. Use a colon instead of a semicolon or a period between two sentences when the second sentence explains or illustrates something in the first sentence. The first three chapters give a history of the semi colon and a summary of how grammar rules evolved in the us. When a colon introduces a phrase or an incomplete sentence that is meant to add information to the sentence before it, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete.
Capitalization after colons chicago style and mla style. Parentheses are used to say something that is important to the main message you are writing but is not an immediate part of it, something that would interrupt the flow of your writing if you didnt keep it separate from everything else. Apa style has two capitalization methods that are used in different contexts throughout a paper. Capitalization after a colon or a dash finally, lets talk about whether you capitalize the first word after a colon or a dash.
Fellowship of the ring, with help from a certified tutor in this. Note that a is capitalized because it is the first word of the subtitle. In fact, the vertical list is just one context in which the colon is frequently misused. How to punctuate bulleted and numbered lists perfectit.
Finally, lets talk about whether you capitalize the first word after a colon or a dash. Capitalizing words after a colon in a sentence grammar. Many of my daily word study lessons focus on grammar and mechanics. Here are some quick tips for using colons properly. Proper capitalization is one of the cornerstones of good grammar, yet many people fling capital letters around carelessly. Semicolons, colons, and parentheses purdue writing lab.
18 841 998 277 783 599 286 829 728 1366 1234 1295 986 1623 55 696 1610 1597 322 310 808 54 740 1621 946 1540 890 516 969 1247 828 954 459 877 244 537 1359 1056 500 404 1216 1193 383