Master capitalisation rules for sentences, proper nouns, titles, headings, and special cases. Learn when to use capital letters correctly.
✅ Recommended for: Class 6-8 (Foundation) | Class 9-12 (Advanced Writing)
1. Basic Capitalisation Rules
Capitalisation: Using uppercase letters (A, B, C) instead of lowercase (a, b, c) in specific positions and for specific words.
| Rule | What to Capitalise | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First word of sentence | The sun is shining. | Always |
| 2 | Proper nouns (names) | Rahul, Delhi, Taj Mahal | Specific names, not general |
| 3 | Pronoun 'I' | When I arrived, I saw him. | Always capital 'I' as pronoun |
| 4 | Titles before names | Dr. Sharma, Professor Singh | Only when used with name |
| 5 | Days, months, holidays | Monday, January, Diwali | Not seasons: summer, winter |
2. Proper Nouns vs Common Nouns
| Type | Capitalise? | Proper Noun (Capital) | Common Noun (Lowercase) |
|---|---|---|---|
| People | Specific names | Rahul Sharma | the boy, a student |
| Places | Specific places | India, Delhi, Mount Everest | a country, the city, a mountain |
| Things | Brands, specific items | Taj Mahal, Harry Potter | a monument, a book |
| Organizations | Specific groups | United Nations, Delhi University | an organization, a university |
| Languages | All languages | English, Hindi, Sanskrit | — |
| Nationalities | All nationalities | Indian, American, Japanese | — |
3. Titles & Headings
| Title Type | Capitalisation Rule | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book/Movie Titles | First, last, and all main words | The Great Gatsby Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone |
The great gatsby Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone |
| Headings | Title case or sentence case | Chapter Three: Verbs Adjectives and their uses |
chapter three: verbs adjectives and their uses |
| Job Titles | When before name or formal | President Kovind The president gave a speech. |
president Kovind The President gave a speech. |
| Academic Subjects | Only when language or course title | I study English and Mathematics 101. I like math and science. |
I study english and mathematics. I like Math and Science. |
4. Special Cases & Exceptions
| Case | Rule | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Relationships | When used as name/title | I saw Mother yesterday. I saw my mother yesterday. |
Capital when replacing name |
| Historical Periods | Specific historical events | the Middle Ages the Indian Independence Movement |
Specific events/periods |
| Geographic Regions | Specific regions, not directions | the North, South India Go north for 5 km. |
Capital for regions, lowercase for directions |
| Religious Terms | Names of deities, holy books | God, Krishna, the Bible, the Gita | Specific religious names |
| Brand Names | Always capitalise brands | Coca-Cola, Samsung, Apple | Even if common usage |
| Seasons | Not capitalised (except personified) | spring, summer, autumn, winter Old Man Winter |
Lowercase normally |
| School Subjects | Only languages and course names | I study English and biology. I'm taking Biology 101. |
Languages always capital, others only in course titles |
5. Capitalisation in Sentences
| Sentence Type | Rule | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|---|
| After colon | Capital if complete sentence follows | Remember this: Practice makes perfect. Bring these: pen, paper, water. |
Remember this: practice makes perfect. |
| In quotations | Capital if complete sentence quoted | He said, "I am coming." He called it "the best day." |
He said, "i am coming." |
| In parentheses | Capital if complete sentence | I visited Delhi (the capital of India). I visited Delhi. (It's the capital.) |
I visited Delhi. (it's the capital.) |
| In lists | Capital if complete sentences | Rules: 1. Be on time. 2. Bring materials. Items: pen, paper, ruler |
Rules: 1. be on time. 2. bring materials. |
6. Common Capitalisation Errors
| Error Type | Wrong | Correct | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over-capitalisation | I study Math and Science. | I study math and science. | School subjects lowercase unless language/course title |
| Under-capitalisation | i went to delhi in january. | I went to Delhi in January. | I (pronoun), Delhi (proper noun), January (month) |
| Job titles | The President gave a speech. | The president gave a speech. | Job titles lowercase without name |
| Directions vs regions | I live in the North. | I live in the north. (if direction) I live in the North. (if region like North India) |
Directions lowercase, specific regions capital |
| Family titles | I saw my mother yesterday. | I saw my mother yesterday. I saw Mother yesterday. |
Lowercase with possessive (my, your, etc.) |
🎯 Capitalisation Challenge
Correct the capitalisation errors.
1. i went to delhi with my uncle last july.
I (pronoun), Delhi (proper noun), July (month)
2. the ganges river flows through uttar pradesh and bihar.
The (sentence start), Ganges River (proper noun), Uttar Pradesh, Bihar (state names)
3. dr. sharma teaches english and mathematics at delhi university.
Dr. Sharma (title+name), English (language), mathematics (subject), Delhi University (proper noun)
4. in summer, we go to the north for vacation.
In (sentence start), summer (season lowercase), north (direction lowercase)
5. "are you coming?" she asked. "yes," i replied.
Are (start of quote), Yes (start of quote), I (pronoun always capital)
7. Quick Rules & Memory Aids
Essential Patterns to Memorize:
1. ALWAYS capitalise: First word of sentence, pronoun 'I', proper nouns
2. Capitalise titles before names (Dr. Sharma) but not after (Sharma, the doctor)
3. Capitalise specific places (India) but not general (a country)
4. Capitalise days/months/holidays but not seasons
5. Capitalise languages & nationalities always
6. Capitalise historical events/periods (the Renaissance)
7. Capitalise brand names always (Coca-Cola)
When in doubt: Is it a specific, unique name? Yes → Capitalise
Common Errors to Avoid:
1. Over-capitalising subjects: I study Math and Science. ✗
2. Under-capitalising proper nouns: i went to delhi. ✗
3. Confusing directions/regions: Go North. ✗ (unless specific region)
4. Family titles: Tell Mother. ✓ Tell my mother. ✓ Tell my Mother. ✗
5. Job titles without names: The President spoke. ✗ (unless specific person's title)
Test: Can you replace it with a general word? City → Delhi (capital) vs city → city (lowercase)
📝 Practice Capitalisation Rules
Master all capitalisation rules with our comprehensive worksheet!
Go to Capitalisation WorksheetIncludes answer key • Proper nouns • Titles • Headings • Special cases • Error correction
