What are the rules for using capital letters?

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What are the rules for using capital letters?

The rules for using capital letters are as follows:

1. Capitalize the first letter of a sentence: The first letter of the first word in a sentence should always be capitalized.

2. Capitalize proper nouns: Proper nouns, which are specific names of people, places, organizations, and things, should always be capitalized. For example, names of individuals (John, Mary), names of cities (London, New York), names of companies (Apple, Microsoft), and names of books (To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter) should all be capitalized.

3. Capitalize titles and headings: Capitalize the first and last words of titles and headings, as well as all important words in between. This includes titles of books, articles, movies, songs, and chapters.

4. Capitalize days, months, and holidays: The names of days of the week (Monday, Tuesday), months (January, February), and holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving) should be capitalized.

5. Capitalize the pronoun "I": The pronoun "I" should always be capitalized, regardless of its position in a sentence.

6. Capitalize the first word of a direct quotation: When quoting someone directly, the first word of the quotation should be capitalized.

7. Capitalize acronyms and initialisms: When using acronyms (NASA, NATO) or initialisms (FBI, CEO), all letters should be capitalized.

8. Capitalize important words in titles and headings: In titles and headings, capitalize all important words, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns. Articles, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions are usually not capitalized unless they are the first or last word in the title or heading.

It is important to note that these rules may vary slightly depending on the style guide or specific writing conventions being followed.