Lesson 1: First Words; Inter Salutations and Closings; The Pronoun I

Definition

Capitalize the first word in every sentence.

Explanation

Think of a capital letter as the official start of a sentence! Every time you begin a new thought, make sure that first word stands tall with a capital letter. This rule also applies to sentences that are directly quoted—the first word inside the quotation marks always gets capitalized, too.

Examples

• The bus arrives at the corner in five minutes. [The is capitalized because it is the first word of the sentence.]
• The librarian whispered, “Please remember to be quiet in the library.” [Please is capitalized because it is the first word of the quoted sentence.]

Definition

Capitalize the first word in both the salutation and the closing of a letter.

Explanation

A salutation is your friendly “hello” at the beginning of a letter, and the closing is your “goodbye” at the end. Remember to capitalize only the very first word in both of these parts, unless another word is a name or title, which always gets a capital letter anyway!

Examples

• Dear Ms. Garcia: [Dear is capitalized because it is the first word of the salutation.]
• Sincerely yours, [Sincerely is capitalized because it is the first word of the closing.]
• Yours truly, [Yours is capitalized because it is the first word of the closing.]

Definition

Capitalize the pronoun I.

Explanation

The pronoun I is a grammar celebrity! It's the only pronoun that always gets a capital letter, no matter where it shows up in a sentence. This rule also applies when I is part of a contraction, like in the words I'm, I've, and I'd.

Examples

• Did you know that I finished my science project? [The pronoun I is always capitalized.]
• After school, my sister and I will go to the park. [The pronoun I is always capitalized, even when it appears with another noun.]
• She thinks that I'd be a good team captain. [The pronoun I is always capitalized, even in a contraction.]