Lesson: Capital Letters

Why do we use them?

Using capital (big) letters correctly makes your writing clear, professional, and easy to read. Let's look at the 7 golden rules for capitalizing in English.

Quick Tip: If you are not sure, ask yourself: "Is this a specific name? Is it the start of a sentence?" If yes, use a capital letter!

The 7 Golden Rules

1. First word of a sentence

Always start a new sentence with a capital letter.

the cat is sleeping. The cat is sleeping.

2. After a full stop (.)

Always start a new sentence after a period with a capital letter.

i am from salé. i study hard. I am from Salé. I study hard.

3. Names and Places

Capitalize people, cities, countries, and specific names.

mohamed lives in rabat. Mohamed lives in Rabat.

4. The pronoun "I"

Always capitalize the word "I" when talking about yourself.

my friend and i went out. My friend and I went out.

5. Days, Months, and Holidays

Capitalize specific times like Monday, July, or Ramadan.

we meet on tuesday in march. We meet on Tuesday in March.

6. Titles of Media

Capitalize important words in titles (books, songs, movies).

i like the book "my first lesson". I like the book "My First Lesson".

7. Acronyms and Initials

Capitalize each letter for abbreviations.

he works at unesco. He works at UNESCO.

Exercise 1: Fix the Words

The sentences below have errors. Type the words into the boxes, but make sure you capitalize the right letters! (Case Sensitive).

"meriem went to casablanca yesterday." went to yesterday.

"my friend said: i will call you on monday." friend said: " will call you on ."

"the atlas mountains are beautiful in july." are beautiful in .

"he works for unesco and loves his job." works for and loves his job.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct word

1. like playing soccer.

2. is my older brother.

3. We usually travel to the beach in .

4. She studies engineering at university.

Exercise 3: Free Writing

Write two short sentences about your city. Use capital letters correctly where needed!

(Self-check: Did you capitalize the first letter and the city name?)