3-6-3 Capitalization Explained

Key Concepts

Understanding 3-6-3 Capitalization involves grasping three key concepts:

1. Beginning of Sentences
2. Proper Nouns
3. Titles and Headings

Beginning of Sentences

Capitalization at the beginning of sentences is a fundamental rule in English. The first word of every sentence should start with a capital letter to indicate the start of a new thought or idea.

Example: "The sun rises in the east." Here, "The" is capitalized because it is the first word of the sentence.

Proper Nouns

Proper nouns refer to specific names of people, places, organizations, and other unique entities. These should always be capitalized to distinguish them from common nouns.

Example: "My friend John lives in New York." Here, "John" and "New York" are capitalized because they are proper nouns.

Titles and Headings

Titles and headings of books, articles, movies, and other works should be capitalized. Typically, the first letter of each major word in the title is capitalized, while minor words like articles and prepositions are not.

Example: "The Great Gatsby" is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Here, "The," "Great," and "Gatsby" are capitalized.

Examples and Analogies

Think of capitalization as the dress code for words. Just as you wear specific clothes for different occasions, words need to be dressed appropriately with capital letters in certain situations.

Example: If you were writing a paragraph about your favorite book, you might start with, "My favorite book is 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.'" Here, "My," "Harry," "Potter," "Sorcerer's," and "Stone" are all capitalized appropriately.

Practical Application

To practice capitalization, write a short paragraph that includes proper capitalization at the beginning of sentences, for proper nouns, and in titles. Ensure that each word is capitalized correctly according to the rules discussed.