Grammar and punctuation the blue book of grammar and. You can also read more about proper capitalization after colons in section 4. Capitalization with bullet lists is a matter of style. According to the chicago manual of style, the word after a colon is lowercase, even if it starts a complete sentence, unless its a proper noun. All it takes is the blue book of grammar and punctuation. Capitalization after colons grammar and punctuation.
Style guides and dialectical conventions aside and giving due recognition and exception to an old device whereby the colon served the function of inverted commas to introduce a directly spoken sentence, as in father said. Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. If only one sentence follows the colon, do not capitalize the first word of the new sentence. Below youll find links to our discussion on all punctuation marks. English rules of grammar originated in antiquity, but over centuries have evolved according to usage and are still changing today. A comma is used after the salutation for personal correspondence. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition. The blue book of grammar and punctuation, eleventh edition. This handy workbook is ideal for teachers, students in middle school through college, esl students, homeschoolers, and professionals. Here are some quick tips for using colons properly.
Should you capitalize the first word of a sentence after a. For dramatic effect, authors sometimes reverse the order of the sentence by placing the series before the colon and the independent clause after the colon. This userfriendly resource includes simple explanations of grammar, punctuation, and usage. If only one sentence follows the colon, it is often not necessary to capitalize the first word of the new sentence.
Capitalization after colons the blue book of grammar and. Rule 17 capitalize when two or more sentences follow a sentence ending with a colon. Semicolon, when to capitalize after a colon posted in blog no comments. So watch for references to pages 123 at the bottom of the topic. Colons are used before appositives that follow an independent clause.
Capitalization after colons colons separating independent clauses. In american english, colons are more often followed by capital letters. Punctuation definition, overview, and lists of examples. Jun 24, 2016 for those looking for a quick and dirty answer, a word is not capitalized after a colon. There are two schools of thought regarding postcolon capitalization sounds like an awful surgical procedure, doesnt it. With the exception of proper nouns, it is amazing to see capitals in the middle of a sentence, and very unusual to be polite in fact, highly irregular to see experts accepting it, even if apparently sanctioned by certain style guides and. If the word that comes after a colon or semicolon is a proper name, you definitely would capitalize it. Im not sure about how we should capitalize letters after colons in sentences.
Capitalization after colons chicago style and mla style. Capitalization punctuation rules blue book of grammar. Should i capitalize the first word after a semicolon or colon. If each point is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and end the sentence with appropriate ending punctuation. The blue book of grammar and punctuation 11th edition pages. A colon, stylistically this isnt really a matter of grammar, can appropriately be. Semicolons the blue book of grammar and punctuation. A colon is used to draw attention to what comes after it. When using a semicolon to join two independent clauses, do not capitalize the first word of the second independent clause unless the word is a proper noun, e.
In general, its a style issue that depends on what is following the colon. Grammarly can save you from misspellings, grammatical and punctuation. Lose the colon before a subtitle, or secondary title, when the title is displayed on a book cover or movie poster. The blue book of grammar and punctuation succeeds at a rare feat. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The blue book of grammar and punctuation by jane straus. When listing items one by one, one per line, following a colon, capitalization and ending punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases preceded by letters, numbers, or bullet points. Also, in your example, a colon might be a better choice than a semicolon.
When including these, put a colon after the works title and follow the same rules of composition capitalization for the subtitle. For more on capitalization after a colon, go to colons, rules 1, 3, and 4. When to capitalize after a colon grammar underground with. The train is scheduled to arrive fortyfive minutes late. Often, its almost a definition of what came before. Bcw 3162008 page 1 of capitalize the first word of a new sentence. Should i capitalize the first word that comes after a colon. Constitution but constitutional, the electoral college, department of agriculture. Bluebook requires that any word immediately following a colon be capitalized. Lowercase except for brand names, proper nouns and adjectives, or custom named recipes. Capitalize the first word of a directly quoted sentence.
When a colon introduces a phrase or an incomplete sentence that is meant to add information to the sentence before it, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. It doesnt take a lifetime to master english grammar and punctuation. The blue book of grammar and punctuation jane straus download. Water can exist in three forms solid, liquid or gas. Feb 10, 2014 the blue book of grammar and punctuation is a concise, entertaining workbook and guide to english grammar, punctuation, and usage. Do not capitalize the first item in a list that follows a colon. Blue book grammar capitalization flashcards quizlet. When a semicolon is used, the nature of that connection is variable. What i am curious about is the capitalization of when if a colon is used in whatever context. A word is not capitalized after a semicolon as well. The colon is used to separate two independent clauses when the second explains or illustrates the first.
Also, if the she said part is not part of a conversation in a novel does the word after the colon have to be capitalized. There may indeed be a sentence after the colon, but the original sentence has not ended yet. When to capitalize after a colon heres something you probably never have to worry about. Capitalizing after semicolons or colons crossroads. Sep 20, 2017 a semicolon or colon joining two independent clauses signals a connection between them. The colon often can be effective in giving emphasis. If what follows a colon is not a complete sentence, do not capitalize.
Like a semicolon, a colon can connect two independent clauses, but it has several other uses as well. With over 200,000 copies sold, this is one of the most highly trusted english language resources available. Because your second example uses a capital h after the semicolon, it suggests that youre talking about god. Colons, question marks, quotation marks, parentheses, apostrophes. The teacher said, the first word of each new sentence is capitalized. Like commas, semicolons indicate an audible pauseslightly longer than a commas, but short of a periods full stop. Colons and semicolons should never be used interchangeably. Do you capitalize the word after a colon and a semicolon. A semicolon allows you to break a thought with the same sentence. The blue book of grammar and punctuation jane straus. In this case, the second phrase is an expanded explanation of the first phrase. The exception is when the colon introduces multiple sentences or when it introduces speech. Should i capitalize the first word after a semicolon or. When a colon introduces a complete sentence, you may capitalize the first word after the colon according to some style guides.
After a sentence ending with a colon, do not capitalize the first word if it begins a list. Dont add anything else to a sentence after youve finished introducing the elements. If two or more sentences follow the colon, capitalize the first word of each sentence following. The question is why is capitalization necessary after a semi colon. The chicago manual of style chicago style and mla style from the modern language association recommend lowercasing the first word of a sentence after a colon unless the colon precedes multiple closely related sentences, in which case the first word should be capitalized. It should be lowercase, unless of course the word after the semicolon always needs an initial capital for example, because its a proper name. Nov 20, 2010 in a title or heading, a colon is often used to introduce a subdivision of a subject. Sep 10, 2007 capitalization rule with sentences after colons. In such usage, the colon functions in much the same way as the semicolon.
Why is capitalization necessary after a semi colon. Punctuation, capitalization, and writing numbers mastery test. You cannot do that the whole question of capitalisation hinges on the fact that a colon does not end a sentence the way a full stop does. Do not capitalize the first item after the colon unless its a proper noun. When a colon introduces a list of of things, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. Lowercase the first word unless it is a proper noun or the start of a complete. Use the colon to follow the salutation of a business letter even when addressing someone by hisher first name. The first word in a sentence is always capitalized. Capitalizing after semicolons or colons rru library. For that, i prescribe a pair of em dashes to set off the elements instead. As with the semicolon, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless the word is ordinarily capitalized. English grammar 101 additional punctuation, lesson 3.
A colon, however, connects two clauses in a specific way, indicating that the second clause expands on the first. Unlike a new sentence, it does not require a capital letter to begin. Some grammarians recommend capitalizing the first word after a colon if it introduces something akin to a complete sentence. Its no accident that a semicolon is a period atop a comma. Do not capitalize the first word in a list after a semicolon unless the word is a. Thus, grammar rules may change and may be inconsistent, but usually have a functional basis. Lots of opinions here, but lets look to a higher authority. Use a colon to introduce an item or a series of items. I believe both the colon and the capitalization in this example are acceptable. The a is capitalized because it is the first word of the subtitle. Capitalize an authors name after a semicolon in a multiauthor citation, e.
The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to introduce lists, tabulations, texts, etc. A colon can be used to separate two independent clauses when a the second clause is directly related to the first clause not just vaguely related and b when the emphasis is on the second clause. This functional attitude toward grammar, and punctuation, is described in effective revenue writing 2 linton 1962. A revised and updated new edition of the bestselling workbook and grammar guide. Capitalization after colons grammar blog blue book of grammar. In british english, we do not normally use a capital letter after a colon. In a title or heading, a colon is often used to introduce a subdivision of a subject. A semicolon or colon joining two independent clauses signals a connection between them. There are two schools of thought regarding post colon capitalization sounds like an awful surgical procedure, doesnt it. In british english, the first letter after a colon is capitalized only if its a proper noun or. We have broken some of the longer topics into multiple pages. Use a colon instead of a semicolon or a period between two sentences when the second sentence explains or illustrates something in the first sentence.
Now in its tenth edition, the blue book is a masterpiece of clarity and usefulness. Its not the kind of thing that, if you get wrong, people will roll their eyes or giggle behind your back or pass you over for a job or even notice. Ive read a number of books, and when an author uses a colon in a sentence to. Its a refresher for experts, a reference for lay people, and a lesson plan for teachers. Instead, capitalize every word unless it is a preposition that has fewer than five letters of, with, a conjunction and, or, or an article a, an, or the. Dec 14, 2018 one of my favorite old grammar books, titled punctuate it right, has a wonderful name for the colon.
Thats because the colon signals that what comes next is directly related to the previous sentence. Jun 26, 2015 vi the blue book of grammar and punctuation with sentences that have multiple clauses colons 58 to attach lists to sentences spacing with tabular formatting with long quotations after the salutation in a business letter question marks 60 exclamation points 61 quotation marks 61 placement with periods, commas, question marks, and semicolons use. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period. The blue book of grammar and punctuation is filled with easytounderstand rules,realworld examples, dozens of reproducible exercises, and pre and posttests.
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