BBB.4 Capitalization: proper adjectives, nationalities, and languages
What is capitalization?
Capitalization means using a capital (uppercase) letter at the beginning of certain words. Capital letters help readers understand important information in a sentence.
- I live in Texas.
- My teacher’s name is Ms. Brown.
- We read a book in English.
Not every word needs a capital letter. Capitalize only words that follow specific rules.
Capitalizing nationalities
Nationalities tell where a person is from. The names of nationalities are always capitalized.
- She is American.
- My neighbor is Mexican.
- They are Canadian.
If a word names a nationality, begin it with a capital letter every time.
Capitalizing languages
Languages are the words we use to speak, read, and write. The names of languages are always capitalized.
- I speak English at school.
- She is learning Spanish.
- He can read in French.
Even when the language is in the middle of a sentence, it still starts with a capital letter.
Capitalizing proper adjectives
Proper adjectives are adjectives that come from proper nouns. They describe specific people, places, or things and must be capitalized.
- We ate Italian food.
- She wore a Chinese dress.
- He likes American history.
If an adjective comes from a place, country, or culture, it usually needs a capital letter.
Words that should not be capitalized
Some words look important but do not need capital letters if they are common words and not proper adjectives.
- I like pizza. (not Italian pizza)
- She studies math.
- We play games after school.
Ask yourself: Is this word naming something specific? If not, it probably does not need a capital letter.