Capital letters in English writing are important, but are you sure you know how to use them correctly?
If you’re preparing for your IELTS Writing Task 1 and 2, it’s worth reviewing how to capitalise words. You’ll feel more confident on test day and this revision will help you write with more accuracy.
Here, we look at the use of capital letters in English, show some common errors with examples, and offer some IELTS writing tips to help you get them right.
Why do we use capital letters in English?
Capital letters in English have different uses. They show us where new sentences begin, indicate proper nouns and even differentiate meanings between certain words. Ultimately, they help us structure and express ourselves more clearly in writing.
Here are some examples of how we use capital letters in English:
| Differentiating between nouns and proper nouns: | ‘I went on a march in March.’ |
| Showing the start of a new sentence: | ‘I bought my friends flowers. They were very happy.’ |
| Indicating proper nouns: | ‘Have you met my sister, Barbara?’ |
Using capital letters in English for IELTS Writing Task 1 and 2
Your answers in IELTS Writing Tasks 1 and 2 will be scored by official examiners, using four assessment criteria:
● How accurate and varied your grammar is
● How well you complete the task and answer the question
● How clearly and logically your ideas are organised
● How well you use vocabulary and choose appropriate words
Correct use of capital letters shows grammatical accuracy and can help you get a better score for Grammatical Range and Accuracy in IELTS.
Capital letter rules in English
There are some important capitalisation rules to follow when writing in English. These rules might be quite different to the rules in your first language, so let’s take a look at how to follow them correctly:
1. Use capital letters in English for names and proper nouns
It’s easy to forget to capitalise names. However, in English, proper nouns, which include the names of people, places, organisations and specific things, always start with a capital letter:
| People | Juan, Lucia, Mr. Smith, Mrs. Jones |
| Places | Liverpool, Scotland, the River Thames |
| Companies | Apple, Unilever, British Airways |
| Organisations | the United Nations, the BBC, the World Health Organisation |
Job titles before names
When a job title comes before a person’s name, it needs a capital letter. For example, ‘I’d like to introduce you to the Managing Director, Sarah Clarke.’
However, make sure you don’t make the mistake of capitalising job titles after the name. For example – ‘Sarah Clarke, the managing director, gave the presentation today’ – is the correct way to do it.
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Capital letters in English brand names and trademarks
Brand names and trademarks often follow rules set by the companies that own them. These are usually capitalised in a specific way, often with unusual spellings or stylised letters. That means it’s easy to make a capitalisation mistake here!
Do your best to stick to the brand’s official format when writing about them. For example: YouTube, iPhone, eBay. If in doubt, a quick internet search will help you find the official website and name.
2. Personal pronouns
We use pronouns to replace proper nouns (like people’s names). Among personal pronouns, only ‘I’ is always capitalised, no matter where it appears in a sentence. However, any pronoun (like ‘he’, ‘she’, or ‘they’) must be capitalised if it comes at the beginning of a sentence.
| you | I | he/she/it | we | they | me | him/her | us | them |
- ‘Look, it’s raining, I knew we should have taken an umbrella.’
- ‘James isn’t going to be happy about the football results, he thinks his team is going to be relegated.’
Remember: all pronouns except ‘I’ should be in lowercase, unless they are being used at the beginning of a sentence.
3. Words from proper nouns
Words that come from proper nouns (the names of people, places, or organisations) sometimes keep their capital letters, but not always. This is one of the most confusing areas in English capitalisation, because the rules can seem unclear or even contradictory.
Let’s see some examples:
French fries: Here, ‘French’ refers to France, a proper noun, so we capitalise it. The word is being used as an adjective based on a place.
Shakespearean drama: ‘Shakespearean’ is based on the name of the writer William Shakespeare, so it remains capitalised.
Victorian architecture: ‘Victorian’ comes from Queen Victoria — again, a proper noun — so it’s capitalised.
Some exceptions
Not all words based on names stay capitalised, especially when they’ve become common parts of the language and have lost their link to the original name.
french toast: Although ‘French’ is still sometimes capitalised, many style guides accept the lowercase version because it refers to a dish, not the country.
diesel: This word comes from the name of the inventor, Rudolf Diesel. But in everyday use, it’s treated as a normal noun and written in lowercase.
pasteurise: Based on the name Louis Pasteur. However, since it has become a common verb in English, it is no longer capitalised.
So, what’s the rule?
If the word still clearly refers to the person or place it comes from, it usually keeps the capital letter. But if the word has become part of everyday language and has lost that strong connection, it’s often written in lowercase.
The best idea is to learn these on a case-by-case basis. When in doubt, check a good dictionary - or Google it, but make sure the information is reliable.. This is especially helpful for the IELTS Writing test, where getting the details right can make your work look more polished and accurate.
4. Capitalisation in English in direct quotes
When writing a report, an email or an essay, you may need to quote what someone said or wrote directly. It’s therefore important to know exactly how and when to use capital letters in quotations:
Capitalise full-sentence quotes
When quoting a full sentence, the first word should always begin with a capital letter. For example: She said, “The results were better than expected.”
Even if the quote comes after a short introduction, the capital letter stays. For example: According to the report, “Sales grew by 20% in the first quarter.”
Don’t capitalise partial quotes
Conversely, if the quote is only part of a sentence and fits into your sentence structure, you don’t need to use a capital letter. For example: The CEO described the launch as “a turning point for the company.”
Notice how the quote starts in the middle of the sentence? There’s no capital letter needed.
5. Titles of books, films and articles
Capitalising titles in English can be a little confusing because different style guides (like academic or journalistic ones) have different rules. But there are a few simple guidelines you can follow.
Capitalise the main words
In most cases, you should capitalise the main words in a title — nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns. For example, The Lord of the Rings.
Don’t capitalise small linking words
Short words like articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, or, but), and prepositions (on, in, at) are usually written in lowercase, unless they are the first word of the title:
- Gone with the Wind
- A Brief History of Time
- The Girl on the Train
6. Days, months and years
When it comes to capital letters in English, the names of days, months and holidays are always in uppercase.
| Days | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday |
| Months | January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December |
| Holidays | Christmas, Eid, Diwali, etc. |
Here are some examples:
- ‘My exam is on Friday, 15th March.’
- ‘We always visit family during Eid.’
Some exceptions
Seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) are not capitalised unless they’re part of a proper noun or a title.
Incorrect: ‘I love the colours of Autumn.’
Correct: ‘I love the colours of autumn.’
This is different to languages like German, where seasons are capitalised.
When writing the year, we only use numbers, so they are not capitalised (e.g. 2025). But note that the word ‘Year’ might be capitalised if used in a formal title (e.g. ‘Financial Year 2024’).
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6. Directions
Words like north, south, east and west are not capitalised unless they are part of a proper noun or used as a specific region:
- We travelled north for the holidays.
- He lives in the South of France.
7. Internet-related terms
Words like ‘internet,’ ‘email,’ and ‘website’ used to be capitalised, but now it’s more common to write them in lowercase.
Old style: I found it on the Internet.
Modern style: I found it on the internet.
Language changes over time, so it’s always a good idea to check current usage.
Tip: If you’re talking about a compass direction, use lowercase. If it’s a place or region, use uppercase.
8. School subjects
Subjects based on proper nouns are capitalised, but general subject names are not.
Examples:
- English, French, Spanish (based on languages = capitalised)
- science, maths, history (general subjects = not capitalised)
- Incorrect: I’m studying Biology and Chemistry.
Correct: I’m studying biology and chemistry. (Unless it’s the name of a course, e.g. Biology 101.)
Capital letters in English: Get ready for IELTS
Capital letters in English can be confusing, especially when the rules seem inconsistent or different from your native language. But don’t worry — these tips will help:
- Capitalise names, places and official titles
- Begin full sentences and full quotes with a capital letter
- Use capitals for the main words in titles
- Watch out for common exceptions
The more you read and write in English, the more natural your capitalisation will become. Pay attention to how capital letters are used in articles, books and IELTS materials. With practice, you'll start to spot the patterns and avoid common mistakes.
Mastered your use of capital letters in English? That’s one step closer to being ready for your IELTS test.