Capitalize First Word of Sentence, Quotation, or Statement After Colon
Capitalization
Rulebase Summary
Capitalize the first word of every sentence or fragment that stands for a sentence. Capitalize the first word of every complete direct quotation. Capitalize the first word of every complete statement that follows a colon. These three contexts share the same principle: a new thought unit begins, so its first word takes a capital letter.
Examples
A. He said, "we should leave immediately."
A. He said, "We should leave immediately."
A complete direct quotation begins with a capital letter.
A. The sign read: "no trespassing."
A. The sign read: "No trespassing."
A complete statement after a colon starts with a capital.
Transcript Notes
Capitalize the first word of every sentence or fragment that stands for a sentence, the first word of every complete direct quotation, and the first word of every complete statement after a colon.
Note: when the first word of the direct quotation is the Q or A of another deposition or court record, the Q or A is written in all capitals as QUESTION or ANSWER and followed by a colon.
BGGP: capitalize after a colon only if what follows is a grammatically complete sentence; lowercase if it is a fragment.
Style Guide References (4)
Morson's
BGGP
BGGP
BGGP