No Capitalization After a Semicolon
The Semicolon
Rulebase Summary
Do not capitalize the word after a semicolon unless it is a word that is always capitalized (such as a proper noun or 'I'). Leave just one space after a semicolon. The semicolon connects related clauses within a single sentence — it does not start a new sentence, so no capital letter is needed.
BGGP Semicolon.1 · p.155
Examples
✗
A. The door was open; The lights were off.
✓
A. The door was open; the lights were off.
No capital after semicolon — same sentence.
✗
A. He drove north; She drove south.
✓
A. He drove north; she drove south.
Lowercase unless the word is always capitalized.
Style Guide References (1)
BGGP
Semicolon.1
Page 155