According to standard proofreading rules, which statement about capitalizing the closing word in a letter is correct?

According to standard proofreading rules, which statement about capitalizing the closing word in a letter is correct?

• A. Only the first word of a complimentary close is capitalized.
• B. All words in the closing are capitalized.
• C. No words in the closing are capitalized.
• D. The last word of the closing is capitalized.

Answer: (A)

Capitalizing the closing of a letter follows a simple rule: treat the closing as a short sign-off, not a sentence. Only the first word is capitalized, and the remaining words stay lowercase unless a proper noun appears. This keeps closings like “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” formatted consistently, with the first word starting the sign-off and the rest in lowercase. That’s why choosing that option reflects the standard practice. The other possibilities would either push all words to be capitalized, omit capitalization altogether, or only capitalize the final word, none of which aligns with typical proofreading rules for closings.

Capitalizing the closing of a letter follows a simple rule: treat the closing as a short sign-off, not a sentence. Only the first word is capitalized, and the remaining words stay lowercase unless a proper noun appears. This keeps closings like “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,” formatted consistently, with the first word starting the sign-off and the rest in lowercase. That’s why choosing that option reflects the standard practice. The other possibilities would either push all words to be capitalized, omit capitalization altogether, or only capitalize the final word, none of which aligns with typical proofreading rules for closings.