Which capitalization guideline is correct?

Which capitalization guideline is correct?

• A. Do not capitalize common nouns.
• B. Capitalize proper nouns and acronyms.
• C. Capitalize every word.
• D. Capitalize only at the start of sentences.

Answer: (B)

In standard writing, capitalization signals specific names and established abbreviations, not general items. The best rule is to capitalize proper nouns and acronyms. Proper nouns are the exact names of people, places, organizations, or things with a unique identity—like Maya Angelou, Paris, Microsoft, or the United Nations. Acronyms, which are formed from the initial letters of words, are typically written in all caps or with initial capitals, such as NASA, DNA, or ASAP. Common nouns, like city, company, or book, are not capitalized unless they start a sentence or are part of a proper name (for example, the City of Paris or the Book of Mormon). Capitalizing every word is not used in ordinary prose, and only capitalizing at the start of sentences would ignore many proper names that appear in the middle of sentences.

In standard writing, capitalization signals specific names and established abbreviations, not general items. The best rule is to capitalize proper nouns and acronyms. Proper nouns are the exact names of people, places, organizations, or things with a unique identity—like Maya Angelou, Paris, Microsoft, or the United Nations. Acronyms, which are formed from the initial letters of words, are typically written in all caps or with initial capitals, such as NASA, DNA, or ASAP.

Common nouns, like city, company, or book, are not capitalized unless they start a sentence or are part of a proper name (for example, the City of Paris or the Book of Mormon). Capitalizing every word is not used in ordinary prose, and only capitalizing at the start of sentences would ignore many proper names that appear in the middle of sentences.