What is Sentence Case?

Sentence case refers to the capitalization style in which the first letter of a sentence and any proper nouns are capitalized, while all other letters are left in lower case. This is in contrast to title case, in which every word in a sentence is capitalized except for certain short words like articles and conjunctions, or all caps, in which all the letters in a sentence are written in capital letters.

Here are a few examples of sentence case:

“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

“My name is John, and I live in New York City.”

“I love reading books, but I also enjoy watching movies.”

Sentence case is the most commonly used capitalization style in formal writing, such as in academic papers and business documents. It is also often used in the body of emails and other forms of written communication.

One important rule to remember when using sentence case is to always capitalize the first letter of a sentence, even if it is a conjunction or a short preposition. For example:

“And the winner is…John!”

“But wait, there’s more!”

“For example, the cat sat on the mat.”

Proper nouns, which are the specific names of people, places, and organizations, should also always be capitalized in sentence case. This includes proper adjectives, which are derived from proper nouns and also take an initial capital. For example:

“I am from the United States.”

“She is studying at Oxford University.”

“We are visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris.”

Here are ten more examples of that may be helpful:

1. “My favorite subject in school is science.”
2. “We are going on a field trip to the museum tomorrow.”
3. “I am reading a book about ancient Egypt for my history class.”
4. “The soccer team is practicing after school today.”
5. “I have a piano lesson with Ms. Thompson on Friday.”
6. “My best friend’s name is Emily, and she lives in Los Angeles.”
7. “We are going on a family vacation to Disney World next summer.”
8. “I have a math test tomorrow, and I’m feeling a little nervous.”
9. “My parents are taking me to see a play at the theater this weekend.”
10. “I love going to the beach in the summer and swimming in the ocean.”

Sentence Case: Proper nouns that are important to capitalize:

1. Days of the week and months of the year: It can be easy to forget to capitalize the names of the days of the week and months of the year, especially when they are used in the middle of a sentence. For example: “I have a dentist appointment on Wednesday.” “We are going on vacation in August.”
2. Titles and positions: It is important to remember to capitalize the titles and positions of people, especially when they are used as part of their proper noun. For example: “I am going to meet with President Smith.” “Professor Jones is teaching my history class.”
3. Historical events and periods: It is also important to remember to capitalize the names of historical events and periods, such as wars and revolutions. For example: “The American Revolution took place in the late 18th century.” “World War II was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945.”
4. Brand names: It can be tempting to write brand names in all caps, but it is generally more appropriate to use sentence case for brand names. For example: “I love using my iPhone to text my friends.” “My favorite snack is a bag of Lay’s potato chips.”

Sentence Case: Titles that are important to capitalize:

1. Titles of people: It is important to capitalize the titles of people when they are used as part of their proper noun. This includes titles such as “President,” “Governor,” “Senator,” “Mayor,” “Professor,” “Doctor,” and “Pastor,” among others. For example: “I had a meeting with President Smith today.” “Governor Davis is giving a speech at the state capital.”
2. Titles of books, movies, and other works of art: The titles of books, movies, plays, and other works of art should also be capitalized. For example: “I am reading a book called ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.'” “We are going to see a movie called ‘Black Panther’ tonight.”
3. Titles of musical compositions: The titles of musical compositions, such as songs and albums, should also be capitalized. For example: “I love listening to the album ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson.” “My favorite song is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen.”
4. Titles of government agencies and departments: For example: “The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for protecting the United States.” “I work for the Environmental Protection Agency.”

Make sure to use sentence case consistently in your writing to ensure that it is clear and easy to read. It is also a good idea to check the style guidelines for the specific type of writing you are doing, as different fields and organizations may have their own preferred capitalization styles. For example, the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, which is widely used in journalism, has its own set of rules for capitalization that may differ from those of other fields.

In conclusion, sentence case refers to the capitalization style in which the first letter of a sentence and proper nouns are capitalized, while all other letters are left in lower case. It is the most commonly used style in formal writing and is important to use consistently to ensure clear and easy-to-read writing.