I’m the first to admit I’m a grammar geek, and when people make mistakes, it causes me to question their skills (sometimes proofreading; sometimes skill!). When I make mistakes, I’m mortified that I did something wrong, so I am always doing my best to stay current and educated on how we communicate in writing.
Most people claim attention to detail, yet few truly possess it. Sometimes, that lack of attention to detail causes us to make a mistake that we could have fixed if we had seen it (such as a typo), and sometimes, we don’t know we made the mistake to begin with.
I was teaching Business Writing Tune-Up at a conference recently when the question about capitalization came up, and I had a huge “ah ha” moment. Many people don’t know the difference between what is right and what we think looks right when it comes to capitalization. It’s not a lack of attention to detail that makes them wrong, but a lack of understanding when capitalization is required in some instances.
Correct capitalization reflects on your (and your company’s) reputation and credibility, but it also ensures clarity and consistency in your messaging. It’s more than just aesthetics; it could confuse your reader. Details matter, so don’t brush them aside thinking that people don’t care (because they do!) or that they understand what you meant, so who cares about the grammar police?
- Proper Nouns. Specific people, places, organizations, or trademarks should always be capitalized in business communications. To begin with, that is “someone,” so it shows respect to get their name correct.
If I get an email that says, “Hello, rhonda,” I feel slightly disrespected that a) you didn’t proofread it and catch an easy mistake, or b) you didn’t care to give my name the proper attention to detail/respect it deserves. By the way, getting someone’s name wrong feels the same way. If you address my email to Linda, I feel the same way (that I wasn’t important enough for you to know who you spoke to).
If you refer to a fruit called an apple, it is not a proper noun. But if you refer to the company called Apple, it is.
When I refer to my dad, it isn’t a proper noun because I’m not using his name. If I say, “Happy Birthday, Dad,” I am referring to a specific person (therefore, a proper noun). Dad is his name to me, but the fact that he is my dad doesn’t require a capital, as I’m not referring to him, but instead, to his role in my life.
Proper nouns are very specific. You wouldn’t put a capital on the word company as it isn’t a proper noun and not referring to your particular company by name in the sentence below.
– Correct: “The company will expand its operations.”
– Incorrect: “The Company will expand its operations.”
- Titles and Job Positions. In a formal context, we need to capitalize titles and job positions when they appear before the name. When it follows the name, it shouldn’t be capitalized.
“Sarah Smith, president of the company, will attend the meeting” is correct as her name comes before her title, instead of the incorrect, “Sarah Smith, President of the company, will attend the meeting.”
In the general sense, you don’t capitalize job titles. For instance, I will refer to “the managers in the department” (no names here) instead of “the Managers in the department.”
You can take it a step further and look at the role, similar to my dad explanation above. If I say, “We need to fill the role of president,” it is very different than referring to someone as president, “We need to fill President Smith’s role.”
- Titles and Headings. Titles are capitalized to ensure a professional appearance. When creating titles for reports, presentations, or emails, capitalize the first letter of each major word. This includes nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. However, conjunctions, articles, and prepositions with fewer than five letters should not be capitalized unless they are the first or last words of the title.
For example, the title of this blog is The Proper Use of Capitalization in Business Writing. The “of” and “in” don’t need a capital as they are each a preposition (which is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object. Examples are “in”, “at,” “on,” “of,” and “to.”) Each of my prepositions were fewer than five words, so that was easy. Longer prepositions, such as “about,” “until,” “under,” etc. are capitalized. And yes, you can end a sentence with a preposition.
- Department Names and Divisions. When referring to specific departments or divisions within a company, capitalize the name to signify its formal designation.
– Correct: “The Marketing Department is launching a new campaign.”
– Incorrect: “The marketing department is launching a new campaign.”
- Industry Jargon and Terminology. Capitalize terms that are specific to your industry if they are proper nouns or trademarked terms. However, if the term has become generic, it should not be capitalized.
It is correct to say, “The team is proficient in using Microsoft Word.” Microsoft Word is a trademark but also industry jargon and terminology. I could say I use Excel as my favorite spreadsheet program, and even though it is Microsoft Excel, it is understood that Excel is a Microsoft program. I didn’t capitalize the word spreadsheet as it is a generic term.
- Titles of Documents and Sections. Capitalize the major words in titles of reports, sections, and chapters in business documents.
You are correct if you say, “Please refer to the Annual Financial Report for detailed information.” But it is incorrect to say, “Please refer to the annual financial report for detailed information.”
- Email Greetings and Closings. In emails, capitalize greetings and closings to maintain a professional tone.
Naturally, you would say, “Dear Rhonda Scharf,” and not put a lowercase letter on any of those words. But when choosing a sign-off, you should also use capital letters such as “Best Regards” and not “Best regards.”
- Following a Colon. This gets more complicated. The rule to remember is that the list that follows the colon does not have a capital letter unless it is a proper noun or it starts a complete sentence.
– Correct: “There are three key factors: time, cost, and quality.”
– Incorrect: “There are three key factors: Time, cost, and quality.”
You could argue that it doesn’t matter if your capital letters are correct, as the reader understands your intent. I will argue and say that they do. Your capital letters reflect your attention to detail and professionalism and send the intended message. Overcapitalization can muddy your message, while undercapitalization can undermine your credibility.
Stay polished and professional with a dedication to excellence. You won’t regret it.
This article was written by Rhonda Scharf and not by Artificial Intelligence.
