Rule One

• Capitalize the first letter of the first word of every sentence.
  • For example:
    • The heavy wind affected the telegraph line.
    • John went home.
    • Martins is sick.

Rule Two

• Capitalize the first letter of proper nouns and adjectives derived from proper nouns.
  • For example:
    • Nigeria – Nigerian
    • Shakespeare – Shakespearean
    • England – English
• But do not capitalize if the proper names have acquired independent common meaning or have taken a specialized meaning.
  • For example:
    • morocco (leather)
    • china (dishes)

Rule Three

• Capitalize the first letter of the names of months, days of the week, and names of holidays.
  • For example:
    • January
    • February
    • Sunday
    • Tuesday
    • Christmas day
    • Easter
    • the New Year’s day
• But do not capitalize the first letter of the names of seasons.
  • For example:
    • winter
    • spring
    • summer
    • dry season
    • rainy season

Rule Four

• Capitalize the first letter of names of buildings, organizations, and institutions, governmental agencies, departments, names of historical documents and events.
  • For example:
    • Lion building
    • Organization of African Unity
    • Federal electoral commission
    • English department

Rule Five

• Capitalize the first letter of names of governmental bodies, offices or courts.
  • For example:
    • State House
    • Census Office
    • Supreme Court

Rule Six

• Capitalize the first letters of names of religious leaders, the various appellations for God and Christianity
  • For example:
    • Psalm
    • Jesus Christ
    • the Father
    • the Son
    • the Holy Ghost
    • Acts of Apostles

Rule Seven

• Capitalize the first letters of street names and parks.
  • For example:
    • Simpson Street
    • Murtala Mohammed Park

Rule Eight

• Capitalize the names of political parties, movement, and their adherent.
  • For example:
    • Nigerian Peoples party
    • a Socialist
    • a Communist

Rule Nine

• Capitalize the first letter of all important words in the title of books, newspapers, magazines, chapters, articles, poems
  • For example:
    • The Use of English for Higher Education

Rule Ten

• Capitalize the first letter of abbreviations of titles preceding or following a name and the abbreviations of academic degrees.
  • For example:
    • Mr. Chukwudi
    • Henry Chico, Esq. B.A. Ph.D.