Here are the main rules:
1. Beginning of sentences:
* The first word of every sentence should be capitalized.
* Example: The cat sat on the mat.
2. Proper nouns:
* Names of specific people, places, and things should be capitalized.
* People: John Smith, Queen Elizabeth II
* Places: London, Mount Everest, the Amazon Rainforest
* Things: iPhone, Titanic, the Mona Lisa
* Organizations: NASA, World Health Organization, United Nations
3. Days of the week and months:
* Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.
* January, February, March, etc.
4. Holidays:
* Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day
5. Titles of books, movies, songs, etc.:
* Capitalize all major words in titles (not articles like "a", "an", or "the").
* Example: *The Lord of the Rings*, *The Lion King*, "Happy Birthday"
6. Nationalities and languages:
* English, French, German, Spanish, etc.
* American, Canadian, Japanese, etc.
7. Religions and deities:
* Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc.
* God, Allah, Buddha, etc.
8. First word in a direct quote:
* Example: She said, "How are you?"
9. Titles of people:
* President, Senator, Governor, Dr., Mr., Mrs., etc.
10. Titles of academic courses:
* English 101, History 202, etc.
Important Note: These are the basic rules. There are exceptions and nuances depending on style guides and specific contexts. Consult a style guide or grammar reference for comprehensive details.