# Grammar question, punctuation. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825 "2009-01-24T21:13:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/1 "2009-01-24T21:13:23Z")
I’ve noticed that I capitalize the first letter after a colon, but not after a semicolon. Is that proper, or more damage from catholic school? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/2 "2009-01-24T21:24:47Z")
Capitalization after a colon should follow normal capitalization rules, not beginning of sentence rules. Right This is my problem: I hate my shoes. Right This is her problem: she hates her shoes. Wrong This is her problem: She hates her shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/3 "2009-01-24T21:28:30Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > I’ve noticed that I capitalize the first letter after a colon, but not after a semicolon. Is that proper, or more damage from catholic school? > Peace, > mangeorge It’s proper. Lynn Truss, in her wonderful book **Eats, Shoots and Leaves** , compares punctuation marks to musical beats. Comma gets one beat, semicolon two, colon three and full stop (period) gets four. It makes sense that the cutoff for capitalization comes between semicolon and colon. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/4 "2009-01-25T02:17:43Z")
The OP is implying that there’s some kind of relationship between a colon and a semicolon. This isn’t true; they are entirely different types of punctuation. ---
**Author:** ![KnitWit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@KnitWit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnitWit)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/5 "2009-01-25T02:25:33Z")
I believe the Chicago Manual of style indicates that you should capitalize the first word after a colon. I write for a living. However, I need to look it up again now…I’m questioning the way This question made me wonder if I’ve been doing it wrong for the last 20 years or more. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/6 "2009-01-25T02:26:35Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The OP is implying that there’s some kind of relationship between a colon and a semicolon. This isn’t true; they are entirely different types of punctuation. No, no. I wasn’t implying that at all! My question was just as stated, and asked about capitalization, not punctuation. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/7 "2009-01-25T02:30:08Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Capitalization after a colon should follow normal capitalization rules, not beginning of sentence rules. > > Right This is my problem: I hate my shoes. > Right This is her problem: she hates her shoes. > Wrong This is her problem: She hates her shoes. The “Wrong” above is not true. It’s more a matter of style. In fact, it may be an American/British difference. I was always taught to capitalize after a colon, but one of the two English-language dailies in Thailand – and it generally follows British style – does not capitalize after a colon. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/8 "2009-01-25T02:37:00Z")
I picked up the habit (cap after colon) from nuns, so guess who’s authority _they_ call upon. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/9 "2009-01-25T02:39:44Z")
It is a matter of style but certainly acceptable to begin with a cap after a colon if it’s a sentence. You would not capitalize if what follows the colon is a list. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/10 "2009-01-25T02:53:05Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > It is a matter of style but certainly acceptable to begin with a cap after a colon if it’s a sentence. You would not capitalize if what follows the colon is a list. You don’t capitalize the initial letter in a bulleted list? Cool things: [ul] [li]Coffee[/li][li]Puppies[/li][li]Chocolate[/li][li]Etc[/li][/ul] Or did I misunderstand? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/11 "2009-01-25T03:17:21Z")
What he’s saying is that you don’t capitalize when a colon is used to introduce a list in a sentence. Roosevelt mentioned four freedoms: freedom of speech; freedom of religion; freedom from fear; freedom from want. Whether you use caps in a bulleted list is a matter of style. Required nitpick: And none of this has anything to do with grammar. I would normally never use a capital after a colon. However, when the colon introduces a sentence in the manner I used it above I would make an exception. All this may be differences between American and British usage. Truss knows nothing at all about American usage or styles so her book was nearly useless here despite its popularity. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/12 "2009-01-25T03:34:48Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > What he’s saying is that you don’t capitalize when a colon is used to introduce a list in a sentence. Roosevelt mentioned four freedoms: freedom of speech; freedom of religion; freedom from fear; freedom from want. > > Whether you use caps in a bulleted list is a matter of style. > > Required nitpick: And none of this has anything to do with grammar. > > I would normally never use a capital after a colon. However, when the colon introduces a sentence in the manner I used it above I would make an exception. > > All this may be differences between American and British usage. Truss knows nothing at all about American usage or styles so her book was nearly useless here despite its popularity. Good example. My problem is that I see all that follows the colon as a new sentence. And you’re right. The nuns lumped all writing under “grammar”. I blame everything on the nuns, even though they _never_ beat me. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/13 "2009-01-25T06:22:23Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The OP is implying that there’s some kind of relationship between a colon and a semicolon. This isn’t true; they are entirely different types of punctuation. No, they are not entirely different. Originally, both were punctuation marks that separated independent clauses. The colon was a less abrupt pause than the semicolon, which in turn was a less abrupt pause than a period. The colon is seldom used that way anymore, but there certainly is a relationship. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/14 "2009-01-25T06:46:11Z")
> [@KnitWit](#): > > I believe the Chicago Manual of style indicates that you should capitalize the first word after a colon. Here’s what my 14th Edition has to say (yes, i know it’s old!): > [@](#): > > If the material introduced by a colon consists of more than one sentence, or if it is a formal statement, a quotation, or a speech in dialogue, it should begin with a capital letter. Otherwise it may begin with a lowercase letter. The “may” in the final sentence suggests that, even in cases not specifically covered in the rule above, a capital letter would also be acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/15 "2009-01-25T10:21:07Z")
How can anything in the English language be “right” or “wrong”? It’s pretty much a language driven by consensus of style and spelling; if enough people start to say something, it becomes acceptable. “Proper” just means “archaic and elitist”. so lik just do whatever, dood1 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/16 "2009-01-25T10:57:09Z")
**Overruled!** ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/17 "2009-01-25T11:37:26Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > I picked up the habit (cap after colon) from nuns, so guess who’s authority _they_ call upon. 😉 Whose. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/18 "2009-01-25T13:23:18Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > What he’s saying is that you don’t capitalize when a colon is used to introduce a list in a sentence. Yes, that’s what I meant. > [@](#): > > Roosevelt mentioned four freedoms: freedom of speech; freedom of religion; freedom from fear; freedom from want. But, as a matter of style, I would not use a semi-colon as a list separator unless at least one member of the list contained a comma. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/19 "2009-01-25T13:43:17Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > I blame everything on the nuns, even though they _never_ beat me. If they didn’t at least whack your knuckles with a ruler they weren’t proper nuns! IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825/20 "2009-01-25T13:58:00Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > How can anything in the English language be “right” or “wrong”? It’s pretty much a language driven by consensus of style and spelling; if enough people start to say something, it becomes acceptable. “Proper” just means “archaic and elitist”. so lik just do whatever, dood1 Is your misrepresentation of descriptivism deliberate? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-punctuation/482825.md?page=2)