Capitalization 101 - Part One

Since the writing parts of the Progress Checks have always been the ones I had to struggle most with, I am currently reading a lot about Punctuation and Style. Today, however, I'd like to talk about Capitalization and its abundant rules about beginning a sentence. I hope the following information and tips are helpful to you.

Beginnings

1. Surprise, surprise: The first word of a sentence is capitalized.
   Example: Blogging is a great opportunity to practice writing.
   
   
2. If a sentence is placed in parentheses, the first word of the sentence is capitalized.
   Example: Blogging is a great opportunity to practice writing. (There are a lot of other possibilities, of course.)
   
   
3. If a sentence inside another sentence is in parentheses, the (inner) sentence is not capitalized.
   Example: Blogging is (among lots of other possibilities) a great opportunity to practice writing.
   
   
4. The first word of a quotation is capitalized.
   Example: "Blogging is a great opportunity to practice writing," my teacher says.
   
   
5. If a quotation is interrupted in the middle, the second part of the quotation is not capitalized.
   Example: "Blogging is a great opportunity to practice writing," my teacher says, "but there are loads of other possibilities."
   
   
6. If a quotation is dependent on the sentence in which it appears, the quotation is not capitalized.
   Example: Blogging is "a great opportunity to practice writing."
   Or: My teacher said that "blogging is a great opportunity to practice writing."
   
   
7. If a motto, rule or direct question, whether a quotation or not, appears in another sentence, it is capitalized.
   Example: The question is, How many blog posts do we need to have by the end of the semester?
   Or: You know the saying "Practice makes the master."
   
   
8. The first word following a colon is usually lowercased when it begins a list or even a complete sentence. When the sentence, however, is longer and seperate from the preceding one, the first word is capitalized.
   Example: A good language learner practices these four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
   Or: A good language learner has the following characteristics: he is open-minded, communicative and eager to learn.
   But: One more thing: A good language learner must neither be idle nor biased, but curious about different countries and cultures.
   
   
9. The first word in an outline heading begins with a capital.
   Example:
1. Introduction
2. Body Paragraph
1. Thesis I
2. Thesis II
3. Thesis III
3. Conclusion
   
   
10. The first word and some particular words of a salutation of a letter are capitalized. As far as the complimentary close is concerned, the very first word begins with a capital.
    Example: Dear Sir or Madam; Ladies and Gentlemen
    Or: Sincerely yours; Truly yours
    

Source: Merriam-Webster's Guide to Punctuation and Style, Second Edition