In our last blog post, we looked at the rules from The Chicago Manual of Style for capitalizing the first word after a colon. In this post, let’s see what the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook has to say about the same topic. In case you couldn’t guess based on the name, the AP Stylebook is used by journalists, so if you’re writing for a newspaper, magazine, or news station, this is the style guide for you!
Thankfully, the AP Stylebook has a simple way of explaining colons and capitals, listing two instances in which writers should capitalize the first word after a colon.
1. If the first word after a colon is a proper noun, capitalize it.
2. If what follows the colon is a complete sentence, capitalize it.
Otherwise, there’s no need to use a capital letter after a colon when following AP style.
And that, folks, is the shortest blog post ever. You’re welcome!
Remember, you’re not alone in this world of crazy grammar and style rules! I’m here to edit and proofread your work, so you can focus on the creative aspect of your writing and leave the grammar stuff to me. It’s what I love! Reach out today at stephbediting@gmail.com and let me know how I can help.
Stay tuned for the next blog post in this series. We’ll figure out these colons and capitals together!
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