Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized when a title appears in a sentence.

Titles in sentences can be touchy. Do you capitalize every word, or only a few? Here’s the straightforward answer you’ll see in standard writing: capitalize only the first word of the title and any proper nouns that appear in the title. In other words, you keep it neat and readable, without shouting at the reader. This is a quick, practical rule you’ll encounter in many PACT-style writing tasks and beyond.

Let’s break it down so you can apply it without a second thought.

What counts as a title in a sentence

• A book, article, movie, poem, report, or any work with a formal title.

• The words in the title where some are proper nouns (names of people, places, brands) and others are common words (the, of, and, in, etc.).

• When the title appears in running text, we treat it as a proper-noun-ish element for capitalization: first word capitalized, proper nouns capitalized, the rest lowercase unless they’re proper nouns.

Why the rule exists (and why it matters)

• Clarity: a title should stand out, but not overwhelm the sentence. Capitalizing every word makes a title look like shouting. Keeping only the first word and proper nouns cap-only keeps the sentence flowing.

• Consistency: most style guides—APA, Chicago, MLA—agree that in running text, titles in sentence case use this pattern. It’s a reliable signal to readers that you’re referring to a specific work, not to a random phrase.

• Readability for PACT-style tasks: you’ll be asked to identify or apply capitalization rules. Knowing the core rule helps you spot correct forms quickly and justify your choices with a clear explanation.

A few rock-solid rules you can apply right now

• Rule 1: Capitalize the first word of the title in the sentence.

• Rule 2: Capitalize proper nouns that are part of the title (names, places, brands, etc.).

• Rule 3: Lowercase articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or), and short prepositions (in, of, on) unless they’re the first word.

• Rule 4: If a word in the title is a proper noun, treat it as a proper noun in the sentence too.

• Rule 5: If you’re unsure whether a word is a proper noun, err on the side of lowercase unless it clearly is a name or brand.

Try it with real-world examples

• The White House plans new policies.

The title “White House” is a proper noun (the name of a place), so both words stay capitalized. Since The is the first word of the title in this sentence, it’s capitalized too: The White House plans new policies.

• The great Gatsby remains a classic.

The first word The is capitalized. Great is not a proper noun, so it’s lowercased here. Gatsby is the key proper noun, so it stays capitalized: The great Gatsby remains a classic.

• I reread War and peace last winter.

War is the first word, so it’s capitalized. And is a conjunction, so it stays lowercase unless it’s the first word. Peace isn’t a proper noun, so it’s lowercase here: I reread War and peace last winter.

• I picked up an iPhone at the store.

iPhone is a proper noun (a product name), so it’s capitalized. The rest of the title words don’t exist here, but the rule shows why iPhone is written with a capital I and a lowercase p in some contexts. In practice, keep the product name as the brand standard spells it.

Why some titles look contradictory

• The phrase The Great Gatsby is a famous example people notice. In sentence case, you would typically write The great Gatsby, because Great isn’t a proper noun in that title. Yet many readers still expect the capital G in Gatsby, which is indeed a proper noun. That’s the nuance with titles in sentence text: the first word is capitalized, and every actual proper noun inside the title also stays capitalized.

• If a title is fully a proper noun (like a brand-new company name), you treat each proper noun that appears as capitalized, even in the middle of a sentence. The White House example helps emphasize that “White House” is treated as a single proper-noun unit.

Mini quiz (friendly check)

• Which version follows the rule “only the first word and proper nouns capitalized”?

A) The Great Gatsby is a masterpiece.

B) The Great Gatsby is a masterpiece.

C) The great Gatsby is a masterpiece.

D) The great Gatsby is a masterpiece.

Answer: C. The first word The is capitalized, Gatsby is capitalized because it’s a proper noun in the title, and Great is not a proper noun, so it stays lowercase.

In practice, how to apply this in your writing

• Read titles aloud in context. If you pause after the first word, you’re probably in sentence-case territory.

• Check for proper nouns first. If a part of the title names a person, place, or brand, keep that word capitalized, even in the middle of a sentence.

• When in doubt, skim the sentence for readability. Does capitalizing more words make the sentence harder to read? If yes, trim to the first word and any proper nouns.

A few quick examples you can memorize

• The sun also rises is a Cannes-style classic. (The title includes “The” and “sun” is not a proper noun; “Rises” isn’t a proper noun either; thus: The sun also rises.)

• The Lord of the Rings fans remember long journeys. (No, that’s not a perfect fit for strict sentence-case rules; Lord is a title, Rings is a plural noun; many editors would still capitalize Lord and Rings as part of the title, since those words reference a recognized title.)

• The Matrix changed how we think about movies. (Matrix is a proper noun; The is the first word; The Matrix … is capitalized in full as expected.)

Why this matters for PACT-style writing tasks

• The capitalization of titles in sentences isn’t just a tiny detail; it signals you understand standard conventions. In many writing tests, you’ll be asked to rewrite or judge sentences for correctness. Getting this right shows you value clarity and consistency.

• It also helps you communicate more clearly with readers who rely on predictable patterns. When you use sentence-case for titles, you reduce distractions and keep the focus on your ideas.

A closing thought: keep the rhythm, not the shouting

A well-placed rule keeps your writing calm and credible. It’s easy to over-capitalize when you’re thinking about the importance of a work, but the clean, first-word-plus-proper-nouns approach usually does the trick. If you’re ever unsure, run the sentence aloud and test whether the words feel like they’re part of a title or part of the sentence itself. If it sounds like the title is shouting, you’ve probably overdone it.

Final quick recap

• In a sentence, capitalize: the first word of the title and any proper nouns inside the title.

• Lowercase: common words that aren’t proper nouns (the, of, and, in, etc.) unless they’re the first word.

• Use examples like The White House plans, The great Gatsby, and War and peace to guide your instinct.

• When in doubt, remember: keep it readable, keep it consistent, and let proper nouns do the heavy lifting.

If you want to keep this rule handy, you can bookmark a quick reference: first word, proper nouns, rest lowercase. It’s a small habit that pays off with clearer, more credible writing—whether you’re drafting a short report, commenting on a class article, or composing a thoughtful paragraph for a PACT-style task. And yes, it’s the kind of detail that readers notice, even when they don’t put their finger on it.