After semi-colon, do I capitalize the first word of the 2nd sen.?

I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could not find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

It is not. Separate 2 complete sentences basically in one of three ways:

1. A period at the end of the first sentence and a capital letter at the
beginning of the second sentence. (I like dessert. Apple pie is my
favorite.)
2. A semicolon at the end of the first sentence and a lower case letter at
the beginning of the second sentence. (I like dessert; apple pie is my
favorite.)
3. A comma and a conjunction between the sentences. (I like dessert, and
apple pie is my favorite.)


"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

It's not now a sentence as you combined it, so no. Just capitalise the
beginning of the first part.

"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

And by the way, Word does not incorporate an expert system to answer
questions about grammar. It merely highlights some things it thinks are
wrong -- and unfortunately it's often wrong about that!

"aalaan" wrote in message
...
It's not now a sentence as you combined it, so no. Just capitalise the
beginning of the first part.

"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

To expand on those correct answers: as with all grammar rules, this one may
be broken! The first character following the colon should be capitalised
when a capital is normally demanded. For example, the phrase following may
be a quote that starts with a capital, a proper name follows or simply 'I'.
The rule isn't absolute.

To make matter worse, there are some writing circles that insist on
capitalising after a colon. But that is only in US English and not in
British or International English.

Allen Wyatt who publishes a Word Tips Newsletter, once provided a tip for
capitalising after a colon stating that Word only had a built in tool for
capitalising after a Stop. He genuinely believes that it should capitalise
following a colon too, so he produced a macro tool.

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

Agreed about the need for a capital if one should exist anyway, such as 'I'
(that much neglected character) but certainly nor as a matter of course
after a semicolon.

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
To expand on those correct answers: as with all grammar rules, this one
may be broken! The first character following the colon should be
capitalised when a capital is normally demanded. For example, the phrase
following may be a quote that starts with a capital, a proper name follows
or simply 'I'. The rule isn't absolute.

To make matter worse, there are some writing circles that insist on
capitalising after a colon. But that is only in US English and not in
British or International English.

Allen Wyatt who publishes a Word Tips Newsletter, once provided a tip for
capitalising after a colon stating that Word only had a built in tool for
capitalising after a Stop. He genuinely believes that it should capitalise
following a colon too, so he produced a macro tool.

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

I was forgetting your crusade to eliminate the World from the small 'i' and
other grammatical menaces of using phone texting shorthand out-of-context.
g

Terry


"aalaan" wrote in message
...
Agreed about the need for a capital if one should exist anyway, such as
'I' (that much neglected character) but certainly nor as a matter of
course after a semicolon.

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
To expand on those correct answers: as with all grammar rules, this one
may be broken! The first character following the colon should be
capitalised when a capital is normally demanded. For example, the phrase
following may be a quote that starts with a capital, a proper name
follows or simply 'I'. The rule isn't absolute.

To make matter worse, there are some writing circles that insist on
capitalising after a colon. But that is only in US English and not in
British or International English.

Allen Wyatt who publishes a Word Tips Newsletter, once provided a tip for
capitalising after a colon stating that Word only had a built in tool for
capitalising after a Stop. He genuinely believes that it should
capitalise following a colon too, so he produced a macro tool.

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

No I don't wish to 'eliminate the World from the small 'i' but I would like
to do it the other way round! Your error of order is a bit like the classic
advert 'Piano wanted by lady with bulbous legs'

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
I was forgetting your crusade to eliminate the World from the small 'i' and
other grammatical menaces of using phone texting shorthand out-of-context.
g

Terry


"aalaan" wrote in message
...
Agreed about the need for a capital if one should exist anyway, such as
'I' (that much neglected character) but certainly nor as a matter of
course after a semicolon.

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
To expand on those correct answers: as with all grammar rules, this one
may be broken! The first character following the colon should be
capitalised when a capital is normally demanded. For example, the phrase
following may be a quote that starts with a capital, a proper name
follows or simply 'I'. The rule isn't absolute.

To make matter worse, there are some writing circles that insist on
capitalising after a colon. But that is only in US English and not in
British or International English.

Allen Wyatt who publishes a Word Tips Newsletter, once provided a tip
for capitalising after a colon stating that Word only had a built in
tool for capitalising after a Stop. He genuinely believes that it should
capitalise following a colon too, so he produced a macro tool.

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

For someone who wants to rid the world of 'i', what sort of name is
"aalaan"?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"aalaan" wrote in message
...
No I don't wish to 'eliminate the World from the small 'i' but I would
like
to do it the other way round! Your error of order is a bit like the
classic
advert 'Piano wanted by lady with bulbous legs'

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
I was forgetting your crusade to eliminate the World from the small 'i'
and
other grammatical menaces of using phone texting shorthand
out-of-context.
g

Terry


"aalaan" wrote in message
...
Agreed about the need for a capital if one should exist anyway, such as
'I' (that much neglected character) but certainly nor as a matter of
course after a semicolon.

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
To expand on those correct answers: as with all grammar rules, this
one
may be broken! The first character following the colon should be
capitalised when a capital is normally demanded. For example, the
phrase
following may be a quote that starts with a capital, a proper name
follows or simply 'I'. The rule isn't absolute.

To make matter worse, there are some writing circles that insist on
capitalising after a colon. But that is only in US English and not in
British or International English.

Allen Wyatt who publishes a Word Tips Newsletter, once provided a tip
for capitalising after a colon stating that Word only had a built in
tool for capitalising after a Stop. He genuinely believes that it
should
capitalise following a colon too, so he produced a macro tool.

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could
not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?

touché!

But I thought you were on my side.

"Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote in message
...
For someone who wants to rid the world of 'i', what sort of name is
"aalaan"?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup
so
all may benefit.

"aalaan" wrote in message
...
No I don't wish to 'eliminate the World from the small 'i' but I would
like
to do it the other way round! Your error of order is a bit like the
classic
advert 'Piano wanted by lady with bulbous legs'

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
I was forgetting your crusade to eliminate the World from the small 'i'
and
other grammatical menaces of using phone texting shorthand
out-of-context.
g

Terry


"aalaan" wrote in message
...
Agreed about the need for a capital if one should exist anyway, such
as
'I' (that much neglected character) but certainly nor as a matter of
course after a semicolon.

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
To expand on those correct answers: as with all grammar rules, this
one
may be broken! The first character following the colon should be
capitalised when a capital is normally demanded. For example, the
phrase
following may be a quote that starts with a capital, a proper name
follows or simply 'I'. The rule isn't absolute.

To make matter worse, there are some writing circles that insist on
capitalising after a colon. But that is only in US English and not in
British or International English.

Allen Wyatt who publishes a Word Tips Newsletter, once provided a tip
for capitalising after a colon stating that Word only had a built in
tool for capitalising after a Stop. He genuinely believes that it
should
capitalise following a colon too, so he produced a macro tool.

--
Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

"justme" wrote in message
...
I was just trying to figure out a simple grammar question and could
not
find
a way to ask Word 2003 my question. My question is simply:

When I've combined two sentences with a semi-colon, is it proper to
capitalize the first word of the second sentence or not?