You might have a friend (or maybe your grandmother) who likes capital letters a little too much, even if they have no idea what a pride capital is. Now you can be specific when you teach them the error of their ways.
INCORRECT
- I gave my Oldest brother a copy of a really Great book.
- We must Fight for the right to Read!
- That book made me feel Happiness and Pride and All Good Things.
CORRECT
Pride capitals have nothing to do with the normal rules of capitalization; they exist simply as a way to emphasize particular words. In the examples, the only words that are appropriately capitalized begin each sentence. Rather than writing “I Hated that movie; it made me cry All Night,” try italicizing instead: “I hated that movie; it made me cry all night.” For those using capitalization arbitrarily, italics won’t help. Instead, consider sticking to the rules.
MORE TO KNOW
Over-capitalization seems to run rampant when one has little to say that is genuinely important or interesting. Pride capitals are a way to emphasize without being particularly creative. For example: “I went to a Museum” uses only “went.” Strong verbs are fun! Replace “went” with “meticulously explored,” “rampaged through,” or “danced around inside,” and you won’t need pride capitals to make your point. This is your chance to be creative.