Capitalization after colon

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Hello,I have recently read a book by some Polish professors in English and have noted that they have capitalized some words following a colon. Is this legal in English? What about in Polish? Just curious,Thanks,JG

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I'm far from an authority on this (I lived in Poland for 3 years but never learned the language academically), but I think it's just an overgeneralization. I think the Polish colon can function as a quotation mark, so that might explain it.
Like I said, I'm far from an expert.

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[nq:1]Hello, I have recently read a book by some Polish professors in English and have noted that they have capitalized some words following a colon. Is this legal in English? What about in Polish? Just curious,[/nq]
I don't think there are any laws about this, but it's certainly not usual in English to capitalise a word after a colon, unless it would be capitalised anyway.
But then, till about 200 years ago all nouns were capitalised in British English, as in German.
With best wishes,
Peter.

Peter Young, (BrE), Consultant Anaesthetist, 1975-2004. (US equivalent: Attending Anesthesiologist)
Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK.
Now happily retired.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hello, I have recently read a book by some Polish professors in English and have noted that they have capitalized some words following a colon. Is this legal in English? What about in Polish? Just curious, Thanks, JG[/nq]
In English, it depends on what follows the colon. The first word of a list is not capitalized; the first word of a full sentence is.

I have no idea about Polish-language rules.

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[nq:1]I have recently read a book by some Polish professors in English and have noted that they have capitalized some words following a colon. Is this legal in English? What about in Polish?[/nq]
I have no idea about Polish, but in English a colon "is used to introduce formally. It furnishes this service for lists, tables, and quotations, or for the second member of a two-sentence statement when the first raises an expectation or makes a promise to be fulfilled by the second." (Wilson Follertt, Modern American Usage ). When what follows the colon is an explicit quotation, or even a new paragraph, it is capitalized as is natural for its form, otherwise not. Here are examples (I hope the indent spacing is preserved).

Mayor Johnson stated flatly: "No such thing will ever happen during my administration."

He was getting bored with all the dull material in the papers he was scrutinizing, till he came to something that made him snap instantly awake:
It was no more and no less than, in effect, a full confession by the criminal. It was direct and clear, and left no doubt.

The ingredients are simple and few: flour, water, yeast, and salt.

He was a dedicated worker: his goal was no less than to re-make the society.

Most writers have no trouble with the colon introducing lists or quotations, but its handy use as a mark of further explication in an ordinary sentence is now sadly diminished and in need of a revival.

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[nq:1]Hello, I have recently read a book by some Polish professors in English and have noted that they have capitalized some words following a colon. Is this legal in English?[/nq]
Legal? No one in the USA goes to jail for incorrect punctuation.
[nq:1]What about in Polish?[/nq]
Does Polish have a colon?
GFH

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hello, I have recently read a book by some Polish professors in English and have noted that they have capitalized some words following a colon. Is this legal in English?[/nq]
No, it's wrong in standard English (unless there's another reason for using the capital.)
L

Capitalization after colon

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