M2-c Capitalize the first word in a quotation unless it is integrated into your own wording or continues an interrupted quotation.
Printed Page H-75
- Lucy Danziger says, “Forget about the glass ceiling” (81).
- Lucy Danziger argues that we should “forget about the glass ceiling.”
- Marilyn describes the adult bison as having an “ugly, shaggy, brown coat.”
Writers often incorporate short quotations and quotations introduced by that into their sentences; neither needs an initial capital letter. When a phrase such as she said interrupts a quotation, capitalize the first word in the quotation but not the first word after the phrase unless it begins a new sentence. (See also P6.)
Note: If you quote from a poem, capitalize words exactly as the poet does.