Are Theories Capitalized? What Are The Rules To Follow?

Most people have a hard time writing theories because they are not sure if they should be capitalized or not. So, are theories capitalized? English grammar writing rules are many, and they can be complex to understand; you have to master the rules of capitalization and how to use them in different settings.

The rule is simple; use lowercase when writing your theories. You do not need to capitalize the first character of each word when writing. It’s because these words are common nouns, so they are not given any special consideration. But there are some exceptions to that.

Mastering capitalization might seem hard at first, and if you do not put in the effort, you might never learn. That means you’ll always be second-guessing each time you are writing. You also need to note that there are various exceptions to the rules regarding capitalization. The article will highlight what you must know when capitalizing theories.

Rules of Capitalizing Theories

The main rule of capitalizing theories is that since they are not proper nouns: they should not be capitalized. In most cases, words used to describe theories are general and not attached to anything or anyone. In such a case, theories do not need any unique attention.

The mistake most people make when writing theories is to assume that they are proper nouns since they are specific to the theory. However, the words used are general, so they do not require capitalization. When you capitalize the wrong word, most people will wonder how you can miss the simple basics of capitalization.

That is why it is vital to understand the best way to write theories. As a way of helping you better understand how to write theories, here are examples to note.

• Most people disagree with the behaviorism theory and claim to be vulnerable to children.
• The reason teachers apply the cognitive theory when teaching is to ensure that the students learn most efficiently.
• Our research was to find evidence to oppose the general theory of relativity, and we have not managed to do it.

Rules-Based on Types of Theories

A common confusion on capitalizing theories is when the theory is referring to something big. In such cases, most people opt to capitalize it because they feel that writing the word in the small case does not do justice.

A common dilemma is the “big bang theory.” As much as you might feel tempted to write the words in capital letters, that is not the right way to write it. Here’s how the sentences should appear.

• There was a time when the big bang theory of the universe’s origin was popular.
• We still do not understand how the big bang theory was derived.
• Many theories on the word’s origin have been abandoned in favor of the big bang theories.

Is There a Time When a Theory Is Capitalized?

Yes, there is a time when a theory needs to be capitalized in a sentence. An example is when talking of it as a book or a movie.

Theories also form the basis of a scholarly argument, an area where research has been done, or an understanding developed by looking at phenomena differently. It is not uncommon for the term theory to be used in casual conversation or everyday life. Still, it should always be capitalized in the movie and book titles and related writing.

For instance, when speaking of the big bang movie, it becomes a proper noun since it is specific. Here are examples of how the theory can be capitalized.

• Have you watched the Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady Big Bang Theory?
• I found The Amazing Unity of the Universe And Its Origin in the Big Bang By Edward interesting.
• It does not only have to be the Big Bang Theory; you can use capitalization when talking about any other book or movie theory. Here are examples of writing the theories when referring to a book.
• The best way to understand string theories is by reading Strings Theory for Dummies.
• I have to rush to the library to get the Law of Definite Proportions book since I’ll need to use it for my assignments.
• His bursary helped him buy all the books needed for the semester except The Binomial Theorem new edition.

Exceptions for Capitalizing Theories

Theories should also not be capitalized except when starting a sentence. Though you must use lowercase when writing the theory, ensure that if the theory is at the beginning of the sentence, you should capitalize only the first word.

You need to capitalize words when you start a sentence to help the reader know when the sentence starts. It also helps them know when to put emphasis when they are writing. Besides, capitalizing the first word on each sentence is a basic capitalization rule that does not have an exception. Let us learn more below.

• The Law of thermodynamics is a broad concept, and it might take a whole semester before we complete the practicals.
• Field theory homework should be done in groups.
• Graph theory homework cannot be completed without a graph.

More Alternative Rules When Capitalizing Theories

The other alternative to use when capitalizing on theories is when someone’s name is part of the theory.

People’s names are proper nouns, and each time you use them, the first word should be in uppercase. Though the rule is that theories should not be capitalized, if the theory has a person’s name, then that part of the name should be in capital letters. Look at the examples below for a better understanding.

• Grothendieck’s Galois Theory has made it easy to understand algebraic geometry better.
• Mary is having a hard time in class because she was not present on Dr. Goodman’s theory of languages during the lesson.
• His favorite part of the lesson was when the teacher discussed Squiggle’s theory of chocolate melting dynamics.

10 Examples of Correct Theories Use In Sentences

Grammar can be a tricky thing. There are so many rules, and often it seems like they contradict each other. But, if you learn from correct sentences, your writing will be so much better. Let’s take a look at ten examples of correct usage of theories in sentences. Let’s get started!

1. Did you know that the oxygen theory of combustion was one of the theories that paved the way to modern chemistry?
2. The information theory was studied and proved to be factual in 1948.
3. He has a lot to say about the particular relativity theory; he must have studied much.
4. The question required us to identify and define the main cognitive theories and their roles.
5. The journal Peter wrote titled A Simple Guide to Humanistic theories is well researched.
6. The students had loads of questions about the Hodge theories.
7. Evolution theory in literature is exciting and fun to learn.
8. The assignment was to demonstrate the glacier control theory.
9. The Movie we watched in the classroom was the Limit to Grow theory.
10. The exam on the kinetic theory of gasses will be next week.

Conclusion

Grammar rules on capitalization ensure that your writing is grammatically correct and easy to read. Most people underestimate the importance of proper capitalization, yet readers will have difficulty understanding you without it. That is why you need to learn when to capitalize theories. Luckily, this article has addressed issues most people have when capitalizing theories.

It might seem impossible to learn at first, but if you read more and source the right samples, you will automatically know when to capitalize words and when not to. Let us hear from you on some of the theories you had a challenge writing and how this article has helped you.