I found this guide back in 2007, provided by Standard MIDI Files on the Net, how defunct. I kept it on a TXT file on my hard disk for 11 years, and I rediscovered it today. And it’s still great, so I’m publishing the original here.
- The first and last words are always capitalized, and all except the words listed below are capitalized.
- These are lower-case, unless they are the first word or last word.
- articles: a, an, the
- conjunctions: and, but, or, nor
- prepositions that are less than five letters long: at, by for, from, in, into, of, off, on, onto, out, over, to, up, with
- as (only if it is followed by a noun)
- Prepositions are sometimes capitalized.
- Prepositions are capitalized when they are the first or last word.
- Prepositions that are part of two-word “phrasal verbs” (Come On, Hold On, etc.) are capitalized.
- Prepositions that are over four letters long. (across, after, among, beyond, etc.).
- These short words are capitalized. Some people occasionally forget to capitalize these.
- also, be, if, than, that, thus, when
- as (if it is followed by a verb)
A List of Some “Phrasal Verbs”
These are some phrases in which the preposition needs to be capitalized.
Beat Up Do Over Go Over Make Up Take After Blow Out Fill In Hand In Pack Up Take Back Break Down Fill Out Hand Up Pass Out Take Off Break Into Get Along Hold On Pick Out Take On Break Up Get Around Keep On Pick Up Take Up Bring Up Get By Keep Up Put Away Talk Back Call Off Get Over Leave Out Put Off Talk Over Call On Get Through Let Down Put On Throw Away Call Up Get Up Look For Put Out Try On Carry On Give Back Look Into Put Up Turn Down Come Back Give Up Look Like Roll Over Turn In Come Down Go Along Look Out Run Into Turn Off Come On Go Away Look Over Run Out Turn On Come Out Go Away Look Up Run Over Use Up Come Over Go On Make Out Show Up Wait On