MTEL Communication Literacy Skills: Writing Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The sentence "They studied the Roaring twenties in school" correctly illustrates the rules of capitalization for historical periods. In this context, "Roaring Twenties" refers to a specific and widely recognized era in the early 20th century, characterized by significant cultural and social change, particularly in the United States. The phrase is commonly capitalized to denote its importance as a distinct historical period, similar to how one would reference the "Victorian Era" or the "Great Depression."

Capitalization is used here to signal that "Roaring Twenties" is not just a general phrase but a proper noun referring to a significant historical timeframe. Additionally, the term "twenties" is capitalized as part of the formal name of this era.

In contrast, the other examples do not adhere to capitalization conventions for historical periods. "Middle ages" is generally written as "Middle Ages," referencing a well-defined historical period. "World War 1" should be capitalized as "World War I," as it is a formal title of a significant event in history.