MTEL Communication Literacy Skills : Writing Practice Test

How should seasons be capitalized according to standard writing conventions?

1. Always capitalized.

2. Only the first letter should be capitalized.

3. They should be written in all lowercase.

4. Only when they are part of a title.

The correct answer is: They should be written in all lowercase.

In standard writing conventions, the names of the seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—are typically written in all lowercase unless they are part of a title or at the beginning of a sentence. This is because they are common nouns rather than proper nouns. Understanding this distinction is key to applying proper capitalization rules in writing. Capitalization is generally reserved for specific names or titles, which do not apply to the seasons in general use. For example, one would write, "I love summer," where 'summer' is lowercase. However, in a title like "The joys of Summer," 'Summer' is capitalized due to its position in the title. Recognizing when to capitalize based on context is crucial for effective writing.