Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL):
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Response and Rationale for Writing Subtest Sample Question #74

Answer: Will drove west toward West Virginia.

 

Rationale: Directions (like “west”) are not capitalized, unless they are being used to specify a geographical region. So, one would write “He drove west toward the West.” That sentence would indicate that he was driving in a westward direction toward the region named the West. In this case, “West Virginia” is also the name of a state, and so it is a proper noun.

 

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