3 Examples of Erroneous Case Style

3 Examples of Erroneous Case Style 3 Examples of Erroneous Case Style 3 Examples of Erroneous Case Style By Mark Nichol In each of the following examples, a phrase employs incorrect treatment as to whether one or more words begin with uppercase or lowercase letters. An explanation, followed by a revision, points out each error. 1. Three of the children developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition with anemia and kidney complications. Names of medical conditions are not capitalized: â€Å"Three of the children developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition with anemia and kidney complications.† (Exceptions include surnames, as in â€Å"Crohn’s disease,† or geographical terms, as in â€Å"Asian flu.†) 2. Smith didn’t endear himself to the Beehive state when he refused to participate in a debate scheduled for Monday. All key words in epithets such as state nicknames are capitalized: â€Å"Smith didn’t endear himself to the Beehive State when he refused to participate in a debate scheduled for Monday.† (The article the should be lowercased in such appellations; otherwise, the only state nickname that includes a lowercase word is that of New Mexico: â€Å"the Land of Enchantment.†) 3. Harvard University Accounting Professor John Smith was struck by the growing number of studies showing that most such transactions fail to deliver their intended value over the long term. Usually, when professor (or â€Å"associate professor† or â€Å"assistant professor†) immediately precedes a person’s name, it is treated as a specific job title and is capitalized; an exception, however, occurs when the title is preceded by modifying terms. Here, though â€Å"Harvard University† retains capitalization because of its status as an entity, accounting is also lowercased because the reference is to an academic discipline, not an academic department: â€Å"Harvard University accounting professor John Smith was struck by the growing number of studies showing that most such transactions fail to deliver their intended value over the long term.† (Many writers would also choose to unstack the unwieldy identifying phrase: â€Å"John Smith, a professor of accounting at Harvard University, was struck by the growing number of studies showing that most such transactions fail to deliver their intended value over the long term.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a US Business LetterHow to Punctuate with â€Å"However†Artist vs. Artisan