TACHS Quiz: Punctuation And Capitalization Errors
20 questions · exam conditions
0:00
Punctuation And Capitalization ErrorsQuestion 1 of 20

Which sentence is punctuated correctly when citing a letter grade?

Lana received an A, on the science project.
Lana received an "A" on the science project.
Lana received an 'A' on the science project.
Lana received an A on the science project.
← Back to quizzes

TACHS Quiz

TACHS Quiz: Punctuation And Capitalization Errors

Practice Punctuation And Capitalization Errors in TACHS with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Punctuation And Capitalization Errors, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for TACHS.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Which sentence is punctuated correctly when citing a letter grade?

  1. Lana received an A, on the science project.
  2. Lana received an "A" on the science project.
  3. Lana received an 'A' on the science project.
  4. Lana received an A on the science project. (correct answer)
Explanation: When you encounter questions about citing letter grades, you're being tested on proper punctuation conventions for academic marks. The key principle is that letter grades are treated as standard text elements, not as quotations or special citations. The correct answer is D because letter grades should be written without any special punctuation marks. When you write "Lana received an A on the science project," you're treating the grade as a simple noun in the sentence, which is the standard convention in academic and professional writing. Let's examine why the other options are incorrect. Choice A adds an unnecessary comma after the grade, which creates an awkward pause and incorrect sentence structure - there's no reason to separate the grade from the rest of the sentence with punctuation. Choice B uses double quotation marks around the grade, but quotation marks are reserved for direct speech, exact quotes from sources, or words being used in a special sense - none of which apply to letter grades. Choice C uses single quotation marks, which in American English are typically used for quotes within quotes or certain technical purposes, but again, not for letter grades. The common misconception here is thinking that grades need special punctuation because they're "citations" or references to academic performance. However, letter grades function grammatically just like any other noun in a sentence. Study tip: Remember that letter grades are treated as regular text elements. Don't overthink the punctuation - if you wouldn't put quotes or commas around other simple nouns, don't put them around grades either.

Question 2

Which sentence is punctuated incorrectly?

  1. We met June 5, 2020.
  2. On June 5, 2020, we met.
  3. We met on June 5, 2020.
  4. On June 5 2020, we met. (correct answer)
Explanation: In a month-day-year date, use a comma between the day and the year. When the date begins a sentence, also use a comma after the year. The incorrect option lacks the comma between 5 and 2020. The tempting error is the sentence with two commas around the date, but both commas are required there.

Question 3

Which sentence has a capitalization error?

  1. She lives in the South.
  2. Birds fly south in winter.
  3. We drove South to the beach. (correct answer)
  4. The wind came from the south.
Explanation: Capitalize south only when it names a region, as in 'the South.' In 'We drove South to the beach,' south is a direction, not a place, so it should be lowercase. The tempting wrong answer is 'She lives in the South,' but that one is correct because it refers to a specific region.

Question 4

Which sentence contains a capitalization error?

  1. The president saw Mayor Lee.
  2. The President saw Mayor Lee. (correct answer)
  3. Mayor Lee saw the president.
  4. The mayor saw the president.
Explanation: A title like president is capitalized only when it directly precedes a person's name. In 'The President saw Mayor Lee,' the President is not followed by a name, so it should be lowercase. Mayor Lee is correct because mayor comes before the name Lee. The tempting error is thinking all government titles are always capitalized, but the rule is position: before a name.

Question 5

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. "Are you ready?" she asked. (correct answer)
  2. "Are you ready?", she asked.
  3. "Are you ready?" She asked.
  4. "Are you ready"? she asked.
Explanation: A question mark belongs inside the closing quotation marks when the quoted words are a question. Use a lowercase letter for she because the dialogue tag continues the same sentence, and do not add a comma after the question mark. The most tempting error inserts a comma after the quote, but the question mark already provides the needed punctuation.

Question 6

Which sentence contains a punctuation error?

  1. Whose jacket is this?
  2. Who's jacket is this? (correct answer)
  3. Who's coming to dinner?
  4. Whose puppy is that?
Explanation: With who's, you are writing 'who is' or 'who has,' so 'Who's jacket is this?' actually reads 'Who is jacket is this?' Possession calls for whose, not who's. The tempting wrong sentence is 'Who's coming to dinner?' because it looks like an apostrophe error, but there who's correctly means 'who is.'

Question 7

Choose the sentence that contains a capitalization error.

  1. During our trip to the Southwest, we visited Monument Valley.
  2. Next summer, Aaron hopes to climb Mount Rainier.
  3. Li read a biography about President lincoln for history class. (correct answer)
  4. Maria's family moved east from Phoenix to Albuquerque last year.
Explanation: When you encounter capitalization questions, focus on the specific rules for proper nouns, especially names of people, places, and titles. Let's examine each sentence for capitalization errors. In choice C, "President lincoln" contains the error—while "President" is correctly capitalized as a title, "lincoln" should be "Lincoln" since it's a proper noun (a person's last name). All proper nouns, including surnames, must always be capitalized regardless of context. Now let's check why the other choices are correct. Choice A properly capitalizes "Southwest" (a geographical region) and "Monument Valley" (a specific place name). Choice B correctly capitalizes "Aaron" (person's name), "Mount Rainier" (specific mountain), and leaves "summer" lowercase since seasons are common nouns. Choice D appropriately capitalizes "Maria's" (person's name), "Phoenix," and "Albuquerque" (city names), while correctly leaving "east" lowercase since it's used as a direction rather than a regional name. The key distinction in choice D is that "east" functions as a directional word describing movement, not as a proper noun referring to a specific region like "the East Coast." When geographical terms describe direction or general areas, they remain lowercase. Remember this strategy: Always capitalize people's names completely—first name, middle name, and last name. This is one of the most fundamental capitalization rules, yet it's easy to overlook in longer sentences. When proofreading, scan specifically for any personal names and verify each part is capitalized.

Question 8

Which sentence uses semicolons and commas correctly?

  1. Charlene packed toothpaste; a toothbrush, and soap; for the trip.
  2. Charlene packed toothpaste, a toothbrush; and soap for the trip;
  3. Charlene packed toothpaste, a toothbrush, and soap for the trip. (correct answer)
  4. Charlene packed; toothpaste, a toothbrush and soap; for the trip.
Explanation: When you encounter punctuation questions involving semicolons and commas, focus on understanding when each punctuation mark is appropriate. Semicolons typically separate independent clauses or items in a complex list where commas already appear within the items. In this sentence, Charlene is packing three simple items: toothpaste, a toothbrush, and soap. This is a straightforward series that only requires commas to separate the items. Choice C correctly uses commas to separate each item in the list, with the optional Oxford comma before "and soap." No semicolons are needed because these are simple items without internal punctuation. Choice A incorrectly places a semicolon after "toothpaste," treating it as if it were separating independent clauses or complex list items. The semicolon after "soap" is also wrong—it separates the list from a prepositional phrase that belongs with the sentence. Choice B misuses the semicolon before "and soap" in a simple series and incorrectly ends with a semicolon instead of a period. Choice D places semicolons in completely inappropriate positions—after the verb "packed" and before the prepositional phrase "for the trip"—which breaks up the sentence's natural flow. Remember this key distinction: use semicolons to separate independent clauses or complex list items that already contain commas. For simple lists like this one, stick with commas. When you see semicolons used incorrectly in answer choices, they often appear where commas or no punctuation should be used instead.

Question 9

Which sentence contains a punctuation error?

  1. My cousin enjoys kayaking; however, she dislikes sailing.
  2. My cousin enjoys kayaking; however she dislikes sailing.
  3. My cousin enjoys kayaking, however, she dislikes sailing. (correct answer)
  4. My cousin enjoys kayaking; however, she dislikes sailing.
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of punctuation with conjunctive adverbs like "however," "therefore," and "nevertheless." When you encounter these transitional words, you need to recognize that they require specific punctuation patterns to properly connect two independent clauses. The correct punctuation for conjunctive adverbs follows this pattern: semicolon before the conjunctive adverb, comma after it. This is because conjunctive adverbs create a stronger connection between two complete thoughts than regular coordinating conjunctions like "but" or "and." Looking at the answer choices, option C contains the error because it uses a comma before "however" instead of a semicolon. Since "My cousin enjoys kayaking" and "she dislikes sailing" are both independent clauses (complete sentences), a comma alone cannot properly join them with a conjunctive adverb. This creates a comma splice error. Option A is correct because it follows the proper semicolon-conjunctive adverb-comma pattern. Option B is incorrect because it's missing the comma after "however," which is required when using conjunctive adverbs to connect clauses. Option D appears to be identical to option A and would also be correct with proper punctuation. Remember this simple rule: conjunctive adverbs need a semicolon before and a comma after when connecting independent clauses. If you see words like "however," "therefore," "furthermore," or "consequently" connecting two complete thoughts, check that they're surrounded by semicolon-comma punctuation. This pattern appears frequently on standardized tests.

Question 10

Identify the sentence that is capitalized correctly.

  1. Every november, our neighborhood organizes a food drive.
  2. Every November, our Neighborhood organizes a food drive.
  3. Every November, our neighborhood organizes a Food drive.
  4. Every November, our neighborhood organizes a food drive. (correct answer)
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of capitalization rules, specifically when to capitalize proper nouns versus common nouns. When you encounter capitalization questions, focus on identifying which words name specific, unique things (proper nouns) versus general categories (common nouns). The correct answer is D because it follows standard capitalization rules precisely. "November" is capitalized because it's the name of a specific month, making it a proper noun. "Neighborhood" remains lowercase because it refers to a general area, not the official name of a specific place. "Food drive" is entirely lowercase because it describes a general type of event, not the official title of a particular program. Choice A incorrectly leaves "november" lowercase, but months are always proper nouns and must be capitalized. Choice B capitalizes "Neighborhood" unnecessarily—unless this refers to an official organization name like "The Neighborhood Association," it should remain lowercase as a common noun. Choice C capitalizes "Food" in "Food drive," but this describes a general type of charitable event, not a specific program title that would warrant capitalization. The key distinction is between proper nouns (specific names of people, places, months, holidays, organizations) and common nouns (general categories). Months like November are always capitalized, while descriptive terms like "neighborhood" and "food drive" remain lowercase unless they're part of an official title. When reviewing capitalization, ask yourself: "Is this word naming something specific and unique, or describing a general category?"

Question 11

Which sentence correctly uses an apostrophe?

  1. The puppy's tail's wagged excitedly when they saw the caretaker.
  2. The puppy's tails wagged excitedly when they saw the caretaker.
  3. The puppies tail's wagged excitedly when they saw the caretaker.
  4. The puppies' tails wagged excitedly when they saw the caretaker. (correct answer)
Explanation: When you encounter apostrophe questions, you need to determine two things: whether you're showing possession and whether the possessor is singular or plural. Let's analyze this sentence step by step. The context tells us that multiple puppies are involved because the pronoun "they" refers to the subjects. We also need to show that the tails belong to these puppies. Choice D is correct because "puppies'" uses the apostrophe properly for plural possession. When you have a plural noun ending in 's' (like "puppies"), you add only an apostrophe after the 's' to show possession. The word "tails" is correctly plural without an apostrophe because multiple puppies would have multiple tails. Choice A incorrectly uses two apostrophes - "puppy's tail's." The second apostrophe in "tail's" is wrong because the tails aren't possessing anything; they're the object being possessed. Choice B uses "puppy's tails," making the puppy singular but the tails plural. This creates a mismatch with the pronoun "they" later in the sentence, which clearly indicates multiple puppies. Choice C writes "puppies tail's," which incorrectly omits the apostrophe from "puppies" (the actual possessor) while adding an unnecessary apostrophe to "tail's" (the thing being possessed). Remember this pattern: for plural nouns ending in 's', add only an apostrophe for possession (students' books, cats' toys). For singular nouns, add apostrophe + 's' (student's book, cat's toy). Always identify who owns what before placing your apostrophe.

Question 12

Which sentence misuses a colon?

  1. Trevor has three favorite sports: soccer, tennis, and swimming.
  2. Trevor has three favorite sports—soccer, tennis, and swimming.
  3. Trevor has three favorite sports: they are soccer, tennis, and swimming. (correct answer)
  4. Trevor has three favorite sports. They are soccer, tennis, and swimming.
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of proper colon usage, specifically when colons can and cannot introduce lists or explanations. A colon should introduce a list, explanation, or elaboration that directly follows and completes the thought of what comes before it. The key rule is that what precedes the colon must be a complete, independent clause that can stand alone as a sentence. Choice C misuses the colon because it creates redundancy and awkward construction. The phrase "Trevor has three favorite sports: they are soccer, tennis, and swimming" unnecessarily repeats the subject with "they are." This makes the sentence wordy and violates the principle that a colon should introduce direct elaboration, not a complete new clause that restates the subject. Choice A correctly uses a colon to introduce a list that directly follows and specifies the "three favorite sports" mentioned before the colon. Choice B uses an em dash instead of a colon, which is also grammatically correct for introducing lists. Choice D avoids the colon entirely by using two separate sentences, which is perfectly acceptable. The problem with C is that "they are" creates unnecessary repetition—the colon already signals that what follows will identify the three sports. Adding "they are" makes the sentence redundant and clunky. Remember this colon rule: what follows a colon should directly complete or specify what comes before it, without restating the subject. If you find yourself adding pronouns like "they are" or "it is" after a colon, you're likely creating redundancy.

Question 13

Choose the sentence that has a comma splice.

  1. Karen practiced her lines for the play because she hoped the extra work would help.
  2. Karen practiced her lines for the play; she hoped the extra work would help.
  3. Karen practiced her lines for the play, she hoped the extra work would help. (correct answer)
  4. Karen practiced her lines for the play. She hoped the extra work would help.
Explanation: This question tests your ability to identify comma splices, one of the most common sentence structure errors in written English. A comma splice occurs when you incorrectly join two complete sentences (independent clauses) with only a comma. Looking at choice C, "Karen practiced her lines for the play, she hoped the extra work would help," you can see the comma splice error. Both parts before and after the comma are complete sentences that could stand alone: "Karen practiced her lines for the play" and "she hoped the extra work would help." Using just a comma to connect them creates a comma splice. Choice A avoids this error by using the subordinating conjunction "because," which makes the second part dependent on the first, creating one properly constructed sentence. Choice B correctly uses a semicolon, which is the appropriate punctuation to join two related independent clauses. Choice D solves the problem by separating the clauses into two distinct sentences with a period. The other options demonstrate the three main ways to fix comma splices: add a coordinating conjunction after the comma (like "and," "but," or "so"), replace the comma with a semicolon, or separate the clauses into individual sentences. Remember this quick test: if you can replace a comma with a period and create two complete sentences, you've found a comma splice. When you spot two independent clauses, always use proper connecting punctuation or conjunctions rather than a comma alone.

Question 14

Select the sentence that shows correct capitalization of a government body.

  1. The congress will vote on the bill tomorrow Afternoon.
  2. congress will vote on the Bill tomorrow afternoon.
  3. Congress will vote on the bill Tomorrow afternoon.
  4. Congress will vote on the bill tomorrow afternoon. (correct answer)
Explanation: This question tests your knowledge of proper capitalization rules for government bodies and common nouns. When you encounter capitalization questions, focus on which words require capital letters based on their function in the sentence. The correct answer is D because it follows two key capitalization rules perfectly. "Congress" is capitalized because it refers to a specific government body - the U.S. Congress. When naming official government institutions, you always capitalize them. The word "bill" remains lowercase because it's a common noun referring to a general piece of legislation, not a specific named document. "Tomorrow" and "afternoon" are also correctly lowercase as they function as common time references. Choice A incorrectly capitalizes "Afternoon," which should be lowercase since it's just a general time of day, not a proper noun. Choice B makes two errors: "congress" should be capitalized when referring to the official government body, and "Bill" should be lowercase since it's a common noun, not someone's name. Choice C incorrectly capitalizes "Tomorrow," which should remain lowercase as it's functioning as a common adverb of time. Remember this pattern: capitalize specific government institutions (Congress, Senate, House of Representatives) but keep general terms lowercase (bill, law, committee) unless they're part of an official title. Also, general time words like "tomorrow," "afternoon," "morning," and "evening" stay lowercase unless they begin a sentence. This distinction between proper nouns (specific entities) and common nouns (general categories) is frequently tested on the TACHS.

Question 15

Which sentence contains an unnecessary hyphen?

  1. The well-known author signed copies of her book.
  2. The storm caused long-lasting damage to the shoreline.
  3. Miles prefers sugar-free gum while studying.
  4. The teacher praised the students' out-standing effort. (correct answer)
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of when compound adjectives need hyphens. When two or more words work together as a single adjective before a noun, they're typically hyphenated to show they function as one unit. The correct answer is D because "outstanding" is a single word, not a compound adjective. Breaking it into "out-standing" creates an unnecessary hyphen that splits a complete word. "Outstanding" should always be written as one word when describing excellent performance or effort. Let's examine why the other options correctly use hyphens. Choice A uses "well-known" properly because "well" and "known" combine to form a compound adjective describing the author. Without the hyphen, readers might initially think "well" modifies something else. Choice B correctly hyphenates "long-lasting" since "long" and "lasting" work together as a single descriptive unit for the damage. Choice C properly uses "sugar-free" because these two words combine to describe a specific type of gum - one without sugar. The key pattern here is that compound adjectives (multiple words acting as one adjective) need hyphens when they appear before nouns, but single words should never be artificially split with hyphens. For future questions, remember that if you can find the word in a dictionary as one complete entry (like "outstanding"), don't add hyphens. Only hyphenate when separate words are combining to create a unified descriptive meaning.

Question 16

Identify the sentence that requires a comma after an introductory dependent clause.

  1. When it rains, the sidewalks become slippery.
  2. After lunch the class will visit the art museum.
  3. If you finish early, please begin the homework assignment.
  4. Because the roads were icy we delayed our trip until noon. (correct answer)
Explanation: When you encounter questions about punctuating introductory dependent clauses, you need to identify which sentences are missing the required comma that should separate the dependent clause from the main clause. The correct answer is D because "Because the roads were icy we delayed our trip until noon" contains an introductory dependent clause ("Because the roads were icy") that is not followed by a comma. This sentence requires punctuation correction—it should read "Because the roads were icy, we delayed our trip until noon." The dependent clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and introduces the main clause, so a comma is mandatory. Choice A is incorrect because it already has proper punctuation. "When it rains" is correctly followed by a comma before the main clause "the sidewalks become slippery." Choice B is wrong because "After lunch" is a prepositional phrase, not a dependent clause—it lacks a subject and verb combination. While this sentence would benefit from a comma for clarity, the question specifically asks about dependent clauses. Choice C is also incorrect because it's already properly punctuated, with "If you finish early" correctly followed by a comma. Remember this key pattern: dependent clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions (when, if, because, although, since, etc.) and contain both a subject and verb. When they introduce a sentence, they must be followed by a comma. Look for missing commas after these introductory elements—they're common targets on writing mechanics questions.

Question 17

Select the sentence that correctly uses commas with items in a series containing internal commas.

  1. On the tour we stopped in Albany, New York, Boston, Massachusetts, and Concord, New Hampshire.
  2. On the tour we stopped in Albany, New York, Boston, Massachusetts and Concord, New Hampshire.
  3. On the tour we stopped in Albany, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; and Concord, New Hampshire. (correct answer)
  4. On the tour we stopped in Albany New York, Boston Massachusetts, and Concord New Hampshire.
Explanation: When you encounter items in a series that already contain internal commas, standard comma rules create confusion and ambiguity. This calls for semicolons to separate the major items in the series. In this question, each destination contains internal commas separating the city from its state: "Albany, New York" and "Boston, Massachusetts" and "Concord, New Hampshire." When listing these destinations in a series, you need semicolons between each complete location to clearly distinguish where one item ends and the next begins. Choice C correctly uses semicolons to separate each city-state pair: "Albany, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; and Concord, New Hampshire." The semicolons act as "super commas" that organize the series at a higher level, while regular commas still separate cities from states within each item. Choice A incorrectly uses only commas throughout, creating confusion about whether "New York" and "Boston" are separate destinations or if "Boston" belongs with "New York." Choice B has the same comma problem and also omits the serial comma before "and," making the series even less clear. Choice D fails completely by omitting the necessary commas between cities and states, then inappropriately mixing this error with regular comma separation. Remember this pattern: when items in a series already contain commas, upgrade to semicolons to separate the main items. This technique appears frequently in formal writing and standardized tests, so practice identifying when internal punctuation requires semicolon separation.

Question 18

Which sentence correctly punctuates a direct address?

  1. Could you, Elena please hand me the notebook?
  2. Could you Elena, please hand me the notebook?
  3. Could you, Elena, please hand me the notebook? (correct answer)
  4. Could you Elena please, hand me the notebook?
Explanation: Direct address occurs when you're speaking directly to someone by using their name or title within a sentence. The key rule is that the person's name must be set off with commas on both sides when it appears in the middle of a sentence. In option C, "Could you, Elena, please hand me the notebook?", the name "Elena" is properly enclosed by commas because it interrupts the flow of the sentence. If you removed "Elena" entirely, the sentence would still be grammatically complete: "Could you please hand me the notebook?" This confirms that the name is an interruption that needs comma separation. Option A places only one comma before "Elena" but omits the comma after it, creating an incomplete punctuation pattern. Option B incorrectly places the comma after "Elena" but not before it, which fails to properly separate the direct address from the main sentence structure. Option D misplaces the comma after "please" instead of around the name, completely missing the direct address punctuation rule and creating an awkward pause in the wrong location. The comma placement in direct address follows a consistent pattern: when the name appears at the beginning of a sentence, use one comma after it; when it appears at the end, use one comma before it; and when it appears in the middle, enclose it with commas on both sides. Remember this simple test: if you can remove the person's name and the sentence still makes complete sense, then that name needs to be set off with commas as a direct address.

Question 19

Choose the sentence with correct end punctuation for an indirect question.

  1. Mia wondered how far the stars really are?
  2. Mia wondered, how far are the stars really?
  3. Mia wondered how far the stars really are. (correct answer)
  4. Mia wondered: how far the stars really are.
Explanation: When you encounter questions about punctuation with indirect questions, remember that indirect questions are statements about questions, not actual questions themselves. An indirect question reports what someone wondered, asked, or thought about without using the exact words of the original question. The correct answer is C because "Mia wondered how far the stars really are" is an indirect question that functions as a statement. Since it's a statement, it requires a period at the end, not a question mark. The sentence tells us what Mia wondered about rather than directly asking the question. Choice A incorrectly uses a question mark after an indirect question. This is a common mistake because the content involves wondering about something, but the sentence structure is declarative, not interrogative. Choice B incorrectly inserts a comma and restructures the sentence in a way that creates a confusing mixture of indirect and direct question formats. The comma splice and awkward construction make this grammatically incorrect. Choice D uses a colon, which would only be appropriate if you were introducing a direct quotation or formal list, neither of which applies here. To master this concept, remember this simple rule: if the sentence tells you that someone wondered, asked, or thought about something (rather than directly posing the question), use a period. Direct questions like "How far are the stars?" get question marks, but indirect questions like "She wondered how far the stars are" always end with periods.

Question 20

Which sentence requires capitalization of the season?

  1. During the winter months, daylight hours are shorter.
  2. Every winter, our school builds an ice rink behind the gym.
  3. We plan to visit Vermont during winter vacation.
  4. The Winter Carnival is the highlight of the year in Quebec. (correct answer)
Explanation: When you encounter capitalization questions about seasons, remember that seasons are typically treated as common nouns and written in lowercase—unless they're part of a proper noun like an event name or title. The correct answer is D because "Winter Carnival" is the name of a specific event. When a season appears in the title of a festival, celebration, or formal event name, it becomes part of a proper noun and must be capitalized. This follows the same rule as "Spring Festival" or "Summer Olympics." Let's examine why the other options don't require capitalization. In choice A, "winter months" refers to the general time period when winter occurs—it's not naming a specific event or proper noun, so "winter" stays lowercase. Choice B uses "winter" as a common noun describing the season when the school builds the rink; again, no proper noun is involved. Choice C presents "winter vacation," which describes a type of vacation that happens during winter, but it's not the formal name of a specific event or program. The key distinction is between seasons used as common nouns (describing time periods or general concepts) versus seasons that are part of proper nouns (specific event names, formal titles, or official programs). Remember this pattern: if you can replace the season with "the" and the sentence still makes sense grammatically, it's probably a common noun that should stay lowercase. Events and formal titles, however, always get capitalized.