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Another capitalization question


Alpo

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There are words that are both "job descriptions" and "titles".

 

On Gomer Pyle, Vince Carter was a sergeant in the Marine Corps. He was Sergeant Carter.

 

One is lower case, the other is upper.

 

But I'm wondering about "secretary".

 

Jane Hathaway was Milburn Drysdale's secretary, on The Beverly Hillbillies.

 

But Henry Kissinger - was he Secretary of State, or secretary of State?

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Titles (Sergeant Carter, Secretary Kissinger, Doctor Casey, Miss Hathaway) are generally capitalized because they refer to an individual. Ranks, offices, or jobs (sergeant, doctor, president, secretary) usually aren't because they don't mean a specific person.

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There are words that are both "job descriptions" and "titles".

 

On Gomer Pyle, Vince Carter was a sergeant in the Marine Corps. He was Sergeant Carter.

 

One is lower case, the other is upper.

 

But I'm wondering about "secretary".

 

Jane Hathaway was Milburn Drysdale's secretary, on The Beverly Hillbillies.

 

But Henry Kissinger - was he Secretary of State, or secretary of State?

I'll bet you drove your folks nuts when you were a kid Alpo, with all of the questions you asked.

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