Question

Read the following instructions from a digital style guide.

Lowercase north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest when using compass directions.

Examples: He drove east. The hurricane is moving northeast.
Capitalize directions when they designate specific regions.

Examples: The storm system developed in the Southwest. The North won the Civil War.
Which sentence correctly follows the instructions from the guide?

A.
There's plenty of cheap land for sale in the mountains in the West.
B.
They decided to walk North on the Appalachian Trail.
C.
Very few railroad systems existed in the antebellum south.
D.
The tornado was first headed Southwest before quickly shifting East.

Answer 1

A.

Explanation: "the West" names a specific region, so it should be capitalized. The others are wrong: B should be "north," C should be "South," and D should be "southwest" and "east."