desperate!!!?

Question

If I write that geologists study the earth, do you capitalize earth or not?

ALSO, WHEN I SAY THAT THE EARTH WAS OLDER THAN PREVIOUSLY IMAGINED, DO I CAPITALIZE EARTH OR NOT?

Answer 1

Capitalize it if you are talking about the whole planet. lowercase it if you are talking about the ground you are walking on.

Answer 2

If you are talking about what squishes between your toes when you are barefoot in mud, I would use earth. If you are describing an asteroid collision with the planet you and everyone else lives on I would capitalize it.

Lexicography

In American English usage, the name can be capitalized or spelled in lowercase interchangeably, either when used absolutely or prefixed with "the" (i.e. Earth, the Earth, earth or the earth). Many deliberately spell the name of the planet with a capital, both as "Earth" or "the Earth". This is to distinguish it as a proper noun, distinct from the senses of the term as a count noun or verb (e.g. referring to soil, the ground, earthing in the electrical sense, etc.). Oxford Spelling recognizes the lowercase form as the most common, with the capitalized form as a variant of it. Another convention that is very common is to spell the name with a capital when occurring absolutely (e.g. Earth's atmosphere) and lowercase when preceded by "the" (e.g. the atmosphere of the earth). The term almost exclusively exists in lowercase when appearing in common phrases, even without "the" preceding it (e.g. it does not cost the earth; what on earth are you doing?).[2]

Answer 3

Use capitals when referring to the names of planets. Earth is a planet.

Answer 4

Don't capitalize earth but do capitalize the Earth.

Answer 5

I think it depends, if you're referring to "the Earth", meaning our one-and-only chunk of rock you'd capitalize it, if you're just using "earth" to refer to any chunk of rock it wouldn't be, I believe. But honestly, I don't know how many teachers or professors will bust your hump about this.

Answer 6

"DONT CAPITALIZE THE EARTH" It might cause global warming.. No seriously dont capitalize the word "earth".