Grammar help needed

[lucy5]

A capital letter question. If you write a possesive like Tom's mother. Does mother require a capital m as it becoames a name? For example Tom's mother's life was the direct opposite of .........

Don't think it becomes a name, it's a noun.
but there are people here far more pedantic than me, who will know the answer

No, it does not need a capital.

Thank you, it's rather embarrassing, I'm an English teacher and my mind has gone blank.

I had this boyfriend, you would have thought he was German the way he capitalised nouns. Used to drive me round the twist as he was such a f*&^ing poser and always fancied himself so refined.

Sorry, OT there.

No, no capital needed there.

For some men, mother is Mother IYKWIM. Tom may have been one such man . It doesn't need a capital though..

Tom's mother is small m. In some cases the word mother alone might be used in the same way as a name, in which case you might capitalise it.

ie: 'Hello, Mother', said Tom. Tom's mother smiled back at him.

Nope, no capital. Like when you say my mother, or my mum and dad.

You'd not capitalise "Tom's brother", would you?