Advice from the Editors

usage word choice writing tips

The Confused Answer

After reading the title of this post, you probably think that I will be telling you about an answer that is mixed up . . . Read More

capitalization grammar lists punctuation quotations writing tips

Colons: How to Use Them

by Erika Suffern

Like a semicolon, a colon can connect two independent clauses . . . Read More

punctuation writing tips

Apostrophes: One Mark, Three Ways

by Jennifer Rappaport

Apostrophes can be used in three ways . . . Read More

punctuation writing tips

From the Vault: Hyphens and En Dashes the MLA Way

by Angela Gibson

Get tips on using en dashes and hyphens from our previously unpublished style guidelines . . . Read More

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Ellipsis at the Beginning of a Quotation

by Michael Kandel

Read these three tips for effectively quoting from sources . . . Read More

punctuation usage writing tips

A Dash of Sense

by Angela Gibson

Get tips on how to avoid dashes run amok . . . Read More

punctuation usage writing tips

There’s Nothing Wrong with a Full Stop

by Michael Kandel

Many writers feel that the longer the sentence, the more elegant the style . . . Read More

containers digital sources using sources websites works-cited lists

When Is a Website a Container?

by Modern Language Association

Learn how to cite websites in MLA style . . . Read More

titles of works using sources works-cited lists

Supplemental Elements

by Modern Language Association

All you need to know about the optional-element slot on the MLA style template . . . Read More

grammar usage writing tips

Using the Present Tense with Works; or, Othello Still Exists