Should the abbreviation etc. be capitalized in a title?

Whether the abbreviation etc., meaning “and so forth,” should be capitalized in a title depends on its location in the title. In our publications, we… Read More

How does the MLA capitalize names of generations?

In our publications, we follow the recommendations in The Chicago Manual of Style (“Generation”). We generally lowercase generation names such as baby boomers and millennials, but we capitalize… Read More

How does the MLA capitalize names of academic degrees?

The MLA follows Merriam-Webster and lowercases the names of academic degrees. Read More

Should professional titles be capitalized in MLA style?

In general, the MLA follows The Chicago Manual of Style for the capitalization of professional titles (“Titles”). Thus, we capitalize a professional title when it is… Read More

When should a beverage name be capitalized?

If the beverage is a brand name or a unique recipe title or includes a proper noun, capitalize it: Frappuccino  (a coinage trademarked by Starbucks)… Read More

How do I cite a work by an author with a Dutch name that includes the word van?

Particles in Dutch surnames—such as van, van den, van der, de, and ter—are lowercased in prose when the whole name is given: Joost van der… Read More

Does MLA style capitalize ancient when it precedes Greece or Greek?

No. We follow Merriam-Webster, which indicates that the terms ancient and classical are not capitalized when they are attached to names of languages or periods. … Read More

How do I style genus and species names, such as Homo sapiens, in MLA style?

MLA style was developed to be used by writers in the humanities, so we defer to our colleagues at The Chicago Manual of Style regarding how… Read More

Should an article at the start of a subtitle be capitalized?

Yes, capitalize articles (a, an, the)  at the start of titles and subtitles in English: The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family A Sense of Things:… Read More

In MLA style, should any part of a two-word preposition, such as according to, be capitalized in a title?

A preposition that is not at the start or end of a title should be lowercased, no matter how many words compose it and no… Read More