Should shortened generic forms of proper nouns be capitalized?

In general, lowercase generic forms of proper nouns: the United States Army, the army President Kennedy, the president the Brooklyn Bridge, the bridge Housatonic River,… Read More

How do I style the names of functional elements of a website when I refer to them in my prose?

In its online and print publications, when the MLA refers in prose to the label or functional element of a website or other electronic device… Read More

When should I capitalize the first letter of the first word of a quotation?

Whether to capitalize or lowercase the first letter of the first word of a quotation depends on how the quotation is integrated into your prose… Read More

Should I use “sic” to indicate that a quotation has text in all capital letters in the original?

No. “Sic” is only used to indicate an error in the original, not unusual styling. Read More

Why does the MLA capitalize certain words in titles?

MLA style’s rules for capitalization are intended to help authors remain consistent while also respecting the ways in which titles have traditionally been styled in… Read More

Can I silently change the initial capital letter in a quotation to fit the quotation syntactically into my sentence?

No. As the MLA Handbook advises, “Unless indicated in square brackets or parentheses, changes must not be made in the spelling, capitalization, or interior punctuation of… Read More

How do I style the names of centuries in MLA style?

MLA style spells out the names of centuries in prose and in titles of English-language works, even when the title page uses a numeral: Queen… Read More

Do I capitalize the names of dog breeds?

Do not routinely capitalize the names of dog breeds. Many breed names are composed of proper nouns that you capitalize and generic terms (like retriever… Read More

How should I style a direct question contained in a sentence?

If a direct question contained in a sentence is long or has internal punctuation, set the question off with a comma and begin it with a capital… Read More

How do I cite a name like Queen Elizabeth I, John of Gaunt, and Catherine of Aragon?

Use the first name. Some categories of personal names lack a last name–for example, some rulers and members of the nobility and many premodern people, whose name… Read More