The Case of the Thick Black Eyebrows; or, When to Omit Commas between Multiple Adjectives Preceding a Noun
An MLA editor shows you how to decide whether commas are needed between adjectives preceding a noun Read More
Posts related to punctuation
Inanimate Nouns and Possession
Opinions vary on which inanimate nouns can be made possessive by adding ’s Read More
“Scary” Punctuation: The Origins, Use, and Abuse of Scare Quotes
An MLA editor explains the origins of scare quotes Read More
Commas: Essential and Nonessential Elements
The little comma wields a lot of power . . . Read More
Creating Vertical Lists in MLA Style
In some types of material, a vertical list may be preferable to a run-in list . . . Read More
President’s Day: A Singular Holiday?
Authorities disagree about the name Presidents' Day . . . Read More
Colons: How to Use Them
Like a semicolon, a colon can connect two independent clauses . . . Read More
Apostrophes: One Mark, Three Ways
Apostrophes can be used in three ways . . . Read More
From the Vault: Hyphens and En Dashes the MLA Way
Get tips on using en dashes and hyphens from our previously unpublished style guidelines . . . Read More
Ellipsis at the Beginning of a Quotation
Read these three tips for effectively quoting from sources . . . Read More