“Scary” Punctuation: The Origins, Use, and Abuse of Scare Quotes
An MLA editor explains the origins of scare quotes Read More
Posts related to punctuation
Attributive Nouns; or, Why There Is Sometimes No Apostrophe in Terms Such As Teachers Union
The possessive of plural nouns ending in s is formed by adding an apostrophe . . . 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
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Get tips on using en dashes and hyphens from our previously unpublished style guidelines .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
A Dash of Sense
Get tips on how to avoid dashes run amok . . . Read More
There’s Nothing Wrong with a Full Stop
Many writers feel that the longer the sentence, the more elegant the style . . . Read More