Commas with Because: How to Make Your Meaning Clear
Learn when to insert a comma before a phrase or clause that begins with because Read More
Posts related to punctuation
When should I use a semicolon before a coordinating conjunction?
Semicolons should be used before coordinating conjunctions—that is, terms such as and, or, and but joining independent clauses—when the clauses are long and have internal punctuation, as… Read More
How are commas used in date ranges?
As the MLA Handbook (sec. 1.5) explains, when writing dates, you should “be consistent in your use of either the day-month-year style (12 January 2014) or the… Read More
Are grade levels hyphened in MLA style?
MLA style hyphens grade levels in adjective form but not in noun form: a third-grade student, a student in third grade, a third grader. Read… Read More
How to Use (Not Abuse) Parentheses
Get tips on how to use parentheses and how to avoid overusing them Read More
Dashes in MLA Style and Microsoft Word
Learn how the MLA uses dashes and how to access them in Microsoft Word Read More
How do I style a title or short title enclosed in parentheses in my parenthetical citation?
If a title or short title in parentheses must be given in a parenthetical citation, do not nest parentheses within parentheses. Instead, change the parentheses… Read More
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
How do I style compound modifiers that express number ranges?
The MLA follows The Chicago Manual of Style’s rules for hyphening number ranges in modifiers (“Hyphenation Guide”). When the compound is an adjective, the compound… Read More
Should the serial comma be used before an ampersand?
Omit the serial comma when using an ampersand: Shelley bought all the vintage Earth, Wind & Fire albums she found at the yard sale. Ampersands… Read More