When is it OK to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction?

You can use a comma or a dash to connect these pairs of sentences, but writing them separately is not incorrect. It is looked upon… 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 you punctuate a question that quotes a question?

Do not use two question marks. Use only the question mark contained in the quotation: Which Shakespeare character asked, “Is this a dagger which I… 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 commas be used around by and an author’s name after a title?

It depends. In the following example, commas are used to set off the by phrase because the phrase is not integral to the meaning of… Read More

In prose and titles, should an author use 3-D and 2-D or spell out the abbreviations?

It depends. MLA style minimizes the use of abbreviations in prose, but if in certain contexts the abbreviation is more common than the spelled out… Read More

Should I use BC and AD or BCE and CE for era designations?

The choice of era designations is up to the writer. In our publications, we prefer to use BCE (before the common era) and CE (common era),… Read More

Should et al. be italicized in MLA style?

Only italicize et al., meaning “and others,” if it is referred to as a term, as the examples in this sentence and the question above show. In… Read More

Is it OK to edit out speech tics such as “er” and “um” when I quote from a personal interview?

Yes, you may edit out speech tics from personal interviews, but you should mention in a note the first time you quote from the interview… Read More