How do I style a percentage at the start of a sentence?

Since you should never begin a sentence with a numeral, you should first try to reword the sentence. If you find it unwieldy to reorder… Read More

Is a compound subject a noun phrase for the purposes of abbreviating a title, or should I just use the first noun?

As section 3.2.1 of the MLA Handbook explains, when you need to shorten a title for a parenthetical citation, “give the first noun and any preceding… Read More

What pronoun should I use if I do not know the gender identity of the person I am writing about?

Do not use a pronoun in such cases. If a last name is given, repeat the person’s last name on subsequent mentions in your paper. 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

Is a comma needed after a short introductory phrase?

No. For more on when to include and omit commas, see our post. 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 style the names of fictional characters?

Style the name of a fictional character just as you would the name of a person: capitalize the initial letter of each name. Do not… Read More

When you cite from the same source in more than one paragraph and no other source intervenes, do you need to repeat the author’s name each time you start a new paragraph?

As the MLA Handbook notes, “[W]hen an entire paragraph is based on material from a single source,” you might “define a source in the text at the… Read More

Can you use between or from and to with a number range expressed using numerals and an en dash?

You can express a number range using words (“from . . . to”):   The party will take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Or you can… Read More