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
Posts related to writing tips
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
How does the MLA use emeritus and emerita?
In its publications the MLA follows Merriam-Webster, allowing the inflected forms emeritus to refer to a man or woman, emerita to refer to a woman, and emeriti… Read More
In MLA style, should any part of a two-word preposition, such as according to, be capitalized in a title?
A preposition that is not at the start or end of a title should be lowercased, no matter how many words compose it and no… Read More
If a person’s speech continues in the next paragraph, should the next paragraph begin with an open quotation mark?
Yes. When a speaker’s words in dialogue extend to more than one paragraph, use an opening quotation mark at the beginning of each paragraph. Use… Read More
What is the MLA’s stance on the use of British spelling?
MLA publications generally follow the American spelling preferences listed in Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged. When you are writing a paper for a… Read More
What citation style should I use for my personal blog?
Using MLA style for your personal blog has several advantages: MLA style is reader friendly. It uses in-text citations and avoids bibliographic notes, so the… Read More
How to Format Your Essay with Advanced Pattern Matching
Mistakes in formatting can be complicated to resolve, but you can customize solutions . . . Read More
How do I punctuate a greeting like “Hi, Anne” in an e-mail or other message?
How you punctuate an e-mail or other greeting depends on the level of formality and the structure of the message. In a formal message, one… Read More
Cocktails and Capitalization
There is no uniform consensus on how to capitalize names of cocktails . . . Read More