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
Posts related to writing tips
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
Creating Vertical Lists in MLA Style
In some types of material, a vertical list may be preferable to a run-in list . . . Read More
When should citation information in captions be separated by commas instead of semicolons?
If you provide full bibliographic details in a caption, convert the periods normally used after the elements of a works-cited-list entry into semicolons: Fig. 1. Vincent… Read More
How to Write an Abstract
An abstract of a work, usually of an essay, is a concise summary of its main points . . . Read More