Cocktails and Capitalization

by Angela Gibson

There is no uniform consensus on how to capitalize names of cocktails . . . Read More

Creating Vertical Lists in MLA Style

by Jennifer Rappaport

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

by Joseph Wallace

An abstract of a work, usually of an essay, is a concise summary of its main points . . . Read More

What percent of a source may I directly quote in my paper?

Writers, including student writers, should quote only what is necessary to make their point. Relying on a percentage to determine what’s necessary is unlikely to… Read More

When I use too in the sense of “also,” should I use a comma before it?

In most cases, you need not use a comma before too at the end of a sentence or commas around it midsentence: She likes chocolate chip… Read More

How do I style percentages?

The general guideline is to use the percentage symbol with numerals and to use the word percent with spelled-out numbers. In statistical copy that calls… Read More

I am writing my thesis in British English. Can I still use MLA style?

Yes. The MLA’s system for documenting sources is used throughout the world and may be adapted to many contexts. Follow the guidelines in the MLA Handbook… Read More

If I repeatedly use a quotation from the same source, do I need to use quotation marks each time?

You should generally use quotation marks if you repeat a quotation from the same source, but you may omit quotation marks when referring back to a… Read More

How do I eliminate back-to-back parentheses in a sentence?

To eliminate back-to-back parentheses in a sentence, you should generally reword:   Original:  The General Franco Institute published the most important Spanish colonial work on Andalusi… Read More