Should shortened generic forms of proper nouns be capitalized?
In general, lowercase generic forms of proper nouns: the United States Army, the army President Kennedy, the president the Brooklyn Bridge, the bridge Housatonic River,… Read More
Posts related to writing tips
Does the MLA offer guidance for outlines?
The MLA has never offered guidance on formatting outlines. The seventh edition of the handbook notes that there are many types of outlines and that… Read More
How do I cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence?
If you need to cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence, you may provide the page numbers at the end… Read More
When creating a sortable list of alphabetized titles, where should the initial article be placed?
In an index or sortable list of titles, MLA style follows the The Chicago Manual of Style, which recommends placing initial articles at the end of the… Read More
If a sentence ends with an abbreviation followed by a period, should I insert another period to mark the end of the sentence?
No. A sentence should never have two periods at the end. If a sentence ends with an abbreviation followed by a period, do not add… Read More
If a title includes a period at the end, do I include the period?
Yes. If a title ends with a punctuation mark, include the mark: The Band Perry opened their set with the song “Done.,” the second track… Read More
How do I style the names of functional elements of a website when I refer to them in my prose?
In its online and print publications, when the MLA refers in prose to the label or functional element of a website or other electronic device… Read More
Can I just include a URL for a website in my prose instead of creating a work-cited-list entry?
You should always create works-cited-list entries for works that you quote from, paraphrase, or substantively discuss. Thus you may need to create an entry for… Read More