Why is the label before a contributor’s name sometimes capitalized and sometimes lowercase in MLA works-cited-list entries?

Whether the label before a contributor’s name–for example, edited by or translated by–is capitalized or lowercase depends on its position in the MLA format template. In the following… Read More

Do the credentials or titles of authors I cite need to be given?

As the MLA Handbook notes (1.2), a title like Dr. or Sir should not be included before a name mentioned in the text and is usually unnecessary… Read More

Do Like I Say, Not Like I Do

by Jennifer Rappaport

Some writers incorrectly use like in sentences, such as the title of this blog post, that require as. Other writers, wary of like, avoid the term even in sentences that require it . . . Read More

The Confused Answer

by Jennifer Rappaport

After reading the title of this post, you probably think that I will be telling you about an answer that is mixed up . . . Read More

How do I refer to works with identical titles?

It’s not uncommon for a writer to discuss two or more works with the same title. For example, a writer may compare different editions or… Read More

Colons: How to Use Them

by Erika Suffern

Like a semicolon, a colon can connect two independent clauses . . . Read More

Apostrophes: One Mark, Three Ways

by Jennifer Rappaport

Apostrophes can be used in three ways . . . Read More

From the Vault: Hyphens and En Dashes the MLA Way

by Angela Gibson

Get tips on using en dashes and hyphens from our previously unpublished style guidelines . . . Read More

Ellipsis at the Beginning of a Quotation

by Michael Kandel

Read these three tips for effectively quoting from sources . . . Read More

A Dash of Sense

by Angela Gibson

Get tips on how to avoid dashes run amok . . . Read More