What Is a Usage Guide?
This post discusses usage guides, a type of reference work consulted in the publishing industry Read More
Posts related to writing tips
If I am writing about two people with the last name Anderson, and one uses the suffix Sr., where do I place the suffix?
List the full name of each person and provide the suffix after the last name of the person to whom it belongs. In MLA style,… Read More
Should “sic” be used to indicate that a quotation includes slang?
No. Do not use “sic,” from the Latin for “thus” or “so,” to indicate that a quotation has been reproduced accurately. If clarification of a quotation is… Read More
Three Guides on the Path to Publication: Style Manuals, In-House Guides, and Style Sheets
Learn about the differences between a style manual, an in-house guide, and a style sheet Read More
How are notes numbered and placed in the MLA’s books?
In edited collections of essays, the MLA places notes at the end of each essay and restarts note numbering at 1. We follow the same… Read More
“Scary” Punctuation: The Origins, Use, and Abuse of Scare Quotes
An MLA editor explains the origins of scare quotes Read More
On Integrating Critical Works: Adam Wilson’s “Good Bad Bad Good: What Was the Golden Age of TV?”
Integrating critical works into a paper is challenging. Read More
Versus or Against?
Writers often misuse the term versus Read More
In a block quotation, can I reverse the order of two sentences if I separate them with an ellipsis?
No. Sentences in a block quotation cannot be reversed because, as the MLA Handbook notes, “[a] quotation should never be presented in a way that could cause… Read More
On Words: Michael Chabon’s “Ulysses on Trial”
Words should suit the context and purpose of a piece of writing Read More