Should I italicize titles not written in the Latin alphabet?
No. Note that there are many languages in the world that do not have an italic font—Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Armenian, for example. Arabic sometimes uses a… Read More
Posts related to writing tips
How do I style geographic terms such as north and south in MLA style?
MLA style follows The Chicago Manual of Style (8.47) for geographic terms. For example, we capitalize north, south, east, and west when the terms refer to regions or cultures: Customs… Read More
When is a comma used before et al. in MLA style?
In MLA style, a comma is generally only used before et al. in the “Author” slot of works-cited-list entries when the author’s first and last names… Read More
When I am quoting, do I need to indicate if italics are in the original?
No. In MLA style, italics in a quotation are assumed to be in the original unless otherwise indicated. See the MLA Handbook for more details on quoting… Read More
If the title of an essay I am citing is also the name of a work that normally appears in italics, how should I style the name of the essay?
If the title of an essay consists solely of the title of a work normally styled in italics, the title of the work should be… Read More
Should I use hyphens in compounds with adverbs ending in ly?
No. Since a compound formed by an adverb ending in ly cannot be misread, no hyphen is used: She had a politically transformative experience. Read More
Should I include military ranks of authors I cite?
Like other professional titles, military ranks are omitted before authors’ names in entries and when the authors are mentioned in prose, but you may indicate… Read More
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
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