On Crafting Topic Sentences: “The Age of ‘The Age of Innocence,’” by Elif Batuman
When composing an essay, make sure that your topic sentences point your work in the right direction Read More
Posts related to writing tips
How do you form the plural and the plural possessive of family names ending in s?
Form the plural of family names ending in s by adding es. For example, below are the plural forms of the names Myers, Daniels, Forlines, and Collins: Myerses Danielses… Read More
Should there be a space between single and double quotation marks?
Although publishers often insert a thin space between single and double quotation marks to make the text easier to read, writers do not need to… Read More
How do I attribute information to a website article in my prose if no author is listed?
It depends on the source and who is responsible for the information in it. You might refer to the organization responsible for the site, the… Read More
What Is a Usage Guide?
This post discusses usage guides, a type of reference work consulted in the publishing industry Read More
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