How do I cite a quotation that I’ve altered?

In almost all cases you should transcribe a quotation exactly as it appears in the source. However, you may occasionally want to italicize words in… Read More

It is . . . that; or, How Not to Edit Jane Austen

The formula it is . . . that is common in academic writing Read More

Commonsense MLA 8: Documentation for the Reader

I read The MLA Handbook from cover to cover, and you should too . . . Read More

President’s Day: A Singular Holiday?

Authorities disagree about the name Presidents' Day . . . Read More

When translating from a language that does not use roman characters, like Chinese, do I include the original characters or a transliteration? And how do I alphabetize titles of nonroman works?

In its publications, the MLA prefers to give the original characters (script) and a translation for titles and quotations; it also includes transliteration in some… Read More

MLK Day the MLA Way

Martin Luther King Day? Martin Luther King, Jr., Day? MLK Day? . . . Read More

Celebrate the New Year in (MLA) Style

Should you write, “Happy New Year,” “Happy new year,” or “Happy New Year’s”? . . . Read More

When Not to Include

On the use of include to mean are . . . Read More

5 Tips for Documenting Sources in a Talk

Read these 5 easy tips for crediting the work of others in a talk . . . Read More

How do I cite an image found through an online search engine like Google Images?

To cite an image found through Google using the image-search function, you must identify the website—that is, the container—where the image was posted. For example,… Read More