Can an MLA list of works cited be divided into subheads like “primary sources” and “secondary sources”?
Subheads are not necessary in works-cited lists for most student work or essay-length publications but can be useful in some lengthy or complex publications geared… Read More
Our school’s band is called the Marching Knights—is it a singular or plural noun?
Many collective nouns can be either singular or plural, depending on how they are used. As Claire Kehrwald Cook writes, “[I]f the collective noun denotes… Read More
Should sun, moon, and earth be capitalized?
When Merriam-Webster indicates that a term is “capitalized” or “usually capitalized,” the MLA capitalizes the term in its publications. When Merriam-Webster indicates that a term… Read More
What guidance should I give my students for preparing an annotated bibliography?
Students should style a source in an annotated bibliography just as they would in a list of works cited and then append an annotation to… Read More
How do I cite a term in an online or print dictionary that lists several numbered definitions?
Follow the MLA format template and begin with the headword (as it appears) as the title of the source. Note that this may include… Read More
How do I alphabetize a title that starts with a number in my works-cited list?
When you alphabetize your works-cited list, treat numbers in titles as though they were spelled out. Let’s say, for example, you need to alphabetize entries… Read More
Critique versus Criticize
Claire Kehrwald Cook noted that critique as a verb “has not yet won full acceptance” Read More
Liberate Those Verbs!
Some phrases in English lengthen a sentence while adding nothing to its meaning . . . Read More
Is using ibid. allowed for in-text citations? If so, how is it done?
MLA style avoids ibid. and op. cit., using short titles instead, on the principles that (1) a short title makes your reference clearer to readers,… Read More
When citing a work whose title ends in a question mark or exclamation point, should I also include a period?
The MLA format template calls for a period after the title of a source, but if the title of a source ends in a question… Read More