How do I create an in-text citation for a note or marginalia by an editor or translator in a work listed under the author’s name?

If you are citing an editor’s or translator’s note for a work listed under the author’s name, create a works-cited-list entry for the work as a… Read More

In an in-text citation, how do I shorten a title that appears in quotation marks when it starts with a title in quotation marks?

If you need to shorten a title within quotation marks that begins with a title in quotation marks, use the title within the title as… Read More

If I’ve cited a source in footnote 1, can I cite the source later in my paper by referring to the same footnote?

The source in the footnote might be better placed in the text, because MLA style uses in-text citations to refer to individual sources. See section… Read More

How do I cite nonconsecutive lines from a poem like Homer’s The Odyssey?

The order of information in your citations should always match the order in which you present information in your text. Thus, when you cite nonconsecutive… Read More

If I am citing two poems, each by a different poet, should I use the word line or lines the first time I quote from each poet’s work?

Yes. The MLA Handbook says that “in your first citation” of a poem, “use the word line or lines and then, having established that the numbers designate lines, give… Read More

If a quotation starts on one page and continues on a consecutive page or pages, should the in-text citation include the span or just the page on which the quote began?

Include the page span in your in-text citation: (62–63) (Jones 137–38) See the MLA Handbook, section 2.5.1, for how to style nonconsecutive page ranges. Read More

How do I refer to other parts of a work I’m writing or editing?

You may refer to another part of an essay by adding a parenthetical cross-reference in prose. (see “Findings,” below) A page number can be provided… Read More

How should I cite sources in a web project?

Section 6.81 in the MLA Handbook provides guidance on citing sources in web projects. Generally, you should cite sources in a web project as you would… Read More

How do I distinguish between different dictionary entries for the same term in my in-text citation?

To distinguish between different dictionary entries for the same term, follow the principle in our previous post on distinguishing between works with the same title:… Read More

In an in-text citation, how do I shorten a title enclosed in quotation marks if the title begins with a quotation?

If you need to shorten a title enclosed in quotation marks that begins with a quotation, use the title within the title as the short… Read More