How do I cite an article in an electronic textbook?

If you are citing an article from an electronic version of a textbook that does not have page numbers, do not provide page numbers in… Read More

Is it wrong to type spaces before and after a dash?

The appropriateness of spaces before and after a dash depends on various considerations: the typeface used, the medium (print, online), and so on. In the… Read More

Must an author be introduced for the first time in prose rather than in parentheses?

No. You do not need to mention an author’s name in your prose before citing the author in a parenthetical citation. Surnames alone are used… Read More

Do I need to provide a citation each time I refer to a character’s name?

No. You generally only need to provide a citation if you mention a character’s name in a summary of the work (or portions of it)… Read More

In a quotation from a play, how do I show that material has been omitted?

The answer depends on the nature of the quotation. If you quote dialogue from more than one speaker in a play, set the material as… Read More

Effective Signposting

by Erika Suffern

Get tips on building signposts to help articulate the structure of your argument . . . Read More

How do I document a source when I can’t use a works-cited-list entry or an endnote?

Sometimes, a source needs to be cited in a piece of prose that doesn’t lend itself to the kind of documentation appropriate for research papers. Read More

Do I capitalize the names of dog breeds?

Do not routinely capitalize the names of dog breeds. Many breed names are composed of proper nouns that you capitalize and generic terms (like retriever… Read More

Five Common Grammar Questions

by Joseph Wallace

An MLA editor addresses five common grammar questions Read More

Can a copyright date be used as a publication date for a web source?

If the Web page you are citing does not provide a publication date, you should use the copyright date. Read More