If the date of a source is in the format October 04, 2017, when I convert it to MLA style, should I include the zero?
No, the date in MLA format would be 4 October 2017. Read More
Posts related to formatting a paper
How do I incorporate lists into my essay in MLA style?
In humanities essays, lists are generally run into the text rather than set vertically. A colon is often used to introduce a run-in list: Chimamanda… Read More
If I am quoting the first few words of one line of poetry and the last few words of the next line of poetry, should I use two sets of ellipses with a slash between them?
Yes. Clarity is worth the trouble of more punctuation. Let’s say you quote the following two lines of poetry: He had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,… Read More
Should I double-space between paragraphs in my annotated bibliography? Should I double-space the paragraphs themselves?
In an annotated bibliography, the annotations should generally be no more than one paragraph. If, however, you need several paragraphs, indent each one, but do not… 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 should I format captions for figures that I include in my paper?
Illustrative visual material other than a table—for example, a photograph, map, drawing, graph, or chart—should be labeled Figure (usually abbreviated Fig.), assigned an arabic numeral,… 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
Should URLs be linked in works-cited-list entries?
Whether to link a URL, DOI, or permalink in a works-cited-list entry for a work published or submitted in digital format is optional. The MLA… 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