How does the MLA use emeritus and emerita?

In its publications the MLA follows Merriam-Webster, allowing the inflected forms emeritus to refer to a man or woman, emerita to refer to a woman, and emeriti… Read More

If my college requires that I include a table of contents in my paper, where should I place it?

A table of contents is generally used for longer projects such as theses or dissertations, but if you are required to include a table of… Read More

How do I indicate that the editor of a work is also its translator in my works-cited-list entry?

When an individual is both the editor and translator of a work, put the name of the editor-translator in the “Author” slot, followed by the… Read More

Should individual tale titles in The Canterbury Tales be set in quotation marks?

Yes. Student writers should place the titles of individual tales in quotation marks. This follows from the MLA Handbook’s general guideline for the styling of titles:… Read More

In MLA style, should any part of a two-word preposition, such as according to, be capitalized in a title?

A preposition that is not at the start or end of a title should be lowercased, no matter how many words compose it and no… Read More

If a person’s speech continues in the next paragraph, should the next paragraph begin with an open quotation mark?

Yes. When a speaker’s words in dialogue extend to more than one paragraph, use an opening quotation mark at the beginning of each paragraph. Use… Read More

How do I cite comics or a graphic novel if I want to credit several collaborators as equal creators of the work?

When you write about a collaborative work such as comics or a graphic novel without focusing on one person’s role, begin your works-cited-list entry with… Read More

What is the MLA’s stance on the use of British spelling?

MLA publications generally follow the American spelling preferences listed in Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged. When you are writing a paper for a… Read More

What citation style should I use for my personal blog?

Using MLA style for your personal blog has several advantages: MLA style is reader friendly. It uses in-text citations and avoids bibliographic notes, so the… Read More

How do I format an appendix and style its heads?

There are many possible ways to format an appendix. A rule of thumb is to let the content guide the choice of format. Types of… Read More