How do you make a plural out of the word so?

Someone might write, for example, “There are too many sos in this sentence,” in response to: So many people were present, so he said so,… Read More

How should Native American names be treated in works-cited-list entries?

If you are citing a work by a Native American author and the author’s name consists of a first name and a last name, invert… Read More

How do I cite a demonstration?

A demonstration, or protest, is an event rather than a work, so it does not require a works-cited-list entry. You can simply refer to the demonstration… Read More

How do I cite a name like Queen Elizabeth I, John of Gaunt, and Catherine of Aragon?

Use the first name. Some categories of personal names lack a last name–for example, some rulers and members of the nobility and many premodern people, whose name… Read More

How do I cite an excerpt from an anthology?

To cite an excerpt from an anthology, follow the MLA format template. You will likely list a description in place of a title: De Quincey, Thomas. Read More

Should periods be used with degrees (e.g., B.A.)?

Practice varies. As indicated in section 1.6 of the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook,  MLA style does not use periods between letters for abbreviations composed… Read More

If I cite from a book that has an introduction, but I do not cite the introduction, should I include the introduction’s author in my works-cited-list entry?

Authors of introductions, prefaces, afterwords, and the like—collectively called front and back matter—are not usually essential to identifying a work and can be omitted from… Read More

Do you have to provide the author’s name in a parenthetical citation for a work of common literature such as The Iliad?

Yes, unless you have already mentioned the author’s name in your prose. Just because a work is famous doesn’t mean you can omit the name of its… Read More

How do I cite information about a movie from a website like IMDb?

Basic publication facts about a movie (e.g., the title, director, year of release) should be taken from the version of the movie you watch, when… Read More

What should I include in parentheses if the author’s name is provided in a signal phrase and the source has no page numbers or other kind of part number?

As the MLA Handbook notes, “When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical… Read More