How can I avoid redundancy in my in-text citations?

As the MLA Handbook notes, “The in-text citation should direct the reader unambiguously to the entry in your works-cited list for the source—and, if possible, to a passage in… Read More

If I have two works with identical titles and no authors in my works-cited list, how do I distinguish between them in my parenthetical citations?

Writers sometimes need to cite anonymous sources with identical titles, such as articles in reference works. Since in MLA style works without authors are cited… Read More

How do I cite an illustration on an unnumbered page if there is no figure number?

In some cases, the unnumbered page is counted as a page but not numbered as such. If the unnumbered page is between 117 and 119,… Read More

How do I cite a poem by line numbers if the numbering of the lines begins again at each section?

Provide the section number as well as the line number:  As Wordsworth writes in his series of sonnets The River Duddon, “Child of the clouds!… Read More

How do I cite a quotation that I use in the title of my paper?

If you include a quotation in the title of your paper, you should discuss the quotation in the body of your essay. Do not place… Read More

If I cite sources with the same lead author but different coauthors, do I use et al.?

Yes. In MLA style, when a work has more than two authors or editors, the works-cited-list entry provides the name of the lead author or… Read More

If my paraphrase consists of several sentences, should a citation for the original source appear after each sentence?

No. The citation should appear only after the final sentence of the paraphrase. If, however, it will be unclear to your reader where your source’s… Read More

How do I abbreviate a title for a parenthetical reference if it begins with numbers?

Remember that the goals of parenthetical citation are clarity and concision. Thus, if a title begins with a number–for example: 1066: A New History of… Read More

How do I cite a Twitter thread or conversation in my text and in my works-cited list?

A thread is a series of separately written but related tweets that are given a single URL. If you’re discussing the thread as a whole… Read More

If I cite a source quoted in another source, am I obligated to check that the quotation is correct?

No, but it’s always best to consult the original and quote from it directly, if possible. Read More