How do I cite the main idea of a work?

To cite the main idea of a work, key your reference to the first element of your works-cited-list entry. This element—usually the author or title—could… Read More

How do I embed an MP3 file in my paper? How do I label and cite it?

Embed an MP3 file the same way you’d embed an image. If you refer to the file only once, include a caption that contains all… Read More

How do I cite a quotation from a book’s frontispiece?

A frontispiece in a book is an illustration facing the title page. The illustration may sometimes include text. To cite this text, create a works-cited-list… Read More

How do I cite a commercial?

How you cite a commercial depends on where you found it. As always, follow the MLA format template.  Let’s say you are citing a commercial… Read More

How do I create an in-text citation for a paginated, unpublished work?

Create an in-text citation for a paginated, unpublished work in the same way that you would cite any work with explicit page numbers. As the MLA… Read More

If I am citing two poems, each by a different poet, should I use the word line or lines the first time I quote from each poet’s work?

Yes. The MLA Handbook says that “in your first citation” of a poem, “use the word line or lines and then, having established that the numbers designate lines, give… Read More

If I am discussing but not directly quoting scenes from a film, should I still include timings?

You should generally include in your citations any information that will help your reader locate the material you are citing. When you summarize a scene… Read More

How do I style a title or short title enclosed in parentheses in my parenthetical citation?

If a title or short title in parentheses must be given in a parenthetical citation, do not nest parentheses within parentheses. Instead, change the parentheses… Read More

I am citing several television episodes titled “Pilot.” How do I differentiate among them in my parenthetical citations?

There is more than one way to distinguish among several television episodes titled “Pilot.” Here are two options. Option 1 List each episode in your… Read More

How do I quote English-language sources in a foreign-language paper?

To quote an English-language source in a foreign-language paper, follow the guidelines in section 1.3.8 of the MLA Handbook on translating quotations (90–91). Let’s say you… Read More