Should I include a religious leader’s title in my works-cited-list entry?
Following the guidance found in section 2.83 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook, religious titles, such as Reverend or Saint, should generally be… Read More
Posts related to names
Should I include “Jr.” in an in-text citation?
The MLA Handbook advises, in section 6.2, “In parenthetical citations, use only the part of an author’s name—usually the surname only—necessary to find the entry… Read More
Descriptions Used as Titles of Persons
Writers sometimes use short descriptive phrases in place of formal titles before people's names. Read More
If an author’s name in my source is in all capital or lowercase letters, how should I style it in my paper?
In prose and works-cited-list entries, the first and last names of authors should begin with a capital letter. All other letters should be lowercase. Let’s… Read More
Should I use a person’s full name in prose if the full name has already appeared in a note or in a parenthetical citation?
The names of persons should be given in full when they first appear in the body text of your essay; subsequent mentions of the person… Read More
How do I adapt MLA running heads in my paper?
We appreciate hearing from readers with suggestions for adapting MLA style to specific cases. Here, one reader finds a way to clarify a potentially ambiguous… Read More
How should I order the sources in a parenthetical citation?
The order of sources in parenthetical citations is up to you. Read More
Is it OK to use characters’ nicknames when discussing a work in MLA style, and if so, how should I style them?
If a character is predominantly referred to by a nickname in a work, then you may use that nickname in your paper. For example, in… Read More
Does including a first initial with a last name affect the order of names in a parenthetical citation?
No. When more than one name appears in a parenthetical citation, the order of those names should correspond to the quotations that precede the citation. Read More
Must an author be introduced for the first time in prose rather than in parentheses?
No. You do not need to mention an author’s name in your prose before citing the author in a parenthetical citation. Surnames alone are used… Read More