If I use a quotation that is already in quotation marks in my source, how many quotation marks should I use?

As the MLA Handbook notes, “When your quotation consists entirely of material enclosed by quotation marks in the source work, usually one pair of double… Read More

How do I style labels?

If a label is quotation from a source, enclose the label in quotation marks: The dictionary entry includes the label “French phrase.” Likewise, use quotation… Read More

How do I cite a quotation I include in a title or heading?

Quoted material must be attributed wherever it occurs. In your prose, this generally means including an in-text citation or endnote in due proximity to the… Read More

How do I indicate that a line has been omitted from a run-in poetry quotation?

Use three ellipsis points bracketed by forward slashes to indicate that one or more lines have been omitted from a run-in poetry quotation. Read More

If I cite one edition as my primary text, how do I cite another edition?

If you are citing one edition of a text as your primary source, you might need to refer occasionally to another edition. In MLA style,… 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

If a foreign language quotation and its translation run longer than four lines in my paper when combined, should I style each quotation as a block quotation?

No. If the original quotation is four lines or fewer, both the original and the translation should be run in to the text. Read More

Do I need to use quotation marks around numerical data that I quote from sources?

No. For an example, see our post on citing raw data. Read More

How do I indicate that material in square brackets is part of the original text?

Normally, when you quote from a source, your reader is to assume that any styling, such as italics or punctuation in the quotation, is in… Read More

If a paragraph begins with a short sentence that is less than a full line and that introduces a block quotation, should the block quotation be further indented than usual?

No. All block quotations in your work should be indented the same amount. Even if the block quotation occurs after a short line that is… Read More