How do I show the blank space between stanzas when quoting from a poem?

Use a single line space to separate stanzas of poetry, as in this excerpt from Felicia Hemans’s “The Image in Lava”: Thou thing of years… Read More

Is it OK to edit out speech tics such as “er” and “um” when I quote from a personal interview?

Yes, you may edit out speech tics from personal interviews, but you should mention in a note the first time you quote from the interview… Read More

How do you cite a famous saying?

All well-known quotations that are attributable to an individual or to a text require citations. You should quote a famous saying as it appears in… Read More

If a person’s speech continues in the next paragraph, should the next paragraph begin with an open quotation mark?

Yes. When a speaker’s words in dialogue extend to more than one paragraph, use an opening quotation mark at the beginning of each paragraph. Use… Read More

What percent of a source may I directly quote in my paper?

Writers, including student writers, should quote only what is necessary to make their point. Relying on a percentage to determine what’s necessary is unlikely to… Read More

If I repeatedly use a quotation from the same source, do I need to use quotation marks each time?

You should generally use quotation marks if you repeat a quotation from the same source, but you may omit quotation marks when referring back to a… Read More

Should I create an entry for an e-mail conversation?

How you cite e-mail messages depends on how you are using them in your work.  If you refer generally to a series of e-mail exchanges… Read More

How do I quote bulleted or numbered points from a source?

If you need to quote from a bulleted or numbered list, you can reproduce the list in your essay, as in the example below: Parvini… Read More

When I am quoting, do I need to indicate if italics are in the original?

No. In MLA style, italics in a quotation are assumed to be in the original unless otherwise indicated. See the MLA Handbook for more details on quoting… Read More

How do I cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence?

If you need to cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence, you may provide the page numbers at the end… Read More