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
Posts related to quotations
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
5 Tips for Documenting Sources in a Talk
Read these 5 easy tips for crediting the work of others in a talk . . . 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
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