Is it acceptable to begin an essay with a block quotation?
Yes, an essay may start with a block quotation. The quotation should be important to your discussion and referred to in your prose. This distinguishes it… Read More
Posts related to quotations
How do I cite an excerpt from an anthology?
To cite an excerpt from an anthology, follow the MLA format template. You will likely list a description in place of a title: De Quincey, Thomas. Read More
Why do periods and commas go inside quotation marks in MLA style?
The MLA Handbook notes, “By convention, commas and periods that directly follow quotations go inside the closing quotation marks” (267). Thus, in the following sentence, the comma… Read More
What should I include in parentheses if the author’s name is provided in a signal phrase and the source has no page numbers or other kind of part number?
As the MLA Handbook notes, “When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical… Read More
What You Can Omit When Quoting Sources
There is an entire category of material that you do not reproduce . . . Read More
How do I cite quotations that are on nonconsecutive pages?
Nonconsecutive page numbers are presented in the same order as the quotations to which they refer: As Ann Smith notes, some scholars contend that “the… Read More
Can I use brackets to change the tense of a verb so that a quotation will fit syntactically into my sentence?
When a verb in a quotation does not fit syntactically into your sentence, you may use brackets to change the tense: If Charles Dickens were… Read More
How do I punctuate quoted dialogue from a novel?
How you punctuate quoted dialogue from a novel will depend on what you are quoting and how you are quoting it. See the three most… Read More
How do I cite from a play that has both verse and prose sections?
Citing from a play that has both verse and prose sections—whether the play is William Shakespeare’s Macbeth or August Wilson’s Fences—is no different from citing… Read More
If I am quoting the first few words of one line of poetry and the last few words of the next line of poetry, should I use two sets of ellipses with a slash between them?
Yes. Clarity is worth the trouble of more punctuation. Let’s say you quote the following two lines of poetry: He had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,… Read More