Creating Vertical Lists in MLA Style
By Jennifer RappaportIn some types of material, a vertical list may be preferable to a run-in list
Published 7 December 2018
How to Write an Abstract
By Joseph WallaceAn abstract of a work, usually of an essay, is a concise summary of its main points.
Published 5 December 2018
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 concept or method (e.g., distant reading) mentioned in the source: Moretti takes issue with this tendency to regard literature at any level as “a world” complete and classifiable rather than . . .
Published 2 November 2018
Does MLA style allow the use of slashed terms?
The slash is rarely necessary in formal prose. It mainly appears when two terms are paired as opposites or alternatives and used together as a noun: The writer discussed how fundamental oppositions like good/evil or East/West affect the way cultures view historical events. When two terms paired as opposites precede and modify a noun, use . . .
Published 29 October 2018
If I cite a work that has no page numbers and I give the author’s name at the beginning of my sentence, how does the reader know where the author’s idea ends, since there is no parenthetical citation?
As the MLA Handbook notes, when you borrow an idea from a source, “it is important to signal at the end . . . that you are switching to another source or to your own ideas” (126). A parenthetical citation is just one way to indicate this switch. You may also use prose, as in the following . . .
Published 2 October 2018
Making the Transition from High School to College Essay Writing
By Alice YangUnlike my high school essays, my college papers consist largely of my own ideas and analysis.
Published 18 September 2018
How to Get out of a Tangle When Your Modifiers Dangle
By Jennifer RappaportDangling modifiers take several forms. Here are a few types—and some ways to fix them.
Published 4 September 2018
Should I include military ranks of authors I cite?
Like other professional titles, military ranks are omitted before authors’ names in entries and when the authors are mentioned in prose, but you may indicate an author’s rank in a description: William C. Westmoreland, a former United States Army general, describes his experiences in Vietnam in A Soldier Reports.
Published 14 August 2018
How should I treat foreign terms in MLA style?
Treat foreign terms according to the guidelines in the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing: In general, italicize foreign words used in an English text: The Renaissance courtier was expected to display sprezzatura, or nonchalance, in the face of adversity. The numerous exceptions to this rule include quotations entirely in another language ("Julius Caesar said, ‘Veni, . . .Published 31 July 2018
If I am writing a paper in a foreign language and my works-cited list contains works in more than one language, should labels such as “edited by” be given in the foreign language or in English? Also, should the works-cited-list entry be punctuated according to the rules of the foreign language?
The language that you use to describe elements in your works-cited list should be the language that your paper is written in, which should also determine the punctuation used. In other words, if your paper is in Spanish but you cite a work published in English in the works-cited list, use “editado por” instead of . . .
Published 17 May 2018