When should I capitalize the first letter of the first word of a quotation?

Whether to capitalize or lowercase the first letter of the first word of a quotation depends on how the quotation is integrated into your prose… Read More

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… Read More

Should I use “sic” to indicate that a quotation has text in all capital letters in the original?

No. “Sic” is only used to indicate an error in the original, not unusual styling. Read More

How should I style ellipses in MLA style?

The MLA Handbook explains that you should “[i]dentify an omission within a sentence by using three periods with a space before each and a space… Read More

How do I format and document epigraphs in MLA style?

Epigraphs establish tone, highlight allusions, provide commentary, and mark transitions between parts of a work. Primarily ornamental, they are not discussed subsequently in the text. … Read More

When an article is written by several authors and each section is individually authored, how do I cite a section?

Mention the author of the section you are citing in a signal phrase. For clarity, you might indicate the name of the section in your… Read More

Why does the MLA capitalize certain words in titles?

MLA style’s rules for capitalization are intended to help authors remain consistent while also respecting the ways in which titles have traditionally been styled in… Read More

How can I avoid redundancy in my in-text citations?

As the MLA Handbook notes, “The in-text citation should direct the reader unambiguously to the entry in your works-cited list for the source—and, if possible, to a passage in… Read More

If I need to fit a quotation syntactically into a sentence, can I use empty brackets to indicate that I have removed letters from a verb?

No. In MLA style, brackets are generally only used to add material or show visible alterations, not to indicate omissions.1 So when attempting to fit… Read More

When italic characters are unavailable, how should I style a title or a word used as a word?

In handwritten and typewritten material—where italics are impossible to render—titles of works normally italicized, words used as words, and letters used as letters are underlined:… Read More