A book is a common source that you will need to cite when writing a research paper. The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is one of the most widely used citation styles. It is important to cite sources correctly in order to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the authors whose work you have used.
This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to cite a book in MLA style. We will also provide some examples of MLA citations for books. By the end of this article, you will be able to cite books correctly and easily in your research papers.
Now that you know the basics of citing a book in MLA style, let's take a look at some specific examples. The following are some common situations that you may encounter when citing a book in MLA style:
how to cite a book mla
MLA style is a widely used citation style for research papers.
- Include author's name.
- Use title of book in italics.
- Provide publication city.
- Include publisher's name.
- Indicate year of publication.
- Use page numbers if necessary.
- Follow MLA format guidelines.
- Consult MLA style guide for details.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your MLA citations are accurate and consistent.
Include author's name.
The first step in citing a book in MLA style is to include the author's name. This is typically the author's last name followed by a comma and then their first name. For example:
- Last name, First name.
For example: Smith, John.
- For two authors
Use "and" between the authors' names. For example: Smith, John and Jane Doe.
- For three or more authors
List the first author's name followed by "et al." (which means "and others"). For example: Smith, John et al.
- For a corporate author
Use the full name of the corporation. For example: Microsoft Corporation.
If the author's name is not available, you can use the title of the book in place of the author's name. However, this is not ideal and should only be done as a last resort.
Use title of book in italics.
The title of the book should be italicized. This is true for both the main title and any subtitles. For example:
The Catcher in the Rye
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Novel
If the book is part of a series, the series title should also be italicized. For example:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
If the book is a translation, the original title should be italicized and the translated title should be in regular font. For example:
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad)
If the book is a play, the title should be italicized and the playwright's name should be included after the title. For example:
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
If the book is a poem, the title should be italicized and the poet's name should be included after the title. For example:
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
Note: Do not italicize the title of a book that is part of a larger work, such as an article in a journal or a chapter in a book.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your MLA citations are accurate and consistent.
Provide publication city.
The publication city is the city where the book was published. This information is typically found on the title page of the book. If the book was published in multiple cities, list the first city listed on the title page.
The publication city should be included in the MLA citation after the title of the book. It should be separated from the title by a colon. For example:
To Kill a Mockingbird: New York
If the publication city is not available, you can use the state or country where the book was published. For example:
To Kill a Mockingbird: USA
Note: Do not include the publisher's name in the publication city.
Here are some additional examples of MLA citations with publication cities:
- The Catcher in the Rye: Boston
- One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad): New York
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare: London
- The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe: Baltimore
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your MLA citations are accurate and consistent.
That's it! You now know how to provide the publication city when citing a book in MLA style.
Include publisher's name.
The publisher's name is the name of the company or organization that published the book. This information is typically found on the title page of the book.
- Include the publisher's name after the publication city.
It should be separated from the publication city by a colon. For example:
To Kill a Mockingbird: New York: HarperCollins
- If the publisher's name is long, you can abbreviate it.
For example, "Oxford University Press" can be abbreviated as "OUP."
- If the book was published by a university press, include the university's name in the publisher's name.
For example:
The Catcher in the Rye: Boston: Little, Brown and Company
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad): New York: Harper & Row
- If the book was published by a self-publishing company, include the company's name in the publisher's name.
For example:
Hamlet by William Shakespeare: London: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe: Baltimore: Lulu Press, Inc.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your MLA citations are accurate and consistent.
Indicate year of publication.
The year of publication is the year that the book was first published. This information is typically found on the title page of the book.
The year of publication should be included in the MLA citation after the publisher's name. It should be separated from the publisher's name by a comma. For example:
To Kill a Mockingbird: New York: HarperCollins, 1960
If the book has been published in multiple editions, include the year of publication for the edition that you are using. For example:
The Catcher in the Rye: Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2015
Note: Do not include the copyright date in the year of publication.
Here are some additional examples of MLA citations with years of publication:
- One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad): New York: Harper & Row, 1967
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare: London: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016
- The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe: Baltimore: Lulu Press, Inc., 2018
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your MLA citations are accurate and consistent.
That's it! You now know how to indicate the year of publication when citing a book in MLA style.
Use page numbers if necessary.
Page numbers are only required in MLA citations when you are referring to a specific page or pages in the book. For example, if you are quoting a passage from the book, you will need to include the page number where the passage can be found.
- To include a page number in an MLA citation, simply add "p." followed by the page number after the year of publication.
For example:
To Kill a Mockingbird: New York: HarperCollins, 1960, p. 100
- If you are referring to a range of pages, use "pp." followed by the first and last page numbers in the range.
For example:
The Catcher in the Rye: Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2015, pp. 10-20
- If you are citing a specific page or pages in a book that has multiple volumes, include the volume number before the page number.
For example:
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad): New York: Harper & Row, 1967, vol. 1, p. 100
- If you are citing a source that does not have page numbers, such as a website or a film, you can omit the page number from the citation.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your MLA citations are accurate and consistent.
Follow MLA format guidelines.
In addition to the specific formatting rules that we have discussed in this article, there are a few general MLA format guidelines that you should follow when citing a book:
- Use double-spacing throughout your paper.
- Use one-inch margins on all sides of your paper.
- Use a 12-point font.
- Use Times New Roman or another standard font.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph one-half inch.
- Create a hanging indent for all subsequent lines of a citation.
- Number your pages consecutively in the top right-hand corner of each page, starting with the first page of your paper.
- Include a header on each page that includes your last name and the page number.
By following these general MLA format guidelines, you can ensure that your paper is formatted correctly and is easy to read.
Consult MLA style guide for details.
The MLA style guide is the official guide to MLA style. It contains detailed information on all aspects of MLA style, including how to cite sources. If you have any questions about how to cite a book in MLA style, you can consult the MLA style guide for more information.
- The MLA style guide is available online and in libraries.
- You can also purchase a copy of the MLA style guide from the MLA website.
- The MLA style guide is updated regularly, so be sure to consult the most recent edition.
- In addition to the MLA style guide, there are a number of other resources available to help you learn how to cite sources in MLA style.
These resources include:
- MLA website: The MLA website has a number of resources on MLA style, including a citation generator and a style guide.
- Purdue OWL: The Purdue OWL is a free online writing lab that provides resources on all aspects of academic writing, including MLA style.
- Your instructor: Your instructor is a great resource for help with MLA style. If you have any questions about how to cite a book in MLA style, don't hesitate to ask your instructor for help.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about how to cite a book in MLA style:
Question 1: What information do I need to include in an MLA citation for a book?
Answer: For a basic MLA citation of a book, you will need to include the following information: author's name, title of the book (italicized), publication city, publisher's name, and year of publication.
Question 2: How do I cite a book with two or more authors?
Answer: For a book with two authors, list both authors' names in the citation, separated by "and." For a book with three or more authors, list the first author's name followed by "et al." (which means "and others").
Question 3: How do I cite a book that has been published in multiple editions?
Answer: If the book has been published in multiple editions, include the edition number after the title of the book. For example: To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition.
Question 4: How do I cite a book that does not have a page number?
Answer: If the book does not have page numbers, you can omit the page number from the citation.
Question 5: How do I cite a book in MLA style in a works cited page?
Answer: To cite a book in MLA style in a works cited page, follow the same format as you would for a regular MLA citation. However, you will also need to include a hanging indent for all subsequent lines of the citation.
Question 6: Where can I find more information about MLA style?
Answer: You can find more information about MLA style in the MLA style guide. The MLA style guide is available online and in libraries.
Closing Paragraph:
These are just a few of the most frequently asked questions about how to cite a book in MLA style. If you have any other questions, you can consult the MLA style guide or ask your instructor for help.
Now that you know the basics of how to cite a book in MLA style, here are a few tips to help you get started:
Tips
Here are a few tips to help you get started with citing books in MLA style:
Tip 1: Use a citation generator.
There are a number of citation generators available online that can help you create MLA citations for books. Simply enter the information about the book into the citation generator, and it will generate an MLA citation for you.
Tip 2: Keep a record of your sources.
As you are researching, keep a record of all the books that you use. This will make it easier to create your works cited page when you are finished writing your paper.
Tip 3: Be consistent with your formatting.
It is important to be consistent with your formatting when citing books in MLA style. This means using the same font, font size, and margins for all of your citations.
Tip 4: Proofread your citations.
Before you submit your paper, proofread your citations carefully to make sure that they are accurate and consistent.
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By following these tips, you can ensure that your MLA citations are accurate and consistent. This will help you avoid plagiarism and give credit to the authors whose work you have used.
Now that you know how to cite a book in MLA style, you are ready to start writing your research paper. Good luck!
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed the basics of how to cite a book in MLA style. We have covered the following main points:
- How to include the author's name
- How to use the title of the book
- How to provide the publication city
- How to include the publisher's name
- How to indicate the year of publication
- How to use page numbers if necessary
- How to follow MLA format guidelines
- How to consult the MLA style guide for details
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your MLA citations are accurate and consistent. This will help you avoid plagiarism and give credit to the authors whose work you have used.
Closing Message:
MLA style is a widely used citation style for research papers. By learning how to cite books in MLA style, you can improve the quality of your research papers and make them more credible.
We hope that this article has been helpful. If you have any further questions about MLA style, please consult the MLA style guide or ask your instructor for help.