English Language Arts
Grade 12
15 min
Understand a Works Cited entry (MLA 7th edition)
Understand a Works Cited entry (MLA 7th edition)
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Deconstruct any MLA 7th edition Works Cited entry into its core components.
Differentiate between entries for books, scholarly articles, and web sources based on their unique formatting and information.
Explain the grammatical function of periods, commas, and colons within a citation.
Identify and explain the purpose of a hanging indent and the medium of publication.
Use the information in a Works Cited entry to locate the original source material.
Evaluate the type and potential credibility of a source solely by analyzing its Works Cited entry.
Ever followed a citation down a research rabbit hole, trying to find the original source? 🧐 A Works Cited entry is your map!
This tutorial will dissect the structure and 'grammar' of a single Works Cit...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Works Cited EntryA single, formatted reference in the list of sources at the end of a research paper. Each entry provides the full publication details for a source cited in the text.Orwell, George. *1984*. Secker & Warburg, 1949. Print.
Core ComponentsThe fundamental pieces of information that make up an entry, such as the author, title, publisher, and publication date.In the entry for *1984*, the core components are Author (George Orwell), Title (*1984*), Publisher (Secker & Warburg), and Publication Date (1949).
ContainerThe larger work that holds the source you are citing. For example, a journal is the container for an article, and a website is the container for a web page.In a citation for a poem from an anthology, the anthology is the container.
Medium o...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Punctuation Grammar
Periods separate the main components: Author. Title. Publication Information. Medium.
Think of periods as full stops that end a major section of the citation. Commas are used within a section to separate smaller elements, like the publisher and the date, or the last name and first name of the author.
The Title Convention
Titles of larger, standalone works (books, journals, websites) are italicized. Titles of smaller works within a larger container (articles, poems, web pages) are in quotation marks.
This rule helps you immediately identify the type of source. If the first title is in italics, you're likely looking at a book. If it's in quotation marks, you're looking at a part of a larger whole.
The Basic Order for Print Sources
A...
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Challenging
Analyze this complex entry: More, Thomas. "Utopia." *The Norton Anthology of English Literature*. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. Vol. B. New York: W. W. Norton, 2012. 615-80. Print. Which statement accurately deconstructs this citation?
A.Stephen Greenblatt is the author of an article called 'Utopia' found in a journal called *The Norton Anthology*.
B.This is a book titled *Utopia*, written by Stephen Greenblatt and edited by Thomas More.
C.This is a work titled 'Utopia' by Thomas More, found in an anthology edited by Stephen Greenblatt.
D.This is a journal article by Thomas More published in volume B of *The Norton Anthology* in the year 615.
Challenging
A student writing a critical analysis of T.S. Eliot's poetry includes this source: Bloom, Harold, ed. *T.S. Eliot: Modern Critical Views*. New York: Chelsea House, 1985. Print. Based on this entry, what was the student most likely researching?
A.Critical essays and analysis about T.S. Eliot's work, collected by a prominent literary critic.
B.biography of T.S. Eliot written by Harold Bloom.
C.collection of original poems written by T.S. Eliot and edited by Harold Bloom.
D.single, book-length analysis of T.S. Eliot's work written by Harold Bloom.
Challenging
Why is the information in the Edward W. Said entry (*JSTOR*, www.jstor.org/stable/1208316) significantly more useful for relocating the source than a generic entry ending in 'Web. 20 May 2016.'?
A.Because the date of access is more recent in the Said example.
B.Because it provides a stable, permanent link (permalink/stable URL) and a specific database (*JSTOR*), making the source permanently findable, whereas a generic 'Web' entry could refer to a page that has moved or been deleted.
C.Because *JSTOR* is a more credible source than any other website.
D.Because the Said entry is for a scholarly article, which is always easier to find than a regular webpage.
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