Sunday, October 25, 2015

When writing a book review, if I am using quoted text from the book, do I simply use quotation marks or do I have to cite the page?I must use...

This is a little difficult.  The most important thing to
remember with MLA citing, is that it is simple and typically follows common sense, but
it always gives credit where credit is due.  If the book you are
using is of significant length (ie: not a short story), and it is clear from your review
exactly what title and author your are quoting, do not worry about putting the author's
last name in the parenthetical citation.  It would likely seem redundant.  However, if
you are directly quoting text, you will need to cite a page
number, if the quote is from a work of significant length.  If it is a short story, you
might cite a paragraph number.  If it were a short poem, you would cite a line
number.


Of course, if you are required to do MLA, you are
also then required to do a works cited.  Be sure the entry in your works cited is the
exact edition you are using for the page number citations.  With any other works
referenced in your review, do not change anything (no italics) in the formatting.  Just
reference the same way you did the actual book.  Be sure to give credit to the author
you are citing, either in the sentence (ie: "According to Roger Smith...") or at the end
with last name and page number in parenthetical citation.

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