Exercises for Using MLA Parenthetical Citations Worksheet
Name:__________________________
Exercise A:
Examine each of the following pairs carefully. Indicate the passage that handles MLA in-
text citations correctly and briefly explain what is wrong with the citation in the other
passage.
1) _____
a. In "Death and Justice," Edward Koch, former mayor of New York City
argues that "life is precious, and . . . the death penalty helps to affirm this
fact (857)."
b. In "Death and Justice," Edward Koch, former mayor of New York City,
argues that "life is precious, and . . . the death penalty helps to affirm this
fact" (857).
2) ______
a. “Arguing about whether nontraditional families deserve pity or tolerance
is a little like the medieval debate about left-handedness as a mark of the
devil" (Kingsolver 168).
b. Kingsolver points out that "arguing about whether nontraditional families
deserve pity or tolerance is a little like the medieval debate about left-
handedness as a mark of the devil" (168).
3) ______
a. "There is a Chinese word for the female, which is slave, " writes Maxine
Hong Kingston (191). "Break the women with their own tongues!" (191).
She means that since women had no other word to use to refer to
themselves than one meaning slave, they eventually lost any sense of
dignity and independence they might once have had.
b. "There is a Chinese word for the female, which is slave, " writes Maxine
Hong Kingston. "Break the women with their own tongues!" She means
that since women had no other word to use to refer to themselves than one
meaning slave, they eventually lost any sense of dignity and independence
they might once have had (191).
Italics vs. Quotations:
For the following, place quotations and italics around (under) the titles:
1. Our professor, Mr. Olsen, asked us if we enjoyed reading Walt
Whitman’s famous poem Song of Myself.
