THE RECEIPTS
The proper formatting for an MLA in-text citation.
What is the author's last name and the page number in parentheses?
I couldn’t believe my luck when I found the missing ring under the couch.
What is first person?
A comparison using like or as (e.g., "as brave as a lion").
What is a simile?
A direct comparison saying one thing is another (e.g., "time is a thief").
What is a metaphor?
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
What is imagery?
Where the period goes on an MLA citation.
What is outside of the parenthetical?
You turn the corner and suddenly realize you’ve been here before.
What is second person?
A hint or clue about what will happen later in the story.
What is foreshadowing?
Giving human traits to non-human things (e.g., "the wind whispered").
What is personification?
Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste).
What is irony?
How you cite a text that does not have page numbers.
What is just the author's last name?
We packed our bags quickly, hoping to leave before the storm hit.
What is first person?
A word that imitates a sound (e.g., "buzz," "crash").
What is Onomatopoeia?
Repeating the same beginning sound in nearby words (e.g., "Peter Piper picked...").
What is Alliteration?
A story where characters and events symbolize deeper meanings, like morals or politics.
What is an allegory?
In this circumstance, you DO NOT need to include an MLA citation after your direct quote.
What is including the author's name in the quote introduction? (Informal citation)
Greg stared at the test, his mind blank, unaware that his teacher was watching closely.
What is third person limited?
An extreme exaggeration for effect (e.g., "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse").
What is a hyperbole?
Two opposite words put together (e.g., "deafening silence").
What is an oxymoron?
A grouped set of lines in a poem, like a paragraph in poetry.
What is a stanza?
How you properly cite an article with no author listed.
What is the title of the article in quotation marks inside of parentheses?
As the thunder roared, Ella worried about her dog at home, while Mark silently hoped the game would be canceled.
What is third person omniscient?
A comparison that shows how two things are similar, often to explain something.
What is an analogy?
A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work (e.g., "He was a real Romeo").
What is an allusion?
A mistaken belief or faulty argument, often used in reasoning or debate (e.g., "Everyone’s doing it, so it must be right").
What is a fallacy?