Basic Structure
The basic structure for citing a book in MLA format is:
* Author's Last Name, First Name. *Title of Book*. *Edition* if applicable, *City of Publication*: *Publisher*, *Year of Publication*. *Medium of Publication* if applicable.
Example
For a single-authored book:
* Smith, John. *The History of the American Revolution*. 3rd ed., New York: Penguin, 2018. Print.
For a book with two authors:
* Jones, Mary, and David Lee. *The Art of Storytelling*. London: Macmillan, 2015. Print.
For a book with more than three authors:
* Brown, Alice, et al. *Environmental Science: A Global Perspective*. 5th ed., New York: Pearson, 2020. Print.
For an edited book:
* Williams, Sarah, ed. *The Complete Works of William Shakespeare*. London: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print.
For a book with no author:
* *The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge*. New York: Times Books, 2019. Print.
For an e-book:
* Johnson, Michael. *The Power of Positive Thinking*. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018. Kindle Edition.
Important Points
* Italicize the title of the book.
* Include the edition if it's not the first edition.
* List the city of publication and the publisher.
* Use "Print" for a physical book and "Kindle Edition" or "eBook" for a digital book.
* If you have a book with more than 3 authors, use "et al." after the first author's name.
Additional Notes:
* In-text citations: When you mention the book in your essay, use the author's last name and the page number. For example: (Smith 12).
* For multiple entries by the same author, use a shortened title in the in-text citation. For example: (Smith, *History* 12).
* Always double-check the MLA guidelines for the latest updates and specific requirements.
Let me know if you have any more questions or need more specific examples!