MLA 9th Edition Citation Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Core Elements and Containers

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🔍 Core Elements: Remember the nine core elements: Author, Title of Source, Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, and Location.
• ✍️ Order Matters: List the elements in the correct order. Punctuation between elements is also crucial.
• 📦 Containers: Understand what a container is. Containers are the larger works that hold the source (e.g., a journal holding an article, a website holding a webpage).
• 🌐 Multiple Containers: Some sources can have multiple containers (e.g., an article from a journal found through a database).
• 📌 Location, Location, Location: This refers to where the source can be found (e.g., page numbers, a URL).
• 📅 Publication Date: Use the most specific date available (day, month, year). If only the year is available, use that.
• 💡 Omission: If an element is missing, simply skip it. Do not make anything up.

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following is the correct order of the first four core elements in an MLA citation?

   1. Author, Title of Source, Publication Date, Title of Container
   2. Title of Source, Author, Title of Container, Other Contributors
   3. Author, Title of Source, Title of Container, Other Contributors
   4. Title of Container, Author, Other Contributors, Title of Source

2. What is a 'container' in MLA citation?

   1. The author of the source.
   2. The physical location of the library.
   3. The larger work that holds the source.
   4. The title of the source itself.

3. Which of the following is typically considered a container?

   1. A page number.
   2. A book.
   3. The author's name.
   4. A specific paragraph within an article.

4. If a source is found on a website that is part of a larger database, how many containers are there?

   1. None.
   2. One.
   3. Two.
   4. Three.

5. Which element follows the Title of Container in the core elements structure?

   1. Author.
   2. Version.
   3. Publication Date.
   4. Title of Source.

6. If a source has no identifiable author, what should you do?

   1. Use 'Anonymous' as the author.
   2. Omit the author element and begin with the title of the source.
   3. Use the publisher as the author.
   4. Make up an author's name.

7. Which of the following is the correct way to format the publication date of October 26, 2023, in an MLA citation?

   1. 10/26/2023
   2. October 26th, 2023
   3. 26 Oct. 2023
   4. 2023, October 26