Choose the Correct MLA Citation Format for a Book

Which of the following citations uses the correct MLA capitalization, punctuation, and formatting rules for a book?

a. Julia Alvarez. In the Time of Butterflies. San Francisco–California Press, 2005.

b. In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. San Francisco: California Press, 2005.

c. Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of Butterflies. San Francisco: California Press, 2005.

d. Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of Butterflies. San Francisco: California Press; 2005.

Final Answer:

The correct MLA citation for a book is option c, which is formatted as 'Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of Butterflies. San Francisco: California Press, 2005.'

Explanation:

The correct citation that uses MLA capitalization, punctuation, and formatting rules for a book is option c: Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of Butterflies. San Francisco: California Press, 2005.

This citation correctly places the author's last name first, followed by a comma and then the first name. The title of the book is in italics, and only the first word of the title, the first word after any colons, and proper nouns are capitalized. The publishing city is followed by a colon, then the publisher's name, and the publication year is separated by a comma and ends with a period.