Any MLA experts here? I''ll give you a cookie! Haven?

[luckystar112]

I have searched high and low for an answer to this question, and I can''t seem to find it online or in any of my MLA handouts. I need the BOOK, but I left it in a dining hall three months ago.

Anyway, my acceptance into grad school may depend upon my getting this right (I know, melodramatic, but the paper I am writing will be reviewed by the English department of the school I am applying to).

The question is...

How the heck do I separate non-consecutive page numbers in a parenthetical citation?!?!?!??!

Is it a semicolon? A plus sign? The word "and"? What????!

Example:
1. Crane uses the word "pitiless" to describe the storm at two different points in the story (452 and 455).
2. Crane uses the word "pitiless" to describe the storm at two different points in the story (452;455).
3. Crane uses the word "pitiless" to describe the storm at two different points in the story (452+455).

 

[Haven]

Off to look for my handbook now . . .

 

[yellowducky]

i don''t have the book, but i have consulted this website on many occasions and have found it useful when writing in MLA style.

perhaps this link helps (see end of page)?

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/03/

based on what''s written there, i would guess the page numbers would be reported as (#, #). but of course, that''s only a guess.

 

[luckystar112]

Thanks for the answer yellowducky, I'll wait for Haven to confirm it!
I think you may be correct. I was using the OWL website as a reference this whole time and I can't believe I missed that example at the end of the page where they use the comma to separate the verses of poetry. DOH!

 

[Haven]

I don''t have my MLA handbook at home, and I can''t find it in any of my writing textbooks. (I''m a bit disappointed in How to Write Anything by the way, as it clearly does not live up to its name.

)

I just sent an email with your question to my colleague who happens to be our writing guru. She is the master of all things writing. I''ll post her reply when I hear from her.

 

[Circe]

I don''t know where my handbook is, but I second the (#,#) form of citation as most likely being the correct one.

 

[Haven]

Date: 5/13/2010 1:09:48 PM
Author: luckystar112
Thanks for the answer yellowducky, I''ll wait for Haven to confirm it!
I think you may be correct. I was using the OWL website as a reference this whole time and I can''t believe I missed that example at the end of the page where they use the comma to separate the verses of poetry. DOH!

I found one online reference to confirm yellowducky''s answer, but it wasn''t up to date. It does *seem* like the best option, but I''ll still wait to hear back from my colleague before officially confirming.

I am so NOT an MLA expert!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Lucky, I''m not an MLA expert . . . but can I have a cookie anyway???

 

[elrohwen]

I was debating going allllllll the way upstairs to get my MLA book

but since nobody else seemed to have one handy I made the trek.

And it's a comma. (#, #)

Section 5.4.2 if anyone wants to look it up

eta: I would like chocolate chip please!

 

[luckystar112]

YAY!

I''ll wait to see if Haven''s friend says anything different, but I''m willing to bet that you all are correct. I posted the questions on Yahoo Answers too (I know....) and got the same answer.

Chocolate chip cookies for everyone!!!!

 

[Haven]

My writing guru says this:

I could not find anything in the MLA handbook for this situation.
However, she's not sure if you need to cite this first sentence because it is likely followed by at least two sentences describing the two different places Crane uses that adjective. Then, of course, you would distribute the page numbers after each subsequent sentence and the problem would no longer exist.

Even if you do not do that, she doesn't think the citation is necessary at all because you, the writer, are noting a reoccurrence of the word in the author's text.*

SO, inconclusive? I'd go with the comma, or skip the citation altogether.

Is this why my students always say "Whenever we ask you a question, we end up with so many more questions to think about." Ha! I love it.

*Anyone know how to write an in-text citation for an email? I believe I need one here!

 

[luckystar112]

Thanks for your help, Haven!
I decided to go with the comma between page numbers. The paragraph was already kind of on the long side, so rewriting it into two sentences would have made it obnoxiously long. Also, your friend''s point about probably not even needing a citation makes sense, but I want to be on the safe side. Professors differ so much on what they require! I just got a paper back that marked down because she said I was missing citations. So I guess I''d rather they think that I went overboard than plagiarized someone else.

Sigh......academia.