Published on
November 12, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 30, 2025
Books are one of the most common types of sources in MLA writing, especially when the goal is to analyze literature, explain a historical topic, or develop an argument.
For each book that you use as an outside source, MLA requires two forms of citation:
In-text citations with the author and page for each quotation, paraphrase, or summary
Works Cited entries that include the author, title, publisher, and publication year
There are also different types of books. The citation guidelines vary according to the number of authors, the type of book, and other factors.
To cite books correctly in MLA style, follow the examples and guidelines below, or use QuillBot’s free Citation Generator.
How to cite a book in MLA style examples
In-text citation
Works Cited entry
Morris and Hays-Grudo explained that children who grew up during the Great Depression were known for their resilience and grit (6).
Morris, Amanda Sheffield, and Hays-Grudo, Jennifer. Raising a Resilient Child in a World of Adversity: Effective Parenting for Every Family. American Psychological Association, 2024.
Instead, MLA footnotes and endnotes provide extra context without interrupting the prose. The information isn’t immediately relevant or necessary (but still helpful), so writers place it in a footnote at the bottom of the page or on an endnotes page before the Works Cited page.
MLA footnotes and endnotes can serve these purposes:
Recommend additional sources
Explain outside sources (e.g., the reason for choosing a certain edition)
Share extra ideas or examples
Footnotes/endnotes are uncommon and rarely necessary in undergraduate essays, but they may be useful in a master’s thesis or dissertation.
MLA endnotes example
⁴ Other documentary films about art and activism include Exit Through the Gift Shop and The Art of Protest.
TipEach source that you mention, paraphrase, or quote in an MLA footnote/endnote needs a Works Cited entry. This is true even if you don’t have any in-text citations for those sources. QuillBot’s free Citation Generator can help you create Works Cited entries.
Published on
November 1, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 30, 2025
Books are one of the most common types of sources in academic writing. For each book that you use as an outside source, APA requires two forms of documentation:
In-text citations with the author and date (for paraphrases and summaries) or the author, date, and page (for quotations)
Reference list entries that include the author, date, title, publisher, DOI, and sometimes other details
There are also different types of books. The citation and referencing guidelines vary according to the number of authors, the type of book, and other factors.
To cite and reference books correctly in APA style, follow the examples and guidelines below, or use QuillBot’s free Citation Generator.
How to cite a book in APA style examples
In-text citation
Reference list entry
Morris and Hays-Grudo (2023) explained that children who grew up during the Great Depression were known for their resilience and grit.
Morris, A. S., & Hays-Grudo, J. (2023). Raising a resilient child in a world of adversity: Effective parenting for every family. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000385-000
QuillBot’s Plagiarism Checker can help you avoid accidental plagiarism by identifying material that has not been correctly cited.
Published on
October 30, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
November 11, 2025
Personal pronouns, like “she,” “us,” and “yourself,” are words that represent other nouns, which are called antecedents.
When used correctly, personal pronouns lead to better writing because they prevent unnecessary repetition. For example, if someone is writing about the moon, they could substitute the pronoun “it” for the antecedent “moon” in some of the sentences.
Some personal pronouns only refer to people (e.g., “me” or “he”), but others (e.g., “it”) refer to places or things.
One of the most important rules for personal pronouns is to have a clear antecedent. Always use the antecedent before substituting it with a pronoun in other sentences.
Personal pronouns examplesI saw a yellow butterfly flying near the zinnias in the backyard. It rested on a leaf for a moment, but it flew away before I could take a photo.
Isaac had a scholarship for the first year of college because he got excellent grades during high school.
Role-playing games like Stardew Valley are really entertaining, but they also take a lot of time.
Published on
October 30, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
July 14, 2025
Have a great week is a common closing for emails and conversations on Sunday and Monday. In this English expression, “week” means “Monday through Friday.”
This expression sets a positive tone for the week ahead. It also implies that you won’t talk to the person every day. You’ve probably encountered “have a great week” in one of these situations:
Face-to-face conversations with people you only see on weekends (e.g., saying goodbye after Sunday brunch with your family)
Monday morning email updates to large groups of people (e.g., all of a manager’s employees or all of a teacher’s students/parents)
Farewell messages to people who will be gone all week
Have a great week examplesHey, Becca! I just wanted to say good luck and safe travels before you head out for the conference in Denver. Have a great week!
Dear Customer Service Team,
Happy Monday, and thank you for your terrific work with the increased call volume last week! We have a quick update about overtime. From today until Friday, October 7, all employees are authorized to work up to 5 hours of overtime. This is totally optional. We hope that you all have a great week and appreciate all you do!
-Management Team
“Have a great week” has several variations for different audiences and situations. The synonyms below will help you add variety to your writing and conversations.
Published on
October 24, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
November 13, 2025
Safe travels is a polite way to wish someone good luck before they travel a long distance. Whether the person is traveling for work, vacation, family, or other reasons, “safe travels” shows that you want someone’s trip to be as safe and pleasant as possible.
Because most trips involve multiple segments of travel or even modes of transportation, “safe travels” includes the plural noun “travels” as a synonym for “all of the travel-related aspects of an upcoming trip.”
Safe travels examplesSafe travels, Mom and Dad! Your Mediterranean cruise sounds like the trip of a lifetime, and I can’t wait to see the pictures when you get back.
Have a wonderful time in South Africa, Brandon! We’ll miss you, but we’ll take good care of the house while you’re gone. Safe travels, and enjoy all those frequent flier miles!
I’m so excited to see you later today, and I’ll be waiting at baggage claim when your plane lands. Safe travels, Micki!
TipWhen including a person’s name in the expression “safe travels,” make sure to follow comma rules. A comma should go between the expression and the name(s) (e.g., “Safe travels, Devonte!”)
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you with correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar in written messages about travel.
In addition to “safe travels,” you can use the synonyms below, depending on the situation.
Published on
October 24, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
November 24, 2025
Pronoun-antecedent agreement is a grammar term that means a pronoun matches its antecedent (the noun or noun phrase that it represents).
Pronouns should agree with antecedents in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). When a pronoun refers to a person, it should also match the antecedent’s gender identity (e.g., “he,” “she,” or “they”).
Pronouns and antecedents examples
Example
Explanation
Ariana Grande hosted Saturday Night Live this week, but she didn’t perform music.
My coworkers and I eat at the Olive Garden every Friday because we love the free breadsticks.
“We” is a plural, first-person pronoun. The antecedent is also plural and first-person.
I lost my keys again, and I can’t find them anywhere!
“Them” is a plural, third-person pronoun. “Keys” is also plural and third person.
The most common pronoun-antecedent agreement errors involve plural or singular third-person pronouns. The following tips illustrate how to avoid these errors.
NotePronoun-antecedent agreement also means that possessive adjectives (“my,” “his,” “her,” “their,” “its,” and “our”) should agree with the nouns they modify. The examples in this article demonstrate agreement errors with both possessive adjectives and pronouns.
Published on
October 23, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
November 14, 2025
Indefinite pronouns (e.g., “someone” or “several”) are different from other pronouns because they refer to nouns that are general, vague, or undetermined. An indefinite pronoun refers to all, one or more, or none of the people, places, or things in a category.
Indefinite pronouns examplesEveryone in the family saw the comet except for me.
I asked Cathy to bring something sweet to the dinner party.
I knocked several times, but nobody answered.
Many indefinite pronouns start with “any,” “no,” “some,” or “every” and end with “-one,” “-body,” or “-thing.” Examples of these include “anybody” or “everything.” Other indefinite pronouns—such as “much,” “little,” and “either”—aren’t compound words.
Published on
October 10, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
November 24, 2025
An intensive pronoun (e.g., “myself” or “itself”) refers to another noun or pronoun in the same sentence. The purpose of an intensive pronoun is to show that a person or thing is exceptional, successful, or self-sufficient (because it’s mentioned twice).
In English, the intensive pronouns are the same words as the reflexive pronouns. These words begin with a possessive determiner (e.g., “her”) or an object pronoun (e.g., “him”). They also end in “-self” or “-selves,” depending on whether they’re singular or plural. There are intensive forms for all of the personal pronouns and the impersonal pronoun “one.”
English intensive pronouns list
Pronoun
Person
Number
Examples
Myself
First
Singular
Some people like bragging, but I myself am quite humble.
Ourselves
First
Plural
We don’t need to buy lettuce. We’re growing it ourselves!
Did the two of you really draw these pictures yourselves?
Himself
Third
Singular
Trey himself said, “Keep what’s important, and know who’s your friend.”
Herself
Third
Singular
Margaret herself wrote several dystopian novels.
Themself
Third
Singular
Sam themself won five Grammy awards.
Themselves
Third
Singular
Each voter needs to cast a ballot themselves.
Themselves
Third
Plural
The students organized the homecoming parade themselves.
Oneself
Third
Singular
Anyone who wants something done right should do it oneself.
Itself
Third
Singular
This robot vacuum itself is the hardest-working member of this family.
Note“Themselves” is an intensive pronoun that goes with “they.” It can be plural if it refers to multiple people/objects or singular if it refers to one nonbinary or hypothetical person—just like the singular “they,” “Themself” has also become increasingly common.
“Themselves” and “themself” are both correct singular, third-person intensive pronouns, but some style guides or instructors recommend one instead of the other. When you’re unsure about which one to use, ask your instructor, or consult the style guide you’re using (e.g., APA).
Published on
October 9, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
November 24, 2025
Reflexive pronouns, such as “himself,” “ourselves,” and “yourself,” refer to the noun that’s also the subject of a sentence or clause.
These pronouns end in “-self” or “-selves,” depending on whether they’re singular or plural. The beginning of each reflexive pronoun is either a possessive determiner (e.g., “my”) or an object pronoun (e.g., “them”).
We entertained ourselves for hours with the new karaoke machine.
Yourself
Second
Singular
If you drive yourself to the party, I’ll meet you there.
Yourselves
Second
Plural
Please help yourselves to the free donuts on the table.
Himself
Third
Singular
Juan was so proud of himself when he finished his dissertation.
Herself
Third
Singular
Kloe looked at herself in the mirror and saw her mother staring back.
Themself
Third
Singular
Yudhi considers themself an expert in large language models.
Themselves
Third
Singular
After a long day of classes, Kelly ordered themselves a pizza.
Themselves
Third
Plural
Teachers usually don’t consider themselves heroes, but they truly are.
Oneself
Third
Singular
One should always be able to laugh at oneself.
Itself
Third
Singular
This dirty pan isn’t going to wash itself.
NoteThe singular, third-person reflexive pronoun for a nonbinary or hypothetical person can be “themselves” or “themself.” When you’re unsure about which one to use, ask your instructor, or consult the style guide you’re using (e.g., APA).
