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MLA 9th Edition Guide

This is a research guide that details the rules and stipulations for MLA formatting.

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MLA 9th Edition Citation Additional Information Title Begins with "A, An" or "The"

When a Title Begins with "A, An" or "The"

If there is no author and you are using the work's title as the first part of the entry on the Works Cited page, capitalize the leading article (A, An, or The) but place the citation on the alphabetized page using the next full word.

  • For a journal, magazine, or newspaper beginning with an article (A, An, or The), capitalize the leading article: 
    The Georgia Review.
  • If a publisher's or organization's name begins with "The," omit it.  The American Bar Association and The MIT Press would appear as:
    American Bar Association
    MIT Press