Now, your bibliography (the “Works Cited” page) is where things get slightly thrilling—like organizing your fridge by color. You’ll list each work separately, in alphabetical order by title, but you don’t repeat the author’s name.
Instead, after the first entry, you use three hyphens and a period: — — —. It looks like a secret code, and honestly, it kind of is. It shouts, “Same author, different dish!” So you’ll see:
Dough, Pat. The Cookie Conspiracy. Flour Press, 2026.
— — —. The Donut Deception. Glaze Publishing, 2026.
It’s like saying, “Same Pat, but this one is about donuts.” Professors love this because it saves them from reading your author’s name ten times. They’re busy people. They have lives. Or so they claim.
When Authors Get Smarter Than You
What if you’re citing two articles from the same author in the same year? Oh, you sneaky little scholar. The MLA gurus decided you need a letter after the year: (Smith 2023a) and (Smith 2023b). This feels like naming your twin cats “Pancake A” and “Pancake B.” It works, but you’ll feel a little silly.
PPT - MLA Basics PowerPoint Presentation, free download - ID:6037673
And if your author has a really common name—like “Smith” or “Johnson”—you’ll want to add the shortened title to avoid confusion. So (Smith, “Time Travel” 22) and (Smith, “Tacos” 14). Your reader now knows you’re talking about the Smith who explored wormholes, not the one who explored sour cream.
