Question

Which of the following pieces of evidence is INCORRECTLY cited? (Choose one.)

A. The report states, "There are two ways of in-text citation," (Smith, 26).
B. It is important to note that, "not all articles share the author's name," ("How to Cite," 23).
C. According to Smith, you must learn how to cite a source in your essay to avoid plagiarism (26).
D. "Citing an article in your essay correctly is important if you want to avoid plagiarism" (Smith, 26).

Answer 1

The incorrectly cited evidence is B, which should have a shortened title in quotation marks and should not include commas inside the parenthetical citation. It should be cited as ("How to Cite" 23) following the MLA citation style.

Step-by-step explanation:

The piece of evidence that is incorrectly cited is B. It states: "It is important to note that, 'not all articles share the author's name,' ("How to Cite," 23)." According to MLA citation style, when a work has no known author, a shortened title of the work is supposed to be cited, not the full title, and it should be in italics if it's a book or quotes if it's an article. Also, the citation should include page numbers if available, and if it is from a print source, or paragraph numbers if it is web-based and has no page numbers. Therefore, the correct citation would look like this: ("How to Cite" 23).

In-text citations are essential for avoiding plagiarism, giving credit to original authors, and aiding readers in finding the source material. Each in-text citation should be matched with a corresponding Works Cited entry. Without this correlation, it not only confuses readers but also constitutes plagiarism, akin to a 'broken link' on the internet. Following the accurate citation style is crucial for the credibility of your work.