Final answer:
The correct format for referencing one author in a text using MLA style is 'This point has been argued before (Frye, 197).' This format concisely provides the reader with enough information to find the full reference in the Works Cited page.
Step-by-step explanation:
When documenting one author in reference in a text within the humanities disciplines, using the MLA documentation style, the correct format is option d: 'This point has been argued before (Frye, 197).' The inclusion of the author's last name and the page number without a comma in between is the standard format for in-text citations. Example: Some scholars argue Hamlet's hamartia, or fatal flaw, is his indecisiveness (Greene).
In MLA style, citations within the text must be concise and should provide the reader with enough information to locate the reference in the Works Cited page. Therefore, a laser-focused quotation that supports the argument in question is crucial for clarity and accuracy.
When analyzing texts, the MLA style generally prescribes the use of the present tense or the present perfect tense in signal phrases, depending on the discipline. In literary studies and humanities, the argument will take time to develop and must be supported by concrete evidence.