Explain MLA citation for a primary-source letter with a practical example format.

• A. Publisher, year, page numbers
• B. Editor, edition, and city
• C. Author, a brief title or description, date, and collection/repository
• D. URL only

Answer: (C)

In MLA, citing a primary-source letter centers on identifying who wrote it, giving a brief title or description of the letter, recording the date, and noting the collection or repository where it can be found. This combination of author, a concise descriptor, the date, and the container (the collection or archive) makes it clear exactly where the letter lives so readers can locate it themselves. For example: Adams, Abigail. "Letter to John Adams, May 3, 1776." The Adams Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society, 1999. If the letter appears in a published edition or on a website, you can add the editor(s) or the title of the larger work and the publisher, plus a location such as a page number or URL. The core idea is to provide enough identifying information and a precise place to retrieve the source.