MLA FORMAT MODERN LANGAUAGE ASSOCIATION. What to do, how to do it and when to use it

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1 MLA FORMAT MODERN LANGAUAGE ASSOCIATION What to do, how to do it and when to use it

2 The Basics Your paper should be TYPED, printed on 8.5 X11 white paper. Double space your paper. Choose a legible font (preferred Times New Roman) Margin should be set to 1 inch on all sides. Indent the first word of each paragraph

3 Basics Cont. No need for title page, unless specifically asked for. Italics should be used throughout your essay for titles of longer works. Use quotation marks for shorter works. Example: from Resistance to Civil Government is a longer work- it should be italicized.

4 How the top half of your paper should look!

5 But how do I make a header? On Word, go to the INSERT tab Press Header Click the first option that just says BLANK You should then get a box that is highlighted blue that says TYPE TEXT Click the page Number box on the top of the Word on the left side. Click top page, and tab it over to the right as much as you can The cursor should be on the left hand side of the number, just type your last name. Then click close header and footer

6 In Text Citations This basically means that the author's last name and page number(s) from which the quote or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text. You can do this a few ways: 1) stating the author in the sentence and then citing the page number 2) Putting the author and page number in the citation and just have the quotation as a sentence.

7 Sentence example one: Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings (263). -This has the speaker of quote in the quoted sentence with the page number as citation. Sentence example two: Romantic poetry is characterized by the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings (Wordsworth 263). This just quotes Wordsworth without saying his name in the quotation.

8 What if I don t know the author? Place title in parenthesis if its short, if it s long use italics. Example: All of my students are excellent. Except when they talk, roll around the floor and play with their phones ( The True Diaries of the Anonymous Teacher 17).

9 Quotes When quoting you have to put the quote in double quotation marks and provide the author and specific page citation. It was bomb was my students response when I asked them how their Thanksgiving was (Tocco 184).

10 But my quote is too long! If your quote is more than 4 lines long, place them in a free-standing block of text and omit the quotation marks. Start quotation on a new line, and tab over once. Your quote should all start at the same position of the tab over.

11 In Things that Really Drive Me Crazy, Tocco explains her anger for repeated songs. All indented over to the same spot I really enjoy a song at first, when it just comes out. Then the radio plays it over and over again. So I completely stop listening to the radio. Pandora follows suit and I hear the same song again and again. It really frustrates me! (4) Continue on with paper. Blah blah blah blah blah

12 DON T QUOTE BOMB If you are going to add a quote, don t just shove it in the paragraph. You should introduce the quote (see previous example- Tocco explains her anger for repeated songs) You should also explain the significance of the quote. If you re confused- just think so what? What is the point of me adding this- if you can t think of an answer you are quote bombing.

13 Adding/Omitting words Adding: Put the word in brackets Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states, some individuals [go retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale (78). Omitting: Use an elippse mark, or three periods followed by a space. In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale... and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs (78).

14 WORKS CITED PAGE Should begin on a separate page. It should still have 1 inch margins and header as the rest of your paper. Label it Works Cited in the center of the page. Double space all citations but don t skip spaces between entries. Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent. Names should be listed alphabetically by last name

15 Works Cited- Book How it should look: Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium of Publication. Example: Tocco, Ashley. The Joys of Teaching. Macomb: Penguin Group, Print.

16 Works Cited-Speeches (HINT HINT GANDHI) and lectures (Hint Hint- THOREAU) How it should look: Last Name, First Name. Title of speech (if any). Date. Type of presentation. Example Gandhi, Mohandas K. On Nonviolent Resistance Speech. Or Thoreau, Henry David. from Resistance to Civil Government Lecture

17 Works Cited- Reprinted work in a book collection (your English book) How it should look Last name, First name. Title of work. Book title. Ed. Editor s Name(s). City of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page range of entry. Medium of Publication. King, Martin Luther, Jr. from Letter from Birmingham City Jail. Elements of Literature. Ed.

18 Works Cited- Magazine and Newspaper Magazine- How it should look: Author(s). "Title of Article." Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium of publication Example: Tocco, Ashley. My Life: Protein Shakes, Powerschool and Puppies. Teachers Daily 24 January 2014: Print Newspaper: Same way as a magazine, except newspapers will usually have A1 or L201

19 Works Cited- Online Information When evaluating a source you should try to find the following information: -Author and Editor Name -Article name (this should go in quotation marks) -Title of the website -Any version numbers available, including revision dates -Publisher Information -Medium of publication -Date you accessed the material -URL (not required for MLA, but important) -.net,.org,.edu,.gov are good.-.com is usually bad

20 If you are citing an entire website Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access. Tocco, Ashley. Teachers Rock! Utica Community Schools, Web. 29 May

21 Article from Online Database Do this just as you would print sources Title of database should be italicized Junge, Wolfgang, and Nathan Nelson. Nature's Rotary Electromotors. Science 29 Apr. 2005: Science Online. Web. 5 Mar Tocco. Why dogs are so compassionate. Dogs Digest 52.5 (1991): LexusNexus. Web. 29 May Journal article name Database name

22 Works Cited- Purdue Owl Example: Kunka, Andrew. "Re: Modernist Literature." Message to the author. 15 Nov Example: Tocco, Ashley. Christmas break is happening soon. Message to Maggie Noodlearm. 28 May

23 Works Cited: Tweet Purdue Owl Example: Brokaw, Tom (tombrokaw). "SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign." 22 Jan. 2012, 3:06 a.m. Tweet. Tocco, Ashley (tocco123a). When bae isn t answering your texts #foreverirritated 22 May. 2014, 11:45 p.m. Tweet. Hashtagnotmyrealtwitterhandlesorrynotsorry

24 Works Cited: Films or Movies List them by title, then name of director, film studio, and release year. Purdue Example The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, Film.

25 Example Works Cited Page Remember always order the sources alphabetically by last name. Double space always and indent the second line and so on per source.

26 Hopefully this helps you in the future. Remember that any of this can be found on Purdue Owl website. 1/ Enjoy and happy writing

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