Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course Name and Number
01 Jan. 0000
Title: A Critical Analysis
Begin paragraph here. Notice how there is no additional space between the heading,
the title, and the essay. “If you should quote something, this is how you should cite it” (Vacca
2). Notice how there is no punctuation between “it” and the quotation marks. The punctuation
will follow at the end of the entire sentence (Vacca 4). If you have a question mark (“?”) or
exclamation point (“!”), then you would leave in the punctuation. For instance: “Why is this so
confusing?” (Vacca 10). According to Vacca, “You can also signal phrase and not include a
parenthetical citation.” In this case, note that the end-punctuation goes inside the quotation
marks.
For the most part, you should not quote sources directly for more than twenty percent
of any essay. It is usually better to paraphrase your source’s wording (e.g., their claims or
evidence) although you still have to include a parenthetical citation (Schlanger et al. 62). If you
should want to quote a long passage directly, format it like this:
To follow MLA format, you want to make sure that all fonts are 12 pt. and in New Times
Roman. The essay should also have one-inch margins all the way around. It should be
double-spaced. You should only block quote, though, if your quoted material is more
than four lines. If not, the information should be quoted in-line as usual. (Vacca 3)
Once you finish this “block quoting,” resume your paragraph structure as usual. Note: in block
quotes, there are no quotation marks and the parenthetical citation format is slightly different
(note the punctuation). You do not want to use more than one block quote per three pages.
Lastly, if you exceed seven lines in block quote, that’s a bit long; do not go over ten lines, which
is way too much.
It is also important to remember correct punctuation when titling a work. For instance,
a short story or chapter or excerpt will be in quotes: “Marvel Comics and Manifest Destiny” or
“I Want a Wife.” Quotation marks are used for shorter works that are a part of something
larger. A webpage would thus be in quotes. However, longer, complete works will be in italics.
For instance: Global Issues, Local Arguments or The Bedford Reader, 11th Edition.
Finally: if you are conducting yourself like an academic researcher or someone who
values transparency, you will always provide a bibliography or “works cited” list at the end of
your essay. You will normally provide it on an entirely new page (unlike the example shown
below). For more information on how to format an MLA-style “works cited page” and how to
make “parenthetical citations,” refer to your textbooks or to the Purdue University OWL
website. And remember to end your essay, especially your final paragraph, in the strongest way
possible.
Works Cited
Deanne Schlanger et al. Comp 1301 Study Guide [HCC]. 2013. Connect
Composition. Web. 1 Jan. 2013.
Vacca, Jennifer. “How to Use the MLA Format.” Imaginary Journal. 1.1 (2010):
1-10. Imaginary Articles Database. Web. 1 Jan. 2013.