Modern
Language
Association
Guidelines
Ms. Strama
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Modern Language Association (MLA): 8th edition
The style of documentation outlined in the 8th edition serves the needs of students who
are writing research papers, as well as scholars who publish professionally. This
presentation will mostly focus on MLA formatting and style concerns that affect writing
research papers.
MLA style is often used in the following disciplines: humanities, languages, literature,
linguistics, philosophy, communication, religion, and others.
MLA format provides writers with a uniform format for document layout and
documenting sources. Proper MLA style shows that writers are conscientious of the
standards of writing in their respective disciplines. Properly documenting sources also
ensures that an author is not plagiarizing.
General Formatting Guidelines:
An MLA Paper should always be:
❏ Typed on 8.5’’ x 11’’ paper (you, however, will always submit to
Showbie in this class)
❏ Double-spaced
❏ Use 12 point font, Times New Roman
❏ Have margins set to 1’’ all around the document
❏ Indent every paragraph
❏ Have a header with the writer’s last name and page number in
the top right-hand corner
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The FIRST page of your essay will:
➢ List your name, your teacher’s name, the
course/class, and the due date all in the
upper-left hand corner
➢ A centered paper title (use standard
capitalization, but your essay’s title should NOT
be in bold, italics, underlined, or in quotes)
➢ A header in the upper right corner of your page
with your last name and page number
Sample
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1.
In-text Citations
An in-text citation is a brief reference in your
text that indicates the source you consulted to
borrow information.
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An in-text citation should...
➢ It should direct readers to the entry in your works-cited list for that source.
It should be unobtrusive: provide the citation information without
interrupting your own text.
➢ In general, the in-text citation will be the author’s last name (or
abbreviated title) with a page number, enclosed in parentheses.
In-text citation example #1:
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1. Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was
marked by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful
feelings” (263).
One way to cite in-text is by mentioning the author of the work you’re
referencing in the sentence and putting the page number in parentheses.
In-text citation example #2:
1. Romantic poetry is characterized by the
“spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”
(Wordsworth 263).
This is the same sentence as the other slide, however the writer takes out
Wordsworth’s name and instead puts it directly in the parentheses with the
page number.
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In-text citation example #3:
1. Wordsworth extensively explored the role of
emotion in the creative process (263).
In this sentence, the writer decides to sum up what Wordsworth says instead of
quoting. Nevertheless, because it is not HER own idea or information, she must cite
Wordsworth. Wordsworth, being the author of the book she is referencing, is used in
the sentence of her essay and the page number is put in parentheses..
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Citing a work with no
known author:
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We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because
this region has “more readily accessible climatic data and more
comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change…”
(“Impact of Global Warming” 6).
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author
name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (e.g. articles) or italicize it if
it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire websites) and provide a page
number (if applicable).
Short Prose Quotations:
If a quotation runs less than four lines and requires no special emphasis, put it in
quotation marks and incorporate it into the text.. Provide the author and specific page
citation in the text, and include a complete entry in the works-cited page.
Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the
parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points should appear within
the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the
parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text.
***Note the examples on the following slide***
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Short Prose Quotation Examples:
According to some, dreams express “profound aspects of personality” (Foulkes 184),
though others disagree.
According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express “profound aspects of personality”
(184).
Is it possible that dreams may express “profound aspects of personality” (Foulkes
184)?
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Quoting & Citing Lines of Poetry & Plays
When quoting lines from poetry or plays such as those of Shakespeare
in which the structure of the lines plays a big part in understanding the
language, make sure you insert a “/” indicating the continuation of your
quote is another line in the poem/play.
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For example:
Othello Act 3, Scene 3 lines 238-240 would be quoted and cited as such:
“She did deceive her father, marrying you, / And when she seemed to shake
and fear your looks, / She loved them most” (3.3.238-240).
The “/” indicates the end of a
line in the play and the start
of another one.
The format for citing lines in a play is:
(Act#.Scene#.line#-Line#).
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Adding words/omitting words in a quote
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Works Cited Page:
At the very end of your essay, you will need to include
a works cited page...Yes, even if you only used one
source (the novel you read itself)!
Your works cited page should be double-spaced, in
alphabetical order, and the title “Works Cited” should
be centered at the top with no other formatting (no
bolded letters, no underlining/italicizing, etc).
Sample Works Cited Page
The title of the Works Cited
page is centered and
capitalized with no other
formatting
After the first line of a
citation, each line
following it must be
indented until you start
a new citation.
All citations are in
alphabetical order
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Citation Machines
You can use the following “citation machines” to help cite your
works. Note that, as with any “machine,” you run the risk of error.
Please always double check your citations to make sure they are
correct before submitting a paper.
With EasyBib.com, you are able to enter either a website or ISBN
of a book to get the correct citation.
With KnightCite, you must enter the required information from your
source to get a citation.
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When citing any book-- novel, play, etc, that
we read in class-- please follow this format:
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If you have any questions on this information, please jot
them down, and we will go over MLA formatting and
citations more when I get back.
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MLA Citation Quiz
Go to the following quiz on MLA citation to test your knowledge.
You may only take the quiz ONCE, so read each question &
answer carefully before answering.
Or paste this link into your browser:
https://goo.gl/forms/gGFNmPnd7eFYuOrk1
***This quiz is not optional. Your score will be recorded in the gradebook on 360.***
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This is just the tip of the iceberg! Want
to explore more on MLA citing?
See this information and much more at Purdue OWL.
Or copy & paste the following into a browser:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/
mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_for
matting_and_style_guide.html