Appendix 4 Writing English Coursework
Written course work contributes a substantial percentage towards your degree. It is important
therefore that you take care over both the content and the presentation of essays and other pieces of
written coursework: they do after all represent a claim on your part to being awarded a particular class
of degree.
The following section offers some advice on essay writing and answers questions students often ask.
The next section describes the conventions of presentation and layout to which your coursework
should conform.
The final section is a brief guide to referencing and bibliographic conventions.
Writing Literary-Critical Essays
Choosing a title
You will usually be given a choice of essay titles. Don't always pick the title which seems to you to be
the ‘safest’. Whenever possible, choose one which will stretch you intellectually: you and your tutor
are both likely to find the results more interesting (and an interested marker is more likely to view an
essay favourably). But don't go overboard: wild, unsubstantiated assertions - see below - will be
marked down.
You shouldn't feel under any pressure to be ‘original.’ Most essays simply require the production of a
well-informed argument in response to a question with appropriate evidence to support your claims.
Remember, too, that you are not expected to write the last word on the topic. Tutors will be looking
for a lively, intelligent and succinct response to the particular issues raised by the question.
Getting started

Analyse the question. What topic(s) are you asked to address - and how? If you are
unsure of any words, look them up in a dictionary. Has the question more than one part?
The meaning of a title as a whole should be clear - if it isn't, ask your tutor.
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Brainstorm everything you know in response to the question and your opinions about the
issue(s) raised. Then, make a preliminary attempt to sort your thoughts.
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Think about the critical approach you might adopt. As you will become aware
from the course, English studies may involve a wide variety of critical approaches and
theoretical positions. But it is up to you to decide which approach is most suitable for you and
for the topic you are discussing.

Make a preliminary search for secondary sources. Secondary sources are
those which deal with the text(s) you are writing about, as opposed to the primary source,
which is/are the text(s). Secondary sources may include books, e-books, journal articles (hard
copy or via e-resource database) and internet sites.
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Begin your research and make some notes. These should be derived from both
primary and secondary sources.
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Carefully document your sources for your notes, especially material you have
taken from the internet.
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Create a working bibliography (list of works consulted).
Secondary sources
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Secondary sources can fill gaps in your thinking, protect you from blunders, and provide a
measure against which you can test your own readings of texts. Most often you will use
critics to validate your argument. Finally, reading critics can gradually acclimatise you to the
tones, styles and conventions of writing about literature, and aid the development of your own
style.

Remember that material from secondary sources (i.e. books or articles about the literary texts
you are studying) should not be used as a substitute for your own close reading of the
primary texts, and should always be used critically, not taken on trust simply because it is in
print. Undue deference to particular critics can be a handicap to your intellectual
development and could cost you marks in written work. Many students initially see secondary
material as a source for ‘good quotes’ around which they then structure their arguments. You
should aim to move beyond using secondary material in this shallow way, as the course
shows the extent to which critics can disagree with one another, about fundamentals as well
as details. For your part, demonstrate your ability to choose between different views and
exercising your own judgement.
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Some topics (e.g. the close analysis of a particular text) may require little or no background
reading. Some, however (e.g. those which involve placing a text in its literary, historical, or
critical context), may require quite extensive reading beyond the text itself. Use the booklists
and Blackboard materials provided by your tutors for guidance (though of course you can
explore beyond them).
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Remember: there is no ‘secret’ answer locked away in a secondary text. Don't get carried
away with the research. Ensure that you leave enough time to write the essay!

The potential problems with overuse or misuse of critics are manifold. The most serious
mistake of all is plagiarism, which in English studies most commonly means the use of
material, especially direct quotation, without acknowledgement of its source. Sometimes
uncontrolled note-taking while you are preparing the essay leads to problems, especially
when cutting and pasting from the internet. After all that work, you may feel inclined to use
the notes you have accumulated from half-a-dozen critics even when you know in your heart
that they have little or no relevance to the question. Some unsuccessful essays have the
appearance of being anthologies rather than answers.

Warning: avoid the use of Brodie's Notes, Coles Notes, etc and generic internet ‘answer’
sites. These may have been acceptable in pre-degree English studies but it is not
appropriate to quote or cite them in an academic essay. At this level you are expected to
undertake proper research in critical texts and journals. Some recent series e.g. the revised
York Notes Advanced are of a much higher quality and your tutor will advise you where
appropriate.

Warning: you must not simply copy out sections of your lecture notes into your essay.
Copying out lecture notes and passing this off as your own work without acknowledgement
constitutes plagiarism. If a lecturer makes a point which you find particularly pertinent to the
essay question set, you may incorporate a small and properly acknowledged quotation from
the lecture, just as you would from a critical work (see section on ‘Conventions you must
follow in written work’, highlighting how to incorporate and acknowledge quotations correctly).
You should remember that lectures are intended to offer critical introductions to particular
topics. You need to then develop your understanding and knowledge of a particular topic by
wider critical reading.
Planning the essay
 Select your topics
 Put them into a logical order
 Arrange the evidence you have collected to support these topics

Review your material making any necessary changes (you may need to do more
research at this stage, or you may need to make cuts)

Finalise your plan
Structuring the essay
All essays have a basic structure: introduction, argument and conclusion. Tight word limits mean
that you need to plan your essays carefully.
The introduction (one paragraph: 150 to 200 words) of your essay should immediately begin to
address the question. It is usually a good idea to begin by defining the issues it raises. You should
always feel free to challenge the assumptions underlying the question if you don't agree with them.
The introduction should make clear which text, or texts, you intend to discuss. It should make clear
the critical approach(es) you have chosen. If appropriate it may contain a very brief plot summary
(no more than one or two sentences). Above all, it should contain a thesis statement - one or two
sentences at or near the end of the paragraph which announce what you propose to demonstrate or
argue in the body of the essay.
Warning: leisurely introductions providing generalised ‘background’ are a waste of time and will cost
you marks. An essay beginning ‘Charles Dickens was born. . . .’ tends to ring alarm bells in a tutor's
mind. Here, and later in the essay, you should avoid falling into the trap of retelling the plot of novels
and plays. You will also be marked down for doing this as it does not directly address the question.
The body of the essay or the argument comprises a logical and persuasive sequence of
paragraphs each making a major point carefully substantiated by reference to the text. A 2000 word
essay (with approximately 300 to 350 words per page typed double-spaced with 1½’ margins = 6
pages) is likely to comprise 8 to 10 paragraphs plus an introduction and conclusion.
Each paragraph must begin with a topic sentence which announces the main idea of the paragraph.
The topic sentence should also support the thesis statement and contribute to the logical
development of the essay as it moves towards a conclusion. The next sentence in your paragraph
might expand on the topic sentence. The topic sentence must be supported by evidence
(appropriately referenced quotations from text, critics, etc.). Next, comment on or explain the
evidence. The final sentence of the paragraph should provide a transition to the topic sentence of the
next paragraph.
Warning: generally, it's better not to work through the text you are discussing line-by-line or episodeby-episode. This can be tedious for a reader -- and betray you into plot summary.
The conclusion (150-200 words) draws the argument together and establishes the relevance/
significance of the thesis and argument you have expounded. One technique worth using is to ask
yourself at the end of your argument: ‘So what?’ ‘Why have I gone to all this trouble to develop this
argument in order to demonstrate this thesis?’ Avoid being too simplistic in your conclusions: literary
texts can rarely be pinned down in this way.
A Sample Plan
‘The text's power derives from its imaginative confrontation with issues that remain central
and unresolved in industrial society’. Discuss Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in the light of this
statement.
The introduction to this essay could include the following points:
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text: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) has become a modern classic
plot: an ambitious scientist called Frankenstein creates a monster; rejected by his creator,
the monster embarks on a murderous revenge
issues raised by question: text alludes to historical events c.1790-1815 and comments on
issues of its period - but transcends the contemporary to deal with more general human
concerns of an emergent urban and industrial culture
critical approach: formal analysis and reader-response theory
thesis statement: ‘This essay will examine how Shelley deploys myth and the conventions
of the horror story to comment on scientific progress, individualism, the nature of society,
personal relations and alienation in Frankenstein.’
Paragraphs in the argument of the essay could include these topics (with supporting evidence from
primary and/ or secondary sources):
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allusions to recent historical events (French Revolution, rise of Napoleon, fear of mob,
etc.)
novel offers a critique of revolutionary optimism of 1790s -- a period when many consider
modern urban and industrial world ‘born’ (issue of perfectibility v. social/ human limitation)
text also deploys mythical analogies to transcend contemporary issues: especially
Frankenstein as ‘modern Prometheus’
an ironic commentary on social and especially scientific progress, i.e. Frankenstein as the
scientist who wished to benefit society but ends up harming himself, those he loves and
society as a whole
text examines relationship between self and society: excessive individualism v. social and
domestic values
portrayal of alienation (monster as well as Frankenstein) and consequent resort to selfnarration
irony: Prometheus' transgression was of benefit to mankind although he was punished;
Frankenstein’s action on the other hand leads only to horror -- sardonic comment on modern
condition
use of conventions of horror story (mad scientist/ monster)
the text's continuing appeal (reader-response)
A conclusion to this essay might include points such as these:
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Frankenstein engages with social and political issues of its time
but remains a powerful and relevant text even though first published in 1818
why? use of popular forms and archetypal myths
novel is ambiguous in its treatment of transgression and conformity
social and domestic values promoted as alternative to individualism but found to be
problematic or precarious
this ambiguity affirms the novel's continuing relevance
Writing the essay
Academic register
Your essay must be written at a ‘professional’ level. This means the tone should be objective, serious
and formal. It should never be casual, chatty and conversational. Specifically, it must not contain
jargon or slang, clichés, colloquialisms, or contractions (e.g. ‘he didn’t’). Also it must not contain
personal pronouns (e.g. ‘I’ and ‘you’, etc.). For example, instead of ‘I think’ write ‘it seems that’ or
‘there is good evidence to show that.’ Do not use rhetorical questions (these are questions directed at
the reader, such as ‘Why does Frankenstein ignore conventional morality?’). Finally, you must not
use abbreviations (e.g., i.e., cf., etc.) which are only acceptable in references and bibliographies. In
other words, for formal essays you must develop an appropriately ‘academic’ register. To some
extent you will acquire this as you encounter it in the works of literary criticism you use. A plain, clear,
straightforward prose style will make your point better than an ornate, flamboyant style.
Tenses
Always narrate the action of a literary work in the present tense.
‘Richard III died on the field of Bosworth.’ [the historical character]
‘Richard III dies on the field of Bosworth.’ [in the play by Shakespeare]
Literary works exist in an eternal present. Maintain the present tense even when the narrative you
are writing about includes the passage of time:
The boy Pip brings food to the escaped convict Magwitch. Many years pass. Then Magwitch
reappears, revealed as the unknown benefactor of Pip’s youth.
Imagining your reader
Students often ask how much knowledge they can assume their reader (i.e. the tutor) has about the
text being discussed. The best guideline is to assume that the reader has some knowledge of the
work, but has not read it for, say, a year or so. He/she will know who the main characters are, and
the broad outline of the plot, but will not remember specific details of it or what characters say to each
other at particular moments. If this material is relevant to your argument, a brief summary or
quotation will help.
Drafting
Tutors will only look at English drafts on specific modules (for example, a dissertation or extended
essay module), and by arrangement; the rule of thumb is that you should develop the ability to
analyse and improve your drafts on your own.
Make a first (rough) draft of the essay. You may find it easier to write your argument first and then
write the introduction and conclusion. You should allow time to make changes and improvements.
No-one can expect to get it right the first time: plan, and allow time to write multiple drafts.
A check-list of things to think about during drafting and re-drafting:
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Have I answered the question, and all its parts?
Is the argument clear?
Should I re-order paragraphs?
Are there smooth transitions between paragraphs?
Is all the material relevant?
Have I avoided story-telling/ plot summary?
Have I avoided repetition? Generalisation? Over-elaborating elementary points?
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Have I substantiated all my points with close reference to primary and secondary
sources?
Have I fully acknowledged all quotations and borrowed ideas?
Have I met the specified word limit?
Overlength? Focus on major points and cut less important ones.
Underlength? Consider doing more research. Check that your argument is fully
developed and your analysis is thorough.
Have I simplifed awkward grammar, and split up long sentences or paragraphs?
Have I checked spelling and punctuation?
Is the language and style appropriate for an academic essay?
Is the essay reader-friendly?
It may help towards the end of the drafting process to read the essay out loud to yourself or get a
friend to read it. You may be so familiar with the essay by this stage that all may seem OK to you, but
reading it out loud, or having someone else read it, will help to highlight any problems (clarity,
readability, mechanics, etc.) you have missed.
The final draft
Before handing in your essay you should carefully proof-read your final draft. This should comprise a
scrupulous check of the mechanics of the essay, and of the layout and presentation.
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
Check spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, tenses, etc.
Check that the layout of your essay conforms to the requirements described in the following
section on presentation and layout.
Check that all titles of books, long poems, etc. are italicised.
Check that you have spelt characters’ names correctly - and that you have not only spelt
authors' names correctly but also referred to them appropriately.
Check the accuracy of your quotations and that they are set out and referenced according to
the conventions described in the MHRA Style Guide (see section 9).
Finalise your bibliography of primary and secondary sources used and check that the details
are cited according to the conventions described in MHRA Style Guide (see section 11.6).
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Presentation and Layout
Cover Sheets
All coursework must be submitted with a properly completed cover sheet attached. (See Appendix 9)
Fastening
Join all the pages of your assignment together with a coversheet with a single staple in the top lefthand corner. DO NOT use plastic wallets for individual pages of your essay.
Layout

Normally you should type or word-process coursework and dissertations. If you do not have
keyboard skills use your time at UoC to acquire them.

Only use A4 paper.

Type or print on one side of the page only.

Use a standard font (e.g. Times New Roman or Tahoma) and a font size of 12 points.

Use double spacing throughout the essay including quotations and bibliography.

Leave margins of 1½ inches (35mm) to the left and right of your text (to allow plenty of room
for marker’s comments).

Do NOT use full justification. Use align left only, i.e. straight only on left, leaving text ‘ragged’
on right. This produces more regular word-spacing and is friendlier to read.

Put the full title of essay at the top of the first page. Do NOT use capital letters for this OR
underline it.

Number the pages, and put your name at the top right of each page.

Indent the first word of a new paragraph five spaces (half an inch/ fifteen mm or one tab stop)
from the left margin.

Indent long quotations ten spaces (approximately one inch/ thirty mm or two tab stops) from
the left margin.

Avoid ‘widows and orphans’, i.e. paragraphs which start on the last line of a page or which
finish on the first line of the next. Always adjust the number of lines on a page so as to push
the text forward. An extra space at the bottom of a page is more acceptable than just one or
two lines of text at the top of the next.

Use two spaces after full stops at the end of sentences (but not after abbreviations unless
they fall at the end of sentences) and colons.

Provide a word-count on the coversheet (this should include quotations but should exclude
bibliography and appendices). A 2000 word assignment in double space type on A4 paper
amounts to approximately 6 pages of script.
Conventions you must follow in written work
When producing written academic work certain conventions must be followed. English at the
University of Cumbria uses the MHRA Style Guide. The guide can be accessed free at
http://www.mhra.org.uk/Publications/Books/StyleGuide/download.shtml and hard copies can also be
purchased from this site for £6.00. The whole guide contains useful advice on punctuation,
abbreviations, and other stylistic matters.
As a minimum, you should read sections 7.3, 7.4, 9, 10 and 11 of this guide carefully before
writing your first essay. What follows is not intended to replace a careful study of the MHRA
conventions. This brief guide is simply to help you, as an English student, by identifying the elements
of MHRA style which you are likely to find most relevant to you in written work for English. The MHRA
Style Guide contains much more detail about methods of citation and about referencing different kinds
of sources, and it is important that you read those sections fully and carefully.
Titles
The titles of ALL works published under their own titles (i.e. novels, plays, long poems, books,
magazines, critical journals, etc.) should be italicised (or underlined if you are handwriting, for
example in an exam).
Titles of chapters in books or articles in journals, short stories and poems published within collections
or anthologies should be put in single inverted commas. However, when titles of short stories or short
poems are quoted within the title of a book chapter or journal article, they are put in double inverted
commas (as in the third example below).
.
The New Poetry contains several dramatic monologues, including Carol Ann Duffy’s poem ‘Stealing’.
Stephen Behrendt’s essay ‘Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and the Woman Writer’s Fate’ deals with the
effacement of women within the text.
It is difficult to agree with Pound’s view of the poem expressed in the essay ‘An Interpretation of
Coleridge’s poem “Kubla Khan”’.
Italicising the titles of books is essential to the clarity of your argument, as it allows you to distinguish
between a work taking its title from a character and the character him- or herself:
Jane Eyre is mean, moody and magnificent.
Jane Eyre is mean, moody and magnificent.
Othello is deeply flawed.
Othello is deeply flawed.
Names
Your first reference to an author should use their full name, e.g. Joseph Conrad, Emily Brontë, etc.
After this you should refer to them by their last name only in your essay, e.g. Conrad, Brontë (never
Mr Conrad, Miss Brontë).
Incorporating quotations into your work
A quotation is a direct copy of words from their original source. You will often want to support a
particular line of argument by providing a brief quotation from the text you are studying. You might
also want to quote an idea from a critic which you want to challenge, or which you find particularly
useful. Remember though that what we are looking for in the essay is your own work and your own
ideas, so only make careful and discriminating use of the direct quotation. Whenever you do quote
material from other sources you must follow the accepted conventions about how to incorporate
quotations within your text.
Short quotations of prose or poetry (i.e. less than three lines of typing) should be integrated into a
sentence and identified by being placed in single quotation marks. A full stop or other punctuation
should come directly after the final quotation mark. The most important thing to remember is that you
must introduce the quotation and make sure that it is included in such a way that the sentence
continues to be grammatically correct.
If you omit words from within a quotation you should indicate this with three full stops.
John Ruskin claims that ‘the true task of the modern poet’ is to pay attention to the ‘living present’.
Pauline Nestor’s argument that as an artist George Eliot was filled with ‘guilt and self-censure’ is
perhaps supported by the fate of many of her heroines.
Tennyson presents King Arthur as a Christ-like figure who ‘will not die, | But pass, again to come’.
Raymond Williams argues that ‘it is not personal relationships…that preoccupy Jane Austen’.
All of the examples of prose and verse quotations used so far have been short and therefore
incorporated into the essay text and placed in quotation marks. Longer quotations (i.e. three lines
or more of poetry or prose) should be separated from the text preceding and following them by a line
space, and made distinguishable from your own work by the use of indentation. When this method is
used quotation marks are omitted.
In The Prelude Wordsworth describes how the creative imagination collaborates with the beauties
of nature:
,
... An auxiliar light
Came from my mind, which on the setting sun
Bestowed new splendour; the melodious birds,
The fluttering breezes, fountains that ran on,
Murmuring so sweetly in themselves, obeyd
A like dominion.
The opening description of Michael Henchard in The Mayor of Casterbridge offers a hint about
those character flaws which will bring about his downfall:
His measured springless walk was the walk of a skilled countryman as distinct from the
desultory shamble of the general labourer; while in the turn and plant of each foot there
was, further, a dogged and cynical indifference, personal to himself, showing itself even in
the regularly interchanging fustian folds, now in the left leg, now in the right, as he paced
along.
Referencing quotations in your essay
The MHRA Style Guide uses a very simple footnote system for acknowledging where you have drawn
on other works. This basically means that you footnote the point in your essay where you quote other
critical work. There are slightly different procedures for referencing critical and literary material. What
follows is an overview of both with examples. These will cover most of the references you will need to
make in your English essay. However, you are encouraged to read and be familiar with the MHRA
Style Guide, especially sections 10 and 11. If you are in any doubt, please ask your tutor. Once you
quote from a critical essay or book, or use an electronic source, this is what you need to do.
Single-authored critical texts
For edited texts (e.g. anthologies or collections), see the next section.
First, insert a footnote number straight after the quotation.
Pauline Nestor argues that as an artist George Eliot was filled with ‘guilt and self-censure’.1
Then, in a footnote at the bottom of the page details should appear in the following order:
Author’s first name and surname, followed by a comma
Title of work in italics; if there is a subtitle separate it from the main title using a colon
Editor or translator (if relevant) – use the abbreviation ‘ed.’
Edition (if not the first) – use the abbreviation ‘edn.’
Place of publication, publisher, and year of publication in brackets, with a colon between place of
publication and publisher, a comma between publisher and date of publication, and a comma after the
second (closing) bracket
Page number of the quotation, preceded by either ‘p.’ (for ‘page’) or ‘pp.’ (for pages)
Example footnote for a single-authored work
1
Pauline Nestor, George Eliot (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002), p. 127.
Chapter in an edited book
As above, insert the footnote number straight after the quotation.
According to Maria Diedrich, Toni Morrison’s novels reflect a ‘black dislocation’.2
In the footnote details are given in the following order:
Author’s first name and surname, followed by a comma
Title of chapter in single quotation marks, followed by a comma
The word ‘in’
The title of the book
Editor or translator (if relevant) – use the abbreviation ‘ed.’
Edition (if not the first) – use the abbreviation ‘edn.’
Place of publication, publisher, and year of publication in brackets, with a colon between place of
publication and publisher, a comma between publisher and date of publication, and a comma after the
second (closing) bracket
First and last page numbers of the chapter, preceded by ‘pp.’
Page number of the quotation, in brackets, the number preceded by either ‘p.’ (for ‘page’) or ‘pp.’ (for
pages)
Example footnote for a chapter in an edited book
2Maria
Diedrich, ‘Caves and Mountaintops: American Landscapes in Toni Morrison’s Novels’, in
Modern American Landscapes, ed. by Mick Gidley and Robert-Lawson Peebles (Amsterdam: VU
University Press, 1995), pp. 232-249 (p.233).
Journal article
As above, insert the footnote number straight after the quotation.
Indeed, the reader ‘might assume that the source of Smith’s grief in Elegiac Sonnets is unhappy love,
but she rarely gives more than a hint’.3
In the footnote details are given in the following order:
Author’s first name and surname, followed by a comma
Title of article in single quotation marks, followed by a comma
The title of the journal, italicized
Series number (if relevant) in Arabic numerals (not Roman numerals)
Volume number (if relevant) in Arabic numerals (not Roman numerals)
Year of publication in brackets
First and last page numbers of article cited, NOT preceded by ‘pp.’
Page number of the quotation, in brackets, the number preceded by either ‘p.’ (for ‘page’) or ‘pp.’ (for
pages)
Example footnote for a journal article
3Daniel
Robinson, ‘Reviving the Sonnet: Women Romantic Poets and the Sonnet Claim’, European
Romantic Review, 6.1 (1995), 98-127 (p.117).
Online publications
If you are referring to something originally printed and then accessed via a database
or e-book – for example JSTOR – you should use the original ‘hard-copy’ details for
your reference. What follows applies only to materials ONLY published online.
As above, insert the footnote number straight after the quotation. This reference is to an article only
published in an online journal.
According to Steve Sohmer, ‘William Shakespeare's King Lear contains a number of curious temporal
allusions’. 4
References to online publications, including internet-only journals follow these general guidelines:
Author’s first name and surname, followed by a comma
Title of article in single quotation marks, followed by a comma
The title of the journal, italicized
Series number (if relevant) in Arabic numerals (not Roman numerals), separated if necessary with a
full stop from
Volume number (if relevant) in Arabic numerals (not Roman numerals),
Year of publication in brackets
Full address (URL) of the resource in angle brackets <>
Date at which the resource was consulted in square brackets []
Location of passage quoted in brackets ()
Example footnote
4Steve
Sohmer, ‘The Lunar Calendar of Shakespeare’s King Lear’, Early Modern Literary Studies, 5.2
(1999) <http://purl.oclc.org/emls/05-2/sohmlear.htm> [accessed 28 January 2000] (para. 3 of 17)
Avoiding unnecessary repetition in footnotes
If your essay uses the same critical source more than once, you need not keep repeating the same
reference material in footnotes. So, for example, your footnotes should never look like this:
1Pauline
2Pauline
Nestor, George Eliot (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002), p. 127.
Nestor, George Eliot (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002), p. 129.
If there are several references to a critical text, footnote the first reference fully as above, ending the
note with the words ‘further references to this text/edition/chapter/article (as appropriate) will be given
after quotations in the text’. The rule of thumb is that if it is clear from the context which work you are
referring to – for example, if you are quoting continuously from a primary text – page number(s) in
brackets are sufficient, i.e. (p. 127). If there is a possibility of confusion, also include the author’s
name, i.e. (Nestor, p. 127), and if you refer to more than one work by the same writer you should also
include the date, i.e. (Nestor, 2002, p. 127).
Referencing quotations from novels, short stories, and short poems
It is likely that you will refer more than once to your primary texts. In order to limit unnecessary
footnotes, follow the procedure in the item above. So, the first time a quotation is taken from a
particular novel, the footnote should record the following details:
Author’s first name and surname
Title of work – in italics (if a book or play) or in single quotation marks (if a short story or poem)
Publisher, place and year of publication - in brackets, as in examples above
Page number of the quotation (if novel or short story) OR line number (if a short poem)
Include a sentence which tells the reader that references will now be made in the body of the essay
Doris Lessing, The Grandmothers (London: Flamingo, 2003), p.235. Further references to this edition
are given after quotations in the text.
After that, the page number can be put in brackets after the quotation, when it is clear you are
referring to the same text, in the body of your essay, e.g. (p. 235) or (Lessing, p. 235).
Referencing quotations from poems and plays
When quoting from long poems and plays you must not simply reference page
numbers.
There are special conventions for laying out long quotations from plays, for which see 9.5. Your first
reference for a quotation from a play or long poem.should provide information of the edition used, and
if necessary the editor. If a play is divided into acts, scenes, and lines, as with Shakespeare, you
should use Roman numerals for the act, and Arabic numerals for the scene and line numbers, e.g.
The Merchant of Venice, II.3.10. If a long poem is divided into numbered cantos or books these must
be included as well as a line reference, e.g. Paradise Lost IX. 142-50. If the play is in prose, as with
Ibsen, you should provide an act/and or scene number followed by a page reference, e.g. Hedda
Gabler, II, p.73.
Bibliography
All academic essays, unless by arrangement with your tutor, must include a
bibliography – an alphabetical list of all the sources you have drawn on in
writing your essay (not just those which you quote directly).
Your bibliography appears at the end of your piece of work and is organised alphabetically and
usually by author. This is important in establishing the range of your reading. The reader also needs
to be able to cross-check the references in your essay against your bibliography, and if necessary
check the accuracy of your quotation.
In English essays it is helpful to divide your bibliography into two sections: Primary Sources (i.e. the
specific editions of primary texts under discussion) and Secondary Sources (i.e. critical works,
scholarly articles etc.).
Primary sources should be treated as single-authored works using the conventions above. The
format is the same as for footnotes, except that the surname comes before the first name. It is
important to include full information about the actual edition you have used. It is not enough to simply
refer to Hard Times by Charles Dickens, since there are many editions of his work. The reader needs
to be able to track down the actual edition you have used.
Note that for primary sources in an edited collection the title comes first.
Example of primary texts bibliography
Dickens, Charles, Hard Times ed. by David Craig (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1969).
Romanticism: An Anthology, Wu, Duncan, ed., 2nd edn. (Oxford: Blackwell, 1998),
For films and other media, see 11.2.11 of the MHRA Style Guide.
For secondary sources, use the same details as for footnotes but arrange the list
alphabetically by surname.
Example of secondary texts bibliography
Bolton, Betsy, ‘Romancing the stone: “Perdita” Robinson in Wordsworth’s London’, English Literary
History, 64.3 (1997), pp. 727-59.
Hanley, Keith, ‘Wordsworth’s Revolution in Poetic Language’, Romanticism on the Net, 9 (1998)
<http://www.ron.umontreal.ca/> [accessed 12 September 2003]
Qualls, Barry, ‘George Eliot and Religion’, in The Cambridge Companion to George Eliot, ed. by
George Levine (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), pp. 119-137.
Robinson, Daniel, ‘Reviving the sonnet: women Romantic poets and the sonnet claim’, European
Romantic Review, 6.1 (1995), pp. 98-127.
Showalter, Elaine, ed., The New Feminist Criticism: Essays on Women, Literature and Theory, 3rd
edn. ( London: Virago, 1985).
Watson, J. R., English Poetry of the Romantic Period, 1789-1830, (New York: Longman, 1985).