NHD PAPER REVIEW
Attention to detail will get you an excellent
grade. Be meticulous. Be professional.
The #1 rule to live by…when
in doubt, check Owl Purdue
online for MLA (or APA)
formatting. They are the
last word on MLA
formatting.
Check the physical look of the paper…
• Is everything where it ought to be?
• How’s your heading? Did you check that with an MLA sample page?
• Are there extra spacing issues?
• Did you set up the long quotes correctly?
• Is your Works Cited page correct with margins, hanging indents, and
correctly cited entries?
• Have you determined that there are no typos, misspellings, grammar
issues, etc.?
• If you were turning this in to your boss for a job promotion and pay
increase, would it make the grade?
Instead of this…try this…Go for brevity, and
stronger use of verbs.
• Clara was able to learn proper dosage, how to confront an injured patient
in pain.
• Change this to:
• Clara learned proper dosage…
• David had fallen off of a roof.
• Change this to:
• David fell off a roof.
• She had excelled in reading and writing.
• Change this to:
• She excelled in reading and writing.
Use a thesaurus
as you write. It
will make you
smarter, or at
least make you
appear smarter.
A Few (Or
Many)
Words of
Advice…
Don’t start
your paper
with a
rhetorical
question.
Don’t include
dictionary
definitions unless
it is highly likely
the reader won’t
understand the
terminology.
How’s your title? Is it exciting?
Relevant?
Need to edit some longer quotes?
•To leave out a few words or one
sentence, use … (3 periods)
•To leave out multiple sentences, use
…. (4 periods)
Took out one sentence…
We shall go forward together…There are upon our
journey dark and dangerous valleys through which we
have to make and fight our way. But it is sure and
certain that if we persevere – and we shall persevere –
we shall come through these dark and dangerous
valleys into a sunlight broader and more genial and
more lasting than mankind has ever known.
Winston Churchill, Leeds, 16 May 1942
Took out two sentences…
We shall go forward together….But it is sure
and certain that if we persevere – and we
shall persevere – we shall come through
these dark and dangerous valleys into a
sunlight broader and more genial and more
lasting than mankind has ever known.
Winston Churchill, Leeds, 16 May 1942
We shall go forward together….But it is sure
and certain that if we persevere – and we
shall persevere – we shall come through
these dark and dangerous valleys into a
sunlight broader and more genial and more
lasting than mankind has ever known.
Winston Churchill, Leeds, 16 May 1942
•Avoid quotes in the opening
paragraph.
•Don’t include any pictures,
maps, etc. on the first page.
•Do remember to respect the
margins.
Don’t put a picture within a long quote.
Don’t follow a quote with a quote…
•Quote
•Followed by an explanation of the quote
•Followed by historical context
•Followed by the connection to the NHD
theme
•Boom! You’ve got a solid paragraph!
In-Text Citations…
•Remember you must cite the following:
•Anything that isn’t common
knowledge
•Dates
•Statistics
•Quotes
Example of how to
cite artwork. Google
instructions for
whatever category
your “picture” falls
under…
Remember, your
citation must only be
under the actual
picture.
Fig. 1 “Title or Explanation of Picture” (Source as found in the Works
Cited page).
So how to incorporate all this information and
make it look professional?!
• You should be able to right click on the picture and
“insert caption” should come up.
• If that option isn’t available, then create a text box
under the box.
• Remember the picture shouldn’t be larger than 2X3
inches.
• After you have inserted the picture and cited it,
make sure you “wrap text” around the picture so
there isn’t any dead space.
MLA Works Cited Page…
Let’s review…
Alphabetize the Works
Cited page… Don’t forget,
you don’t alphabetize by “A,
An, The, etc.” but by the
first following word.
Do a hanging indent, but
don’t reverse the indent.
Citing a Website…
Last name, First name. "Article
Title." Website Title. Publisher of
Website, Day Month Year article
was published. Web. Day Month
Year article was accessed. <URL>.
Repeatedly citing n.p. (no publisher) and
n.d. (no date) in your entries shows a lack
of attention to detail. It actually shows
that you were lazy and relied on
easybib.com to build your Works Cited
and that it did a terrible job. This will lose
you points…
What if I can’t find an author?!
No problem, simply start with
the name of the article…
Help! I can’t find the publisher!!!
It should be found either
towards the top or at the very
bottom of the page.
If you cannot find it, then you
shouldn’t cite it.
Hint: only include entries that
are cited in your Works Cited
page; if there are entries not
found within your body, it will
be marked down…
When you are completed with your
paper, hit control A, and then check for
extra spacing by going to “Paragraph”
in the tool bar, then clicking the box,
“Don’t add space between
paragraph…” But make sure that it
didn’t move your Works Cited page up
to the last page of your essay.
Suggestion
•In ensure a solid score, go online and
download the MLA checklist…Go through it
after you have self-checked your rubric.
•Print up your paper and read aloud before
submitting. I guarantee you…you will find
mistakes.
For Our Next Class…
•Edit/Finish your final product.
•Ask for help for proofreading from
your grandma.
•Have you printed up a hard copy
of the final product for a final
reading aloud and revision?!
•Turn it in, be happy, and enjoy
Thanksgiving break…
Bored During Thanksgiving Break?!
Not planning on Black Friday
shopping?!
Get started on your NHD Project!!