The Humanities Essay
Humanities
What are the Humanities?
• The Humanities are a group of academic
disciplines that focus on the study of human
culture.
• The Humanities include the study of
languages, literature, philosophy, and
performing arts.
• The Humanities also include social sciences
like history and anthropology.
How to format a Humanities Paper
1. Modern Language Association (MLA)
• MLA helps build credibility by clearly
referencing source material.
• MLA style provides writers with a system for
referencing their sources through
parenthetical citation.
• Parenthetical citations (a.k.a. in-text citations)
mean that sources are directly integrated into
the essay.
MLA
• Most often parenthetical citations include the
author’s last name and the specific page
number for the information cited.
Example:
Horgan explains that “globalization and
communications” in modern society contributes to
the decline of war because “[people] have become
increasingly interdependent on—and empathetic
toward—others” (Henderson 239).
Works Cited Page
• According to MLA style, you must have a
Works Cited page at the end of your research
paper.
• All of the parenthetical citations in the essay
will direct the reader to the bibliographic
citations which are listed in the Works Cited
page.
• All entries in the Works Cited page must
correspond to the works cited in the essay.
Works Cited Page Example
Works Cited
Bhabha, Homi K. The Location of Culture. Abingdon: Routledge Classics, 1994. Print.
Brittan, Alice. “A Ghost Story in Two Parts: Charles Dickens, Peter Carey, and Avenging
Phantoms.” Who’s Who?: Hoaxes, Imposture, and Identity Crises in Australian
Literature. Ed. Maggie Nolan. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, 2004. Print.
Carey, Peter. Jack Maggs. New York: Vintage International, 1999. Print.
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. New York: Washington Square, 1973. Print.
How to format a Humanities Paper
2. Chicago style
• The Chicago style allows writers to reference
their sources using footnotes and endnotes.
• A footnote appears at the bottom of the page,
and an endnote appears at the end of the
paper.
• Using footnotes and endnotes allows writers
to comment on the sources they are using.
Bibliography
• The bibliography provides an alphabetical list
of all sources used in a given work.
• The bibliography is placed at the end of the
essay.
• The bibliography includes all sources cited
within the work and sometimes includes other
relevant sources that were not cited but were
referenced or will provide further reading.
Bibliography Example
Bibliography
“600 Algoma Orangemen in Parade” The Sault Star, 12 July 1934 , 1-2.
“1500 Gathered Yesterday At Orange Celebration At Agricultural Grounds” The Sault
Star, 13 July 1923 ,3.
“3,000 Orangemen Celebrate Today in Sault Ste. Marie” The Sault Star, 12 July 1912, 3.
Fitzpatrick, David “Exporting Brotherhood: Orangeism in South Australia” Immigrants
& Minorities Vol. 23. No.2 (July-August 2005) pp. 277-310
Gabaccia, Donna “A Global Geography of ‘Little Italy’: Italian Neighborhoods in
Comparative Perspective,” Modern Italy 11, 11 (February 2006); 9-24
Incorporating Direct Quotations in a
Humanities Paper
1. Incorporating a direct quotation smoothly into
your writing.
Example:
John Horgan explains his belief that war and
violence is not an intrinsic part of human nature
when he states that “the evidence of a decline in
war-related deaths shows that we need not—and
should not—accept war as an eternal scourge of
the human condition” (Henderson 239).
Incorporating Direct Quotations in a
Humanities Paper
2. Omitting unneeded works in direct
quotations by using an ellipses
Example:
In his essay “Does Peace Have a Chance?”
Horgan suggests that the “recent decline in
war casualties […]has some scholars
wondering whether […] war may be ending”
(Henderson 237).
Incorporating Direct Quotations in a
Humanities Paper
3. Using square brackets to indicate changes to a
direct quotation
Example:
Horgan explains that “globalization and
communications” in modern society contributes
to the decline of war because “[people] have
become increasingly interdependent on—and
empathetic toward—others” (Henderson 239).
Present Tense and Active Voice
When possible, always write in the present
tense and active voice.
• When referring to a written work (i.e. an
essay, novel, article etc…) always refer to it in
the present tense.
Example: John Horgan states that ….
Not
John Horgan stated that…
Active Voice
• Using active voice makes your meaning clear
and keeps your sentences from becoming too
complicated or wordy.
• Too much use of passive voice can cloud the
meaning of your sentences.
Active Voice
In a sentence using active voice, the subject of
the sentence performs the action expressed in
the verb.
Example:
The dog bit the boy.
Passive Voice
Passive voice occurs when the subject of the
verb receives the action instead of
performing the action.
Example:
John rode the bicycle.
Vs.
The bicycle was ridden by John.
Active vs. Passive Voice
• If you want to change a passive-voice
sentence to active voice, consider carefully
who or what is performing the action
expressed in the verb.
• Make that agent the subject of the sentence,
and change the verb accordingly.
Active vs. Passive Voice
Example (Active Voice):
Most of the class is reading the book.
Example (Passive Voice):
The book is being read by most of the class.
*The sentence written in the active voice contains
eight words, whereas the sentence written in passive
voice contains ten words.
Active vs. Passive Voice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEwBaFHTB
Qs
Sources
Active and Passive Voice:
Purdue OWL
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/5
39/01/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/5
39/02/
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