Modern Language Association
(MLA)
Writing Style Workshop
Tomás Rivera Center
What we will cover today
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General manuscript instructions
Grammar guidelines
Citations in text
Quotations in text
Works Cited page
Writing suggestions
General Instructions for Preparing
the Paper Manuscript
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Typeface (12-pt Times New Roman)
Double Spacing
Margins (1 in. all sides)
Your last name preceding the page number
(upper right-hand corner)
General Instructions, cont.
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Title Page
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MLA format does not require a title page
Check with your instructor for specific formatting guidelines
The first page of your paper should include the following in
the upper left hand corner:
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Your name
Your instructor’s name
The course title
The date
First…
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Grammar guidelines for MLA papers
Commas
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Use in series of three or more items
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Use to set off nonessential clauses
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The height, width, or depth.
George W. Bush, who was at the summit…
DO NOT USE before an essential clause
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George W. Bush attended the summit that took
place in St. Petersburg.
Semicolons
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Use to separate two independent clauses that are
not joined by a conjunction
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The Germans laid the groundwork for electronic pop music;
artists like The Human League and Gary Numan helped
bring it into the mainstream.
Use to separate elements in a series that already
contain commas
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Classic Universal horror movies include Dracula, starring
Bela Lugosi; Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff; and The
Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
Semicolons, cont.
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Use when connecting clauses with a
conjunctive adverb or transitional phrase
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Walt Whitman documented America during the
Civil War; however, he did not serve as a soldier.
The lottery winner showed little gratitude; on the
contrary, he expected more money than he
received.
Colons
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Use after an independent clause to indicate a
list, an appositive, or a quotation
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The grocery list includes the following: eggs,
bread, and milk.
We came home from the hike wanting two things:
food and sleep.
Remember the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt:
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Quotation Marks
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Periods and commas belong INSIDE quotation
marks.
Colons and semicolons belong OUTSIDE quotation
marks.
Question marks and exclamation points belong
inside quotation marks unless they apply to the
sentence rather than the quote.
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Mary asked, “Where has all the cake gone?”
Do you believe “all’s well that ends well”?
Quotation Marks, cont.
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Use quotation marks to enclose direct
quotations.
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The mayor declared, “The votes have been
counted.”
Use single quotation marks to set off a
quotation within a quotation.
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Emily replied, “The state motto of New
Hampshire, ‘Live free or die,’ reminds me of the
spirit of America.”
Quotation Marks, cont.
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Use to indicate titles of journal and magazine
articles, newspaper articles, poems, short stories,
songs, television episodes, and book chapters or
subdivisions.
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The choir sang “America the Beautiful.”
The newspaper headline read, “No Rain in Sight.”
“Ulysses,” Tennyson’s epic poem, recounted Odysseus's
journey home from the Trojan War.
Use to set off structurally independent elements.
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The voting patterns were dramatically different (see
Figure 5).
Parentheses
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Use to introduce abbreviations.
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Use to set off structurally independent
elements.
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The voting patterns were dramatically different
(see Figure 5).
Brackets
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Use to enclose parenthetical material that is already
within parentheses
Use to enclose material inserted in a quotation by
some person other than the original writer
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“when [his own and others’] behaviors were studied”
(Hanisch 24).
Capitalization
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Capitalize major words in titles and headings.
Capitalize the first word after a colon or dash
in a title.
Capitalize proper nouns and trade names.
Capitalization, cont.
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Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins an
independent clause.
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The race ended in a tie: The leader stumbled near the finish
line.
Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence—do
NOT capitalize the first word of a quoted phrase.
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Mark declared, “Art is essential to humanity.”
In the twenty-first century, art remains “essential to
humanity.”
Abbreviations
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Use sparingly
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Do not use etc.; explain what you mean
Numbers (MLA p.)
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Spell out numbers containing one or two words.
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Use figures for numbers that contain more than
two words.
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Forty-four, not 44.
530, not five hundred and thirty.
If your sentence begins with a number, spell it
out.
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Twelve people sat on the jury.
Numbers, cont.
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Use figures to express:
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Dates
Percentages
Addresses
Exact amounts of money
Time of day
Scores
Surveys and statistics
Next up…
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In-text citations
Citations in Text
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One Author:
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According to Smith, “The end is nigh” (34).
As one author declares, “The end is nigh” (Smith
34).
Two or Three Authors:
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Smith and Jones concur that “the end is nigh”
(57).
Both authors concur that “the end is nigh” (Smith
and Jones 57).
Citations in Text, cont.
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Four or More Authors:
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Name all authors or the first author followed by “et
al.”
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Smith, Jones, Barnaby, and Fish surveyed the
participants (56).
The scientists surveyed the participants (Smith et al.
56).
Citations in Text, cont.
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Source quoted in another source
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According to Ballard, “The future will not be
violent or exciting, but merely average” (qtd. in
Smithburg C17).
Dictionary or encyclopedia
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The word anorexic has a Latin root (“Anorexic”).
Citations in Text, cont.
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Anonymous or No Author
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If short, use complete title.
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If long, truncate title.
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Anorexia affects an alarming number of teenage girls
(“Anorexia Blues”).
Although horror films have decreased in popularity, they still
attract a small, dedicated audience (“You Can’t Kill…”).
Two or More Titles By The Same Author
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Mention title of work in text or include short version of title in
parentheses.
Third topic…
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In-text quotations
Quotations in Text
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If a quotation has four or fewer typed lines,
enclose it within quotation marks and insert it
within the essay text.
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Williams asserts, “Eight out of ten Americans
admit to believing in ghosts” (69).
Quotations in Text, cont.
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If the quote is longer than four typed lines,
use block quote formatting.
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Black found the following:
The “bystander effect” is a dangerous symptom of social
apathy. The most infamous case occurred in 1964 when
Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in front of
approximately 40 witnesses; despite her repeated cries
for help, no one assisted her. (276)
Quotations in Text, cont.
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When omitting material within a quote, use an
ellipsis mark.
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McNab relays that “when the amount of interest on a loan
rises …, consumers are less likely to borrow” (76).
When inserting material, enclose in brackets.
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The researchers contend that “[women] tend to seek
information while men tend to give information” (Smith and
Jones 34).
Fourth topic…
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The Works Cited Page
Works Cited
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Journal Article:
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Book:
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Masters, Edna. “Flora and Fauna.” Botanical Quarterly
45.7 (2005): 60-75.
Tombs, Peter. Immoral Tales. New York: Doubleday, 1998.
Internet Source:
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Elmira, Vivian. “Perfumes of The World.” Scents and Sensibility.
13 June 1999. 21 July 2006
<http://www.scents_sensibility.com/elmira>.
Remember to tab the second line of each entry or use the
“hanging indent” format on Microsoft Word.
Works Cited
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Article in an anthology:
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Johnson, Robert. “Fear in The Western World.” New
World Politics. Ed. Rosemary Finklestein. Chicago:
Random House, 2001. 500-552.
Book with an editor:
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Poe, Edgar Allan. The Complete Works. Ed. Jonas
Salkerman. New York: Harcourt, 2000.
Works Cited
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English translation of a book:
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Ng, Lee. Vietnamese Diaries. Trans. Mary
Whitehead. New York: Scarsdale Press,
2003.
Works Cited
More examples of Internet sources:
•Document, no author identified, no
publishing date:
•“Buddha Smoked My Cigarettes.” Religion Today. 12 April
2006. <http://www.religion_today.com/budd>.
*NOTE: The date above refers to the date of access, not the
publishing date.
Works Cited
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Personal Interview:
– Simon, Paul. Personal interview. 24 July 2006.
Film or Video:
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Crash. Dir. David Cronenberg. Perf. James Spader, Holly
Hunter, and Rosanna Arquette. New Line, 1996.
Lecture/Public Address:
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Edwards, John. “Education Initiatives to End Poverty.” Laurie
Auditorium, Trinity University. San Antonio, Texas. 12
April 2006.
FINAL topics to help you…
Writing Suggestions
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A note on passive voice:
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In some instances, passive voice is permissible.
For example, if you wish to emphasize the
receiver of the action and minimize the
importance of the actor, use passive voice.
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The control group was administered a placebo.
However, overuse of passive voice weakens your
essay and leads to wordiness; use the active
voice whenever possible.
Other places to find assistance
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UTSA Tomas Rivera Center (TRC)
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UTSA Library
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http://www.utsa.edu/trcss
http://www.lib.utsa.edu/Research/Subject/citinggui
de.html
Research & Documentation Website by
Diana Hacker (includes sample paper)
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http://www.dianahacker.com/pocket
Thank You!
Any questions?