MLA Formatting and Style
PLAGIARISM, ESSAY AESTHETICS, IN-TEXT
CITATIONS, AND WORKS CITED LIST
1. What is Plagiarism?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
Stealing, theft
Changing a few words of a paragraph someone else wrote
Borrowing an original idea and presenting it as a new idea
An act of fraud
Using material without crediting the sources
Citing a source incorrectly
Translating others’ written work into another language without
citation
Unethical behaviour
All of the Above
All of the above! Plagiarism is essentially taking an existing
work and passing it off as original without crediting the source.
All of the aforementioned are legally considered plagiarism.
2. Is it acceptable to copy-and-paste a sentence
written by someone else into your paper and
simply add quotation marks around it?
A) Yes. By placing quotations around text, you are
indicating that you are using someone else’s words.
B) No. Simply placing quotation marks around someone
else’s words is not a complete citation.
No. There is a common misconception among students that adding
quotation marks around someone else’s words is enough to show
proper attribution. To show proper attribution, a writer must put
quotation marks around the text and add a corresponding reference
in MLA, APA, or another accepted format.
3. Paraphrasing properly is to...
a) Change a few words to make it your own and cite it
b) Put quotation marks around the text and cite it
c) Use only the idea without citing it
d) Summarize the text in your own words and cite it
Proper paraphrasing requires writing an original summary
and following it up with proper citation, using an acceptable
citation format (i.e. MLA).
Options A and B show how paraphrasing is often misinterpreted.
Changing every few words is not a sufficient way to paraphrase.
Plagiarism software is programmed to detect this strategy!
Additionally, even if the text is completely changed, the idea
came from another source, and that requires attribution.
4. You re-use paragraphs from a paper you
wrote last semester and put it into a new
assignment. You don’t cite it because it is
your own work. Is this plagiarism?
a) Yes, it is self-plagiarism
b) No, it is not considered plagiarism
Yes. Recycling writing as original work is called self-plagiarism.
This is a grey issue that isn’t well-known or has clearly defined rules.
While self-plagiarism may seem excessive to some, it is an issue that
centers on the responsibility of the writer to indicate that the material
has been used before. The consequences of self-plagiarism may include
copyright infringement or a violation of academic honor codes.
5. A source does not need to be cited if it is
collaboratively written (i.e. Wikipedia).
 True
 False
A misconception of social sites is that they do not need to be cited
or referenced because they are in the public domain and
collaboratively created. Taking an idea or text from an original
source means that proper citation practices must be followed to
avoid plagiarism, no matter where it comes from.
While citations for collaborative sites are required, it is important
to remember that many instructors do not consider Wikipedia to
be a reputable, academic, or credible source, so it is best not use
these sites to inform your assignments.
6. Is it necessary to cite information that is
common knowledge or widely accessible, like
historical information or popular scientific
information, e.g. 70% of the earth’s surface is
covered in water?
a) Yes
b) No
No. According to Purdue Online Writing Lab, information can
be classified as common knowledge if the same information is
“undocumented (not cited) in at least five credible sources”.
Additionally, if the information is something that readers within
a group or discipline are likely to understand, or if it is contained
in a general reference source, a citation is not required.
7. What if...
You find two papers about the same research:
Paper A is the original finding; Paper B is an
analysis that references Paper A.
You use a section of the analysis from Paper B.
Which paper do you cite?
a) Paper A
The point of a reference is for other readers to be
able to quickly look up and check the sources that
b) Paper B
were used in your paper. Providing inaccurate
citations means that there was a failure to properly
c) Both
document all of your sources and correctly give credit
where credit is due. If Paper A is cited, this would be
an instance of plagiarism, as the writer failed to
attribute the work of the author used.
8. What are some
consequences of plagiarism?
a) A tarnished reputation
b) A zero on your work
c) Suspension or expulsion from school
d) Loss of job
e) Legal repercussions
f) Monetary Loss
g) All of the above
All of the above. These consequences
demonstrate that plagiarism is a serious
offense and should be avoided at all costs.
General Guidelines
 Type your paper on a computer and print it out on
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standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
Double-space the text of your paper, and use a
legible font , where the regular and italics type
styles contrast enough so that they can be appear
distinct from one another. (e.g. Times New Roman).
The font size must be 12 pt.
Leave only one space after periods
Margins must be 1 inch on all sides
General Guidelines Continued
 Indent the first line of every paragraph by one half-
inch from the left margin
 Tip: Press the TAB key once to create your indents
 Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that
includes your last name, followed by a page number;
number all pages consecutively (1, 2, 3, 4 – No
Roman Numerals)
 Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of
books and, only when absolutely necessary, to
provide emphasis.
First Page Formatting
 Do not make a title page for
your paper
 In the upper left-hand corner
of the first page, list your
name, your instructor's name,
the course, and the date. Be
sure to use double-spaced text.
 After your “date-line” press
enter once. On this line, you
will center your title. Do not
underline, italicize, or place
your title in quotation marks;
write the title in Title Case
(standard capitalization).
 When referring to other
works in your title, use
italics and/or quotation
marks just as you would in
your essay:
 Ex. Human Weariness in
"After Apple Picking“;
Stallin’ on the Animal Farm
 Space a SINGLE doublespace between the title and
the first line of the text
(Press enter once after your
title line and immediately
begin writing your essay).
Benshabat 1
Sherry Benshabat
Dr. Natalie Neill
EN 4073
February 8, 2013
Exploiting the smiling small town
The “smiling” small town is a mythologized and romanticized interpretation of
rural communities. This conscientious portrayal often makes reference to Edenic features,
which creates the illusion that the small town is a peaceful, uneventful place, inhabited by
trusting and well-intentioned folks. Agatha Christie’s novel, The Moving Finger, is a
poison pen murder mystery that heavily depends on these sorts of idyllic perceptions of the
small town. The quaint community of Lymstock is painted with the strokes of these
stereotypes... are, in one way or...
In-Text Citations
 Use Parenthetical Citations to make reference to
resources used in your essay
(Smith 17)
 MLA uses the Author-Page method
 Use parenthetical citations for ANY inclusion of a
resource’s information
Whether looking at ‘home’ in the palpable or abstract sense, it is fair to state that one’s ‘home’ is
always labelled as such because of the relationship that has been created between the self and the
space. David M. Benjamin’s book, The Home: Words, Interpretations, Meanings, and
Environments, provides a methodical argument for how the abode is, “… multi-dimensional and
involves a range of psychological and sociological dimensions, includes cultural context, social
history, and an individual’s residential history” (40). The bond between the self and the ...
How to: In-Text Citations (2 methods)
1. If you make mention of the author
and the title of his/her work, your
parenthetical citation only needs to
include the page number that the
quote can be found on.
2. Alternatively, you can forgo
including the author’s name/title
of the text, and include the
Author’s last name, as well as the
page number that the quote can be
found on.
David M. Benjamin’s book, The Home:
Words, Interpretations, Meanings,
and Environments, provides a
methodical argument for how the
abode is, “… multi-dimensional and
involves a range of psychological and
sociological dimensions, includes
cultural context, social history, and an
individual’s residential history” (40).
The space one calls home is far
greater than its physical structure; it
is, “… multi-dimensional, involving a
range of psychological and
sociological dimensions, which can
includes cultural context, social
history, and an individual’s
residential history” (Benjamin 40).
Works Cited
 Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of
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your paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and lastname, page-number header as the rest of your paper.
Label the page Works Cited and center the words ‘Works Cited’ at
the top of the page - do not italicize, embolden, or put this title in
quotation marks
Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
If your citation is longer than one line, indent the second and
subsequent lines by 0.5 inches to create a “hanging indent”. (See
next slide for a step-by-step guide).
For every entry, you must determine the Medium of Publication.
Most entries will likely be listed as Print or Web sources, but other
possibilities may include Film, CD-ROM, or DVD.
Works Cited must be listed alphabetically, according to last name.
Benshabat 10
Works Cited
Bozzetto, Roger, R. M. P, and Russell Taylor. "Moreau's Tragi-Farcical Island."
Science Fiction Studies 20.1 (1993): 34-44. Print.
Christopher, A. J. "Patterns of British Overseas Investment in Land, 1885-1913."
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 10.4 (1985): 452-56.
Print.
Clarkson, Jesse D. "The Background of Fabian Theory." The Journal of Economic
History 13.4 (1953): 462-71. Print.
Parsons, Timothy. The British Imperial Century, 1815-1914: A World History
Perspective. Print.
The Hanging Indent
To create a hanging indent:
1. Highlight the text that you want to have
indented and right-click on the selected text.
2. Select ‘Paragraph’
3. A window, like the one pictured right, will
appear.
4. In the ‘Indentation’ section, you will select
‘Hanging’, which can be found in the ‘Special’
scroll-down box
5. Also be sure to select ‘Double’ in the ‘Spacing’
section
For medium-specific citation rules, please
refer to Purdue OWL:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747//