MLA Style
Duane Theobald
dtheobal@westga.edu
Writing a paper? Does this
look familiar?
Who uses MLA?/Where did
MLA style come from?
O English Studies-
O
O
O
O
Language and
Literature
Foreign Language
and Literature
Literary Criticism
Comparative
Literature
Cultural Studies
O The most noticeable
feature of MLA style is intext parenthetical
citations. This means NO
footnotes.
O The Modern Language
Association decided to
introduce a system it
liked better. MLA
considers parenthetical
citations easier on the
eyes and the brain.
MLA: Your Experiences?
O What issues have you had with MLA?
O Where do they stem from?
O How can you go about fixing those issues?
Aspects of MLA: Overall
Document Format and Appearance
O When writing a paper in MLA format,
consistently sticking to the style is vital!
Otherwise, your professor will note that you
did not, and you risk losing easy points on
your paper. When crafting your paper, make
sure to follow these steps. They will help you
make sure you hit every style aspect that
needs to be included:
Aspects of MLA: Overall
Document Format and Appearance
O Make sure to have 1 inch margins and
double space throughout the entire
document.
O Include your last name and page number in
the upper right-hand corner of each page of
the paper! (go to “Insert” tab, click on “Page
Number,” select “Top of Page” and “Plain
Number 3.” Then, go into header provided
and type in your last name).
Aspects of MLA: Overall
Document Format and Appearance
O Beginning on your first line, type in:
O
O
O
O
Your Name
Your Professor’s Name
Class (i.e. ENGL 1101-01)
Date (i.e. 2 November 2012)
O Include a title for the paper. DO NOT solely use the
name of the story/novel/play/poem you are studying.
O When you begin any new paragraph, make sure to
indent ½ inch (i.e. hit the “Tab” key once).
O When including a block quote in your work, make
sure to indent 1 inch (i.e. hit the “Tab” key twice) and
omit quotations marks from the quote.
In-text Citations
O In-text citations can often be the hardest
aspect to handle in MLA style. For each type
of source, there is a slightly different way to
complete the citation. The next few slides
will show you a few of the most common intext citations:
In-text Citations
O Author’s Name in a Sentence: As Paul Perilli
points out, poets currently “are being seen,
heard, and read by more and more people”
(43).
O Author’s Name in Parenthetical Citation: As
one author points out, poets currently “are
being seen, heard, and read by more and
more people” (Perilli 43).
In-text Citations
O Unknown Author: (If no author is named, use the
full title in the sentence or a shortened version
(i.e. The New York Public Library) in
parentheses).
O According to The New York Public Library Desk
Reference, “the phrase ‘a red-letter day’ dates
from 1704, when holy days were marked in red
letters on church calendars” (4).
O Poems: (Use line numbers and write “line” in the
first citation).
O In “Song of Myself,” Walt Whitman uses the image
“With music strong I come, with my cornets and
my drums” (line 361).
In-text Citations
O Electronic Source: (If no author is named, use
the title. Many electronic sources lack page,
paragraph, or section numbers).
O Peter Davis gave [Armstrong] “basic musical
training on the cornet” (“Louis Armstrong”).
O Visual: (If the visual appears in your paper, give
the figure number. If not, include an in-text
citation).
O The painting Three Musicians creates a sense of
liveliness through the use of vivid color contrasts
and striking geometric forms (Picasso).
Works Cited
O A works cited page serves to tell your reader
what sources you used in the paper and whether
they are credible or not. When crafting this page,
remember:
O Place everything in alphabetical order.
O Take time to notice punctuation within the
citation (periods, commas, etc.)
O When your citation continues past one line on
the page, make sure to indent the second
line and any other lines that follow.
Works Cited
O Book with One Author:
Shirky, Clay. Here Comes Everybody: The
Power of Organizing without
Organizations. New York: Penguin,
2008. Print.
O Book with Two or Three Authors:
Reeder, Joelle, and Katherine Scoleri. The IT
Girl’s Guide to Blogging with Moxie.
Hoboken: Wiley, 2007. Print.
Works Cited
O Work in an Anthology/Textbook/Chapter in an Edited
Book:
Fisher, Walter R. “Narration, Knowledge, and
the Possibility of Wisdom.” Rethinking
Knowledge: Reflection across the
Disciplines. Eds. Robert F. Goodman
and Walter R. Fisher. Albany: SUNY
Press, 1995. 169-92. Print.
O Unknown Author:
Webster’s College Dictionary. New York:
Random; New York: McGraw, 1991. Print.
Works Cited
O Article in a Journal with Issue Numbers only:
Lousley, Cheryl. “Knowledge, Power, and
Place.” Canadian Literature 195
(2007): 11-30. Print.
O Article in a Popular Magazine:
Robbins, Sarah. “One Mother’s Fierce Love.”
Glamour Feb. 2008: 34. Print.
O Website or Independent Online Work:
Cyber Crimes Center. U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, 2010. Web. 18 Dec.
2010.
Works Cited
O Film:
Artists and Models. Dir. Raoul Walsh. Perf.
Jack Benny, Ida Lupino, and Alan
Townsend. Paramount, 1937. Film.
O DVD or Blu-Ray:
Casablanca. Dir. Michael Curtiz. Perf.
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
1942. Warner, 2000. DVD.
O Artwork:
Warhol, Andy. Campbell’s Soup Can. 1962. Oil on
Canvas. Saatchi Collection, London.
Where to find aspects you
can’t memorize?
O A Writer’s Resource: For ALL aspects of MLA
formatting, including in-text citations and
creating works cited entries, go to pg. 289
(or look for Tab #6-green!)
O OWL at Purdue: This is a very valuable
resource that you can access at NO cost to
you. Simply go to
http://owl.english.purdue.edu , look at tabs
on right side of the page, and click on “MLA
2009 Formatting and Style Guide.”
Where to find aspects you
can’t memorize?
O MLA Handbook: The specific title for this text is
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
This text specifically speaks to the particulars of
MLA format and citation (even more so than A
Writer’s Resource.)
O Speak to your professor(s): Your professors want
to see you succeed and are willing to help-just
ASK!
O Visit tutoring services: The friendly staffs of the
UWC and the EXCEL Center are always here to
help in whatever way possible! 
Questions?
O Remember that the UWC is always here to help you!
O 678-839-6513
O writing@westga.edu
O TLC 1201 (First floor, past the snacks)
O www.westga.edu/writing
O Like us on Facebook: University Writing Center (UWG)
_______________________________________
O Duane Theobald (Manager)
O 678-839-5312
O dtheobal@westga.edu