Composition Notes


One inch margins on all sides
Pages number in header (top, right)
preceded by last name
◦ (Smith 1)

Information block: upper, left-hand corner
 First and Last Name of Student
 Instructor/Teacher’s Last Name
 Class and Section/Block (English I, Block IV)
 Assignment (Argument Paper)
 Date
◦ The information block is the only part of the
essay that may be single-spaced
MLA Format
Font is always 12 point Times New
Roman (this includes page number as
well)
 Every essay should have a unique title
that is centered on the document
 NEVER, EVER, EVER use bold type

MLA Format
NO TITLE
OR
COVER
PAGE
Page Number on
Every Page
No BOLD
Info block is the
only article which
may be single spaced
Correct MLA Essay Format
Begin EVERY essay with an introductory
paragraph.
 At a minimum, the introductory paragraph
should include:

◦ Introductory sentence: Will usually include the
author’s name and title of the work. May also
include the type of text.
◦ Example:
 In the Epic, The Odyssey, Homer introduces us to
Greek society through the epic hero, Odysseus.
Introductory Paragraph
◦ Summary sentence: Gives a brief glimpse into
the essay by use of a broad statement about
the text.
◦ Example:
 Life was not always easy for the Greeks, as gods
and goddesses often interfered in the affairs of
the people they governed.
Introductory Paragraph
◦ Thesis statement: CLEARLY shows the direction
of your essay. Will include the 3 topics of focus
within your essay.
◦ Example:
 Through Odysseus we are given insight into the
beliefs held by the Greeks that the gods interact
with each other, the gods affect the lives of their
people, and the people respond to the gods in
various ways.
Introduction

Do not use too much detail in your
introduction. Save specific details for
your body paragraphs.
Introduction
A minimum of 3 body paragraphs are
ALWAYS required (if the assignment
specifies a particular number of pages,
make sure you follow the directions of the
assignment!).
 Each body paragraph is ALWAYS 3-5
sentences in length.

Body Paragraphs

The first sentence of each body paragraph
should be the topic sentence.
◦ Topic sentences are taken from the points
made in the Thesis Statement in the
introductory paragraph.
Body Paragraphs
The last paragraph in EVERY essay should
be a conclusion.
 The conclusion sums up your essay in a
meaningful and significant way.
 NEVER give new information in your
conclusion.

Conclusion
ALWAYS support your topic with textual
evidence (quotes with proper
parenthetical citations).
 NEVER, EVER place 2 or more quotes back
to back. You must always provide
relevance for every cited example
(through an independent sentence). DO
NOT ALLOW YOUR AUDIENCE TO
ASSUME.

Quoting

Quotes within a quote should be
separated by using apostrophes (not
quotation marks)
◦ Example:
In The Cyclops we gain understanding of why
Odysseus was not allowed to return home for so
long, “He stretched his hands out in his darkness
toward the sky and prayed Poseidon: ‘O hear
me, lord, blue girdler of the islands grant that
Odysseus, raider of cities, never see his home’”
(Homer 379).
Quoting

Tense/Voice
◦ An essay should agree in tense throughout and
be in active voice. Present tense accomplishes
both of these requirements

NEVER use first person pronouns in your
essay.
◦ Example: I, me, my
Common Issues

NEVER use contractions in your essay
◦ Example: can’t, won’t, haven’t, etc.

NEVER begin a sentence or a paragraph
with:
◦ A pronoun (if possible)
◦ A conjunction (FANBOYS)
◦ A direct quotation (use a signal phrase)
More Common Issues

Exclamation and Question Marks- The
only time an exclamation or question
mark should be used is when they are
employed within a direct quotation.
◦ Example:
Frightened, members of Odysseus’s crew want
to know, “Why bait the beast again? Let him
alone!” (Homer 378)
And More Common Issues