MLA Basics for Writing 1

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from MLAHandbook.org

Small Note: ‘Single Quotes’ are ONLY for showing “quotes ‘within’ other quotes.”

Watch how the quotes work withthe comma and the period here. → For MLA “style,” you do “this.” (Colons and semicolons go outside the quotes, “though”; I’ve shown that in this sentence. It’s a convention that has to do with the way printers had to set up their letters in the old days, so it’s a little arbitrary. But it’s the convention.)

In Case of an Accident, What DoYou Need to Tell The Operator? Who? What? When?by Rigmarole @Flickr Where? How?

Author. Title. City: Publisher,Basic Book Year. Form. Author. Title. City: Publisher,Year. Print. The periods block off major bits of data.

Author. Title. City: Publisher,Basic Book Year. Form. Loblaw, Bob. Loblaw, Bob, ed. Loblaw, Bob, and Joe Schmoe. Loblaw, Bob, and Joe Schmoe, eds. Loblaw, Bob, Jr., and Joe Schmoe, Jr., eds. Loblaw, Bob, Joe Schmoe, and Sallie Mae. Loblaw, Bob, et al. Anonymous source? Skip the author section. Corporate source? Use the corporate name.

Author. Title. City: Publisher,Basic Book Year. Form. Italics Are Acceptable but Potentially Confusing. Italicize the Title. If You’re Writing By Hand, Underline It. “Quote Marks” Are NOT Acceptable for Book Titles!

Titles: If it encloses other stuff or stands alone, italicize.If it is enclosed, use quotes. Italicize Quotes Book “Chapter” Long Poem “Poem in a Collection” CD “Song Title” DVD “Chapter” Magazine “Article Title” Collection of Essays “Individual Essay”

Author. Title. City: Publisher,Basic Book Year. Form. General Rule: Capitalize All the Important Words. Speciﬁc Rules --> Do Not Capitalize These: articles (a, an, the) prepositions (aboard, about, above, etc.) coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.) “to” in inﬁnitives (to Drive, to Walk, to Run, etc.) UNLESS They’re the First Word in the Title! OR They’re the First Word After a Colon in the Title!

Author. Title. City: Publisher,Basic Book Year. Form. Spokane, WA: Dunder Mifflin Press, Inc., 2006. Print. Spokane, WA: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. E-Book. Seattle: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print. NY: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print. LA: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print. Spokane, WA: Whitworth UP, 2006. Print. Podunk, GA: U of Nowhere P, 2006. Print.

Author. Title. City: Publisher,Basic Book Year. Database or Website. ONLINE Form. Date of Access. Loblaw, Bob. Awesome Book. Sunnydale, CA: Penguin, 2007. Google Books. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. Schmoe, Joe. Super Duper Book. Shermer, IL: Bueller Brothers, 2002. Bueller E-ditions. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

Article/ Author. “Article Title.” Collection Chapter Title. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City:Inside Book Publisher, Year. Pages. For articles inside books.

Article/ Author. “Article Title.” Collection Chapter Title. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City:Inside Book Publisher, Year. Pages. 25-35. 25-35, 62. 23+. 100-12. 1045-56. 1045-115.

Article/ Author. “Article Title.” Collection Chapter Title. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City:Inside Book Publisher, Year. Pages. ONLINE Database or Website. Form. Date of Access. Loblaw, Bob. “Awesome Article.” Awesome Book. Ed. Willow Rosenberg. Sunnydale, CA: Penguin, 2007. 22-42. Google Books. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

AcademicJournalsFor Articles from Academic Journals

Author. “Inside Title.” PublicationAcademic Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages.Journals Print. Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Print.

Academic Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Journals Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages. from Database. Web. Date Accessed.DATABASES Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. If There Are No Page Numbers Included: Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Literature Online. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

Academic Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Journals Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages. from Database. Web. Date Accessed.DATABASES ources! Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” “onlin e” s Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35.cess arily Search Academic Premier. Web. 2 Nov. ne t2009. s are no ase atab If There d from Are No Page Numbers Included: clesArti Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Literature Online. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

Academic Author. “Inside Title.” PublicationJournals Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages.ONLINE Web. Date Accessed. Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.If There Are No Page Numbers Included: Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

EverydayPeriodicalsEveryday Magazines and Newspapers

Everyday Author. “Inside Title.” PublicationPeriodicals Title Date: Pages. Print. Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: 6-17. Print. Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine Feb. 2007: 8-24. Print. ***Abbreviate All Months But May, June, and July.***

Everyday Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Periodicals Title Date: Pages. Database. from Web. Date Accessed.DATABASES Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: 6-17. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine Feb. 2007: n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

Everyday Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Periodicals Title Date: Pages. Database. from Web. Date Accessed.DATABASES ces! sour onl ine” Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” “ arily Everyday Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: nec ess Academic Search t 6-17. Premier. Web. s2are no 2009. base Nov. data “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Schmoe, Joe. from clesMagazine Feb. 2007: n. pag. LexisNexis. Web.Arti 2 Nov. 2009.

Everyday Author. “Inside Title.” PublicationPeriodicals Title Date: Pages. Print. ONLINE Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title. Publisher, Date. Web. Date Accessed. Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Newsweek. Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2007. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine. Bueller Brothers, Feb. 2007. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

Information Needed for Web Sources1.! Name of the author, compiler, director, editor, narrator, performer, or translator of the work2.! Title of the work3.! Title of the overall Web site (italicized), if different than item 24.! Version or edition used5.! Publisher or sponsor of the site; if not available, use N.p.6.! Date of publication (day, month, and year, as available); if nothing is available, use n.d.7.! Medium of publication (Web)8.! Date of access (day, month, and year) See 14e!

Information Needed for Web Sources Whole WebsiteNCAA.com. NCAA, 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. Page From WebsiteNCAA. “Men’s Basketball.” NCAA.com. NCAA, 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. SEE ALSO: 14e and 14f

Information Needed for Web Sources Whole BlogLoblaw, Bob. Bob Loblaw’s Law Blog. N.p., 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. Single Posting from BlogLoblaw, Bob. “Charles Not in Charge.” Bob Loblaw’s Law Blog. N.p., 15 Oct. 2007. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. SEE ALSO: 14e and 14f

Parenthetical (“In-Text”) Citation for Fun and ProﬁtThis sentence cites a fact (Schmoe 17).This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe 17-18).This sentence cites a fact from Schmoe (17-18).This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe and Doe 17).This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe, Doe, and Jones 18).This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe et al. 18).This cites a fact from an anonymous source (“Title” 27).One of two works by one guy (Schmoe, “Title” 52).One of two guys named Schmoe (J. Schmoe 52).

Direct Quotes and Parenthetical CitationDirect quote from Joe Schmoe: “I like to be quoted. It’s like my dad always said, ‘Proper citation builds character, and it makes you strong.’ Who doesn’t like being quoted?” Some say good citation “builds character”(Schmoe 17). As Schmoe says, “I like to be quoted” (17). Schmoe says he “like[s] to be quoted” (17). Schmoe likes “to be quoted” (17). Schmoe asks, “Who doesn’t like being quoted?” (17). Schmoe said, “It’s like my dad always said, ‘Proper citation builds character’” (17).

Block QuotesIf you quote a lot of text--more than four printed lines--thenyou insert a paragraph break and indent one inch. Like this: The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is conﬁrmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things. (Thoreau 22)The block quote, like the rest of your essay, should bedouble spaced. It’s also in the same size font as the rest ofthe essay. Don’t get fancy.

YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE. YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE. ” (22). YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCKeQUOTE. spe ration in “q uiet d YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE. i d, live YOU hore au saNEED A BLOCK QUOTE. RARELY en, T RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.Most m YOU YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE. You don’t need to cite huge blocks of text. Usually, you shouldn’t. Selectively cite just as much as you need--and no more--working the quote smoothly into the sentence.

... You don’t need ellipses at the “ . . . start and end of excerpted words . . . ” because, by convention, we know that you’re cutting words out of their context. Only three dots in an ellipsis, with spaces before, after, and in between. Good discussion of the ellipsis at the Grammar Girl site: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ ellipsis.aspx

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More examples and types of sources are available in section 14 of the Little Penguin Handbook.Be sure to take a look at the sample MLA-formatted essay at 14h in the Little Penguin Handbook.

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MLA Basics for Writing 1

by Fred Johnson on Nov 03, 2009

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