The document provides an overview of MLA format guidelines for writing essays and citing sources. It discusses the basics of MLA style such as double spacing, 1-inch margins, and headers on each page. In-text citations must be included any time another source is referenced and require the author's last name and page number. A Works Cited page is also needed to provide full reference details for all sources used in the paper and should be in alphabetical order. MLA format aims to promote clear, consistent writing and citing of research sources.

1. MLA FORMAT The Basics

2. MODERN LANGUAGE
ASSOCIATION
 professional association for scholars of language and
l iterature
 MLA Format = series of regulations and guidelines for writers
 consistent writing style for essays and citations
 required in col lege for al l essays and academic papers

3. BASIC FEATURES OF MLA
 Times New Roman font, 12 point size.
 Double-space entire paper.
 A l l ma r g in s s h o u l d b e s e t to 1 ” .
 Include a header with your last name and page number at the
upper-right hand corner of your essay.
 Include a heading in the lef t-hand corner of the first page,
i n c l u din g yo u r n ame , i n s t r u c to r’ s n ame , c l a s s n ame , a n d t h e
date.
 The title must fol low the heading and wi l l be centered. Do NOT
u n d e r lin e , b o l d , o r “ q u ote ” yo u r t i t l e .
 Include in-text citations and works cited page.

4. SAMPLE FIRST PAGE

5. ANOTHER SAMPLE PAGE

6. CITATIONS & PLAGIARISM
Citations
 used to credit a source
from which you obtain
information
 necessary in any and all
writing pieces that are
not just your original
thoughts, as it is
impor tant to credit the
work of others
 helps avoid unintentional
plagiarizing
Plagiarism
 the act of using another
per son’s words or ideas
in the attempt of passing
them of f as your own
 Consequences for
plagiarizing, even if
unintentional, can result
in a zero, academic
suspension (college), and
even expulsion (college).

7. IN-TEXT CITATIONS
When to Use
 I f you directly quote
another source
 I f you summarize or
rephrase another
i nd i v idual’ s ideas or work
 I f information is taken
verbally ( interview, class
lecture)
 I f you refer to a statistic
 I f you refer to an
i l lustration, photo, or char t
(that you did not create)
How to Use
 usually consist of the
author’s name and the
page number on which
the information/quote
was found
 placed at the end of the
sentence

8. IN-TEXT CITATIONS HAVE 2
REQUIREMENTS…
1. They need to include enough information for the
audience to find the source on the works cited
page.
2. They need to include enough information so the
audience knows where to find the borrowed
material in the original source you used.
3. Format:
(Author’s Last Name Page #)
(Turner 26)

9. GENERAL RULES
 Ideal ly, no more than 25 percent of your paper should be
direct quotations
 Paraphrase as much as you can
 Use direct quotations when citing a statistic or original theory
 Use author's words i f they capture a point exactly

10. DO NOT JUST DROP
THE QUOTE IN
YOUR TEXT!!!!

11. USE TAGS/SIGNAL PHRASES
acknowledges
admits
agrees
asserts
believes
claims
comments
confirms
contends
declares
denies
disputes
emphasizes
endorses
grants
illustrates
Implies
notes
observes
points out
reasons
refutes
suggests
writes
 In the words of
researchers Long and
McKinzie…
 As Paul Rudnick has
noted…
Melinda Stuart, mother
of a child killed by a
drunk driver, points
out…
 …,writes Michelle
Moore, …

12. EXAMPLES
 In the novel The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, the
narrator identifies her insecurities when she states,
“Even without makeup, I could never pass for true
Chinese” (142).
 In Wuthering Heights, Mr. Earnshaw’s health “. . .
began to fail. He had been active and healthy, yet his
strength left him suddenly. . .” (Brontë 44).
Her distinctive writing style adds to her mystery
(Plath 19).

13. WORKS CITED PAGE
 should include a detailed l ist of al l the outside sources used
in the essay
 written on a separate page.
 sources should be in alphabetical order
 Use hanging indentation for every source.
 Use the appropriate MLA Works Cited entry format for each
type of source.
 There are dozens of di f ferent types of sources, and there is an
MLA work cited format for each one.
 Pay special attention to punctuation and order of the
information provided.

14. SAMPLE WORKS CITED

15. PERDUE OWL:
OWL.ENGLISH.PERDUE.EDU

16. PHONES OUT!
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