This document provides guidance on formatting academic papers using MLA style, including formatting rules for citations, pagination, spacing, fonts, titles, quotations, and paragraphs. It also summarizes the key points of a sample essay about whether efforts to reduce acid rain have been successful, noting that laws have helped reduce pollution and a recent report found large reductions in toxic substances in the Great Lakes region.

1. CGC The Written Report: Embedded Citations and MLA Formatting
MLA STYLE: Sample Essay Using Embedded Citations
Reducing Acid Rain: A Success Story?
Acid rain affects plant and animal life, lakes, rivers, buildings and structures, and
human beings. Precipitation that contains sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxide has the potential
to cause serious environmental problems. Scientists have studied the harmful results of acid
rain and looked for ways to reduce harmful atmospheric pollutants (Howard and Johnston
16). Efforts to reduce the negative effects have been successful. People have recognized acid
rain as a serious environmental threat and have taken steps to stop it (Anderson 121).
Laws reducing air pollution have helped to reduce the initial causes of acid rain. In the
1970s a drop in the fish population and changes in lakes and forests alerted
environmentalists to the problem (Lucas). The federal and provincial governments together
created the Eastern Canada Acid Rain Program, to reduce the amount and type of pollutants
allowed into the atmosphere (Environment Canada). In 1991 the Canada-US Air Quality
Agreement was signed, designed to control air pollution that would move from one country to
another. A recent report states that “in the Great Lakes region, there has been a 76%
reduction in toxic substances and that greater numbers and diversity of wildlife, including
frogs, turtles muskrats and herons are reappearing in the area” (Environment Canada).
Public awareness of the dangers of acid rain to the environment has led to voluntary
measures that have a positive effect. Some large corporations have used technology to control
dangerous emissions and are now using energy more efficiently. Other companies have done
their part by inventing and manufacturing environmentally friendly products used by both
industry and individuals (Lucas). There are many things that ordinary people are doing in
their homes and yards and while shopping and travelling, to reduce acid rain emissions.
Many people automatically turn off lights and electrical equipment,
reduce their driving and select public transportation or carpools, take up
sports that do not require the use of fuel, make responsible choices when
shopping, recycle at home and at work, and express opinions to elected
officials regarding environmental policies. (Ferguson)
Works Cited (should be on a separate page!!)
Anderson, Lynette. Acid Rain . New York: Gloucester Press, 1999.
Environment Canada. Our Great Lakes: Working Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Great
Lakes Basin Ecosystem . 12 Nov. 2000. 20 May 2001
<http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/glimr>.
Ferguson, H.L. “Acid Rain.” Canadian and World Encyclopedia 2000 Online .15 May 2001
<http://www.tceplus.com>.
Howard, Ray and William Johnston. Poison in the Sky . Toronto: McClelland and Stewart,
2000.
Lucas, George. “How Healthy are Our Lakes?” Toronto Star 25 May 2000. Electric Library
Canada . George S. Henry Academy Library. 30 May 2001
<http://www.elibrary/education.ca>.
Adapted from: TDSB Student Research Guide 2003

2. MLA Formatting Protocols
MLA formatting protocols spell out the way in which you present your written work. We will
be making some simple modifications to the strict MLA protocols to satisfy our needs in this
course, and for the sake of simplicity on your part.
By the time you get to Grade 11, however, you will be expected to be using the full formal
protocols. Consider Grade 9 and 10 your apprenticeship!
The General Rules
Type and Print: On a computer, on white, 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
Pagination: Page number in upper right hand corner of each page. Start page 1
with the first page of text. Put your name in the upper left hand
corner.
Line Spacing: Double-space your text.
Page Margins: 1 inch on all sides. Hint: Use page set-up controls.
Font: Use a “standard” 12-point font. No bold or italicised fonts please!
Ensure that your font, when bolded or italicised, stands out from
your plain text. Suggested fonts include: Times New Roman, Georgia,
American Typewriter, Courier, Arial, Helvetica, Optima, Trebuchet,
New York, Geneva.
Title: Centred at top of first page of text. Nothing fancy... plain text,
capitalise the first letters, no embellishments.
In-Text Spacing: One space only after periods or other punctuation marks.
Quotations: Short quotes (less than 4 lines) should be incorporated into your
paragraphs. Long quotes (more than 4 lines) should be indented 5
spaces (tab 0.5 inches).
Paragraphs and Returns: Indent one half-inch from the left margin. Hint: Use tabs.
Special Fonts: Italics and bold should be used very sparingly... only for points of
critical emphasis.
Refer to the TDSB Student Research Guide, Research Success @ Your Library
and/or the Purdue On-Line Writing Lab (OWL) MLA Formatting and Style
Guide for further information. You can access the OWL Guide at
<owl.english.purdue.edu>.