MLA Format An MLA Style paper should Be

MLA Format

An MLA Style paper should: • Be typed on white 8. 5“ x 11“ paper • Double-space everything (Only one line between paragraphs) • Use 12 pt. Times New Roman (or similar) font • Leave only one space after punctuation • Set all margins to 1 inch on all sides • Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch

The first page of an MLA Style paper will: • Have no title page • Double space everything • List your name, your instructor's name, the course, and date in the upper lefthand corner • Center the paper title (use standard caps but no underlining, italics, quote marks, or bold typeface) • Create a header in the upper right corner at half inch from the top and one inch from the right of the page (list your last name and page number here)

Why cite sources 1. to tell readers where your information comes from—so that they can assess its reliability and, if interested, find and read the original source 2. to give credit to the writers from whom you have borrowed words and ideas. Borrowing another writer’s language, sentence structures, or ideas without proper acknowledgment is a form of dishonesty known as plagiarism.

Exception on plagiarism Common knowledge—information that could easily be located in any number of reference sources. For example, a quick search would tell you that Joel Coen directed Fargo in 1996 and that Emily Dickinson published only a handful of her many poems during her lifetime.

How it works 1. The source is introduced by a signal phrase that names its author. 1. The material being cited is followed by a page number in parentheses (unless the source is an unpaginated Web source). 1. At the end of the paper, a list of works cited (arranged alphabetically by authors’ last names) gives complete publication information for the source.

Summary and Paraphrase You commit plagiarism if you patchwrite—half-copy the author’s sentences, either by mixing the author’s phrases with your own without using quotation marks or by plugging your synonyms into the author’s sentence structure. Be original

PARAPHRASE • When the ideas and information are important but the author’s exact words are not necessary or expressive • When you want to restate the source’s ideas in your own words • When you need to simplify and explain a technical or complicated source • When you need to reorder a source’s ideas

Summary ● When a passage is lengthy and you want to condense a chapter to a short paragraph or a paragraph to a single sentence ● When you want to state the source’s main ideas simply and briefly in your own words ● When you want to compare or contrast arguments or ideas from various sources ● When you want to provide readers with an understanding of the source’s argument before you respond to it or launch your own

WHEN TO USE QUOTATIONS • When language is especially vivid or expressive • When exact wording is needed for technical accuracy • When it is important to let the debaters of an issue explain their positions in their own words • When the words of an authority lend weight to an argument • When the language of a source is the topic of your discussion (as in an analysis or interpretation)

The ellipsis mark ● To condense a quoted passage, you can use the ellipsis mark (three periods, with spaces between) to indicate that you have left words out. What remains must be grammatically complete. ● “And in Mississippi, legislators passed “a ban on bans—a law that forbids. . . local restrictions on food or drink” (Conly A 23).

On the rare occasions when you want to leave out one or more full sentences, use a period before three ellipsis dots. Legal scholars Gostin and Gostin argue that “individuals have limited willpower to defer immediate gratification for longer-term health benefits. . A person understands that high-fat foods or a sedentary lifestyle will cause adverse health effects, or that excessive spending or gambling will cause financial hardship, but it is not always easy to refrain” (217).

USING SOURCES RESPONSIBLY: Make sure omissions and ellipsis marks do not distort the meaning of your source.

Brackets ● Brackets allow you to insert your own words into quoted material. You can insert words in brackets to clarify a confusing reference or to keep a sentence grammatical in your context. ● You also use brackets to indicate that you are changing a letter from capital to lowercase (or vice versa) to fit into your sentence.

In the following example, the writer inserted words in brackets to clarify the meaning of help. Neergaard and Agiesta argue that “a new poll finds people are split on how much the government should do to help [find solutions to the national health crisis]— and most draw the line at attempts to force healthier eating. ”

To indicate an error such as a misspelling in a quotation, insert the word “sic” in brackets right after the error. “While Americans of every race, gender and ethnicity are affected by this disease, diabetes disproportionately effects [sic] minority populations. ”

Setting off long quotations In response to critics who claim that laws aimed at stopping us from eating whatever we want are an assault on our freedom of choice, Conly offers a persuasive counterargument: [L]aws aren’t designed for each one of us individually. Some of us can drive safely at 90 miles per hour, but we’re bound by the same laws as the people who can’t, because individual speeding laws aren’t practical. Giving up a little liberty is something we agree to when we agree to live in a democratic society that is governed by laws. (A 23)

Marking boundaries Your claim -The racism is not only prevalent within the larger society, it is also within the characters themselves. Integrating quote with boundaries. Morrison illustrates this internalized racism through Sweetness’ unflattering description of her daughter’s dark skin color “Tar is the closest thing I can think of. . . ” (1). Analyzing: Most mothers equate their newborn’s skin to that of angels, yet Sweetness can only see this thick viscous substance coating her only child.

Putting source material in context You must explain how another writer’s words relate to your argument. Quotations don’t speak for themselve -- you must create context by embedding each quotation between sentences of your own. Don’t be afraid to throw quotes out during the revision process. If they do not fit -let them go.

Introducing/explaining quotations - They Say I Say Review pg 46 -47

Can you over-explain a quotation? When in doubt - over explain. Don’t leave quotations dangling and your readers in doubt.

You MUST include an in-text citation ANY time you use information from an outside source, whether it is paraphrase or a direct quote. An in-text citation appears in parentheses at the end of the sentence. The study showed more than a ten percent increase (Smith 22).

The in-text citation begins with the author’s last name (Smith 22)

If a page number is available, list it after the author’s name. Do not use a comma between the name and page number. (Smith 22)

If there are two or three authors, list them all. (Smith and Luke 22) (Smith, Luke, and Perro 22)

If there are more than three authors, use the first author’s last name and “et al. ” which means “and others. ” (Smith et al. 22)

If you are using more than one source from an author, use the title after the author to avoid confusion. (Smith, “Obesity Rates” 22)

If you mention the name of the author in the sentence, you do not need to repeat it in the citation According to Smith, obesity rates are rising (22).

If the citation follows a direct quote, punctuation goes outside the quotation marks after the citation. The results were “highly unusual” (Smith 22).

When citing a source the first time, use the author’s name(s) unless the name is used as part of the sentence that introduces the source’s text.

Example: The expert of writing claims, “MLA Style of formatting is the easiest style to use” (Modern 45). When citing same source again, cite only by page number (if hardcopy source) for subsequent citations unless you switch sources (i. e. , use another source). Example: The expert adds, “MLA Style does not require a title page like APA and Chicago Style do” (48).