1. What is MLA style? The style of the Modern Language Association
MLA style is used by:
English classes
humanities classes
language classes

2. Why use MLA style? Avoid plagiarism
must cite quotations and borrowed ideas
information borrowed word for word must be in quotation marks
summaries and paraphrases must be in your own words

3. MLA Update 2009 Changes in MLA: No more underlining (only use italics)
Inclusion of publication medium (e.g. Print, Web, etc.)
New abbreviations (e.g., “N.p.“ for “no publisher given”, no pagination “N.Pag.”)
In Summer 2008, the Modern Language Association released its third edition of the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, which publicly unveiled modifications to MLA Style for the upcoming year. These changes go into effect April 2009 with the release of MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition). General paper formatting (margins, headings, etc.) and in-text citations will remain the same, but all Works Cited style entries will be different from the 6th edition guidelines. The Purdue OWL will begin listing these changes in all our MLA resources in April Here are some of the more noteworthy changes:
･No More Underlining! Underlining is no more. MLA now recommends italicizing titles of independently published works (books, periodicals, films, etc).
･No More URLs! While website entries will still include authors, article names, and website names, when available, MLA no longer requires URLs. Writers are, however, encouraged to provide a URL if the citation information does not lead readers to easily find the source.
･Publication Medium. Every entry receives a medium of publication marker. Most entries will be listed as Print or Web, but other possibilities include Performance, DVD, or TV. Most of these markers will appear at the end of entries; however, markers for Web sources are followed by the date of access.
･New Abbreviations. Many web source entries now require a publisher name, a date of publication, and/or page numbers. When no publisher name appears on the website, write N.p. for no publisher given. When sites omit a date of publication, write n.d. for no date. For online journals that appear only online (no print version) or on databases that do not provide pagination, write n. pag. for no pagination. 3

4. Formatting the paper

5. Page numbers Upper right hand corner of page Start on first page
Should include your last name
Insert > Page Numbers > Upper Right > Double click on page numbers in document to add name
Example: Johnson 3

6. Formatting the 1st Page No title page Double space everything
In the upper left corner of the 1st page, list your
name, your instructor's name, the course, and date
Center the paper title (use standard caps but no underlining, italics, quote, or bold)
Create a header in the upper right corner at half inch from the top and one inch from the right of the page (include your last name and page number)
･Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested
･In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
･Double space again and center the title.
Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.
･Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in “After Apple Picking“
･Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
･Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.) 6

7. Sample 1st Page
･Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested
･In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
･Double space again and center the title.
Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.
･Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in “After Apple Picking“
･Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
･Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.) 7

8. In -Text Citation or Parenthetical Citation

9. How and when to quote
When quoting material less than four lines long from a source, you must:
Use quotation marks around the borrowed words or sentences.
Cite the source in your text using the proper MLA in-text citation style.
Create a Works Cited page entry using the proper MLA reference style.
Introduce and integrate the quote.
Copy words and punctuation exactly.

10. Integrate your quote
Introduce the quote using signal phrases: The author…
acknowledges observes
advises demonstrates
claims predicts
counters maintains
finds insists
suggests reveals

11. Sample in-text citation
College style prefers giving author’s name in text and putting the page number in the parenthetical citation. The sentence period follows the parenthesis.
Harrison found that “the effects of the incentives disappeared within days” (311).

12. Citation variation
When the author’s name is not given in your text, list it first in the documentation information in the parentheses.
One sociologist commented on the study: “The results showed a major growth in both interest groups within days,” but she did not explain to what extent (Harrison 311).

13. Sample citation of a paraphrase
Smith claims that Shakespeare produced works far superior to those of Christopher Marlowe (311).
Christopher Marlowe’s style was vastly different from that of Shakespeare’s (Smith 311).

14. For a work with two authors
Smith and Harrison agree that all hormone producing agents need to be further tested (311).
All hormone agents need to be further tested (Smith and Harrison 311).
Note the word and

15. When between three and six authors are given:
If more than three authors, note the others with “et al.” (and others)
The most recent study supports the belief that hormones added to milk improve the health of humans (Dunken et al. 235).

16. For an indirect or “second hand” source
Local activist, Manuel Vasquez, states that “administration needs to place greater focus on recovery…”(qtd. in Jett 55).
Paraphrase of same material: Vasquez’s words warn of the dire consequence of procrastination (qtd. in Jett 55).

17. Documenting your sources and avoiding plagiarism
Do not copy distinctive prose style such as sentence patterns, special punctuation, organization, or headings, unless quoting.
You MUST cite your source if you paraphrase or summarize.
Cite original facts based on the author’s research.
This is where Sarah A’ expertise will be helpful! 17

18. Summarizing
Introduce the source and give the page(s) the summary covers.
Harris claims that the Socratic method is most effective when working with students in the Writing Center ( ).

19. In-text citations
Establish source’s credibility by using his or her name and position. For example, John Smith, Harvard University president, says the rising tuition rates are “unforgivable” (Smith 33).
Avoid “dropped quotes” – quotes that are just dropped into a paragraph without identifying where information is coming from.
The first time you mention a source, use his or her full name. Every time after that, you need only use his or her last name.
Each in-text citation needs to correspond to an entry on the Works Cited page.

20. In-text citation examples
(Smith 33).
no “pg.” or “p.”; no commas
punctuation follows closing parenthesis
If no author: “Many People watched the show online on ”(33).
If no page number: (Smith).
If more than one item by the same author: (Smith “Many People” 33).
If more than one author for one item: (Smith and Johnson 33).

21. With Unknown Author In-text Example:
We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has “more readily accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change . . .” (“Impact of Global Warming” 6).
In-text Citations for Print Sources with No Known Author
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (e.g. articles) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire websites) and provide a page number.
In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title of the article appears in the parenthetical citation which corresponds to the full name of the article which appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. See comments from previous slide. 21

22. Other In-Text Citations 1
Classic & Literary Works with Multiple Editions
In-text Example:
Marx and Engels described human history as marked by class struggles (79; ch. 1).
Authors with Same Last Names
Although some medical ethicists claim that cloning will lead to designer children (R. Miller 12), others note that the advantages for medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46).
Author-Page Citation for Classic and Literary Works with Multiple Editions
Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work like Marx and Engels's The Communist Manifesto (as illustrated in the first example on this slide). In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.).
Citing Authors with Same Last Names
Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. This is illustrated in the second example on this slide. 22

23. Other In-Text Citations 2
Work by Multiple Authors
In-text Examples:
Smith, Yang, and Moore argue that tougher gun control is not needed in the United States (76).
The authors state “Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights“ (Smith, Yang, and Moore 76).
Jones et al. counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (4).
Citing a Work by Multiple Authors
For a source with three or fewer authors, list the authors' last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation. For a source with more than three authors, use the work's bibliographic information as a guide for your citation. Provide the first author's last name followed by et al. or list all the last names. 23

24. Other In-Text Citations 3
Multiple Works by the Same Author
In-text Examples:
Lightenor has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children (“Too Soon” 38), though he has acknowledged elsewhere that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor skill development in a child's second and third year (“Hand-Eye Development” 17).
Visual studies, because it is such a new discipline, may be “too easy” (Elkins, “Visual Studies” 63).
Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author
If you cite more than one work by a particular author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. This is illustrated in the first example on this slide. Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, you would format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, followed, when appropriate, by page numbers. This is illustrated in the second example on this slide. 24

25. Longer quotes (over 4 lines)
According to MLA format, quotes over four lines should be “blocked,” that is, flush indented one inch from the margin, double spaced, no quotation marks:
Erich Fromm suggests that disobedience began with:
Adam and Eve, living in the Garden of Eden, were part of nature; they were in harmony (two more lines). (402)

26. Formatting Long Quotations
In-text Example:
Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration:
They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
Long Quotations
For quotations that are four or more lines of verse or prose: place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented one inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Only indent the first line of the quotation by a half inch if you are citing multiple paragraphs. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.) 26

27. Paraphrasing
A paraphrase restates the content of the original text in your own words.
The length will be similar to that of the original.
Paraphrasing is best used for short passages.

28. Formatting Short Quotations
In-text Examples:
According to some, dreams express “profound aspects of personality” (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.
According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express “profound aspects of personality” (184).
Is it possible that dreams may express “profound aspects of personality” (Foulkes 184)?
Cullen concludes, “Of all the things that happened there / That's all I remember” (11-12).
Short Quotations
To indicate short quotations (fewer than four typed lines of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page citation (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the text, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text. This is all illustrated in the first three examples on this slide.
Mark breaks in short quotations of verse with a slash, /, at the end of each line of verse (a space should precede and follow the slash). This is illustrated in the last example on this slide. 28

29. Adding/Omitting Words
In-text Example for Adding Words:
Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states: “some individuals [who retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale” (78).
In-text example for Omitting Words:
In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that “some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale and in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs” (78).
Adding or Omitting Words In Quotations
If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text. This is illustrated in the first example on this slide.
If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods ( ) preceded and followed by a space. Please note that brackets are not needed around ellipses unless adding brackets would clarify your use of ellipses. This is illustrated in the second example on this slide. 29

30. Works Cited entries

31. Works Cited Page: The Basics
Sample Works Cited Page:
Basic Rules
･Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. It should have the same one-inch margins and last name, page number header as the rest of your paper.
･Label the page Works Cited (do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks) and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page.
･Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
･Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations five spaces so that you create a hanging indent.
･List page numbers of sources efficiently, when needed. If you refer to a journal article that appeared on pages 225 through 250, list the page numbers on your Works Cited page as
Additional Basic Rules New to MLA 2009
･For every entry, you must determine the Medium of Publication. Most entries will likely be listed as Print or Web sources, but other possibilities may include Film, CD-ROM, or DVD.
･Writers are no longer required to provide URLs for Web entries. However, if your instructor or publisher insists on them, include them in angle brackets after the entry and end with a period. For long URLs, break lines only at slashes.
･If you're citing an article or a publication that was originally issued in print form but that you retrieved from an online database, you should type the online database name in italics. You do not need to provide subscription information in addition to the database name.Capitalization and Punctuation
･Capitalize each word in the titles of articles, books, etc, but do not capitalize articles, short prepositions, or conjunctions unless one is the first word of the title or subtitle
･New to MLA 2009: Use italics (instead of underlining) for titles of larger works (books, magazines) and quotation marks for titles of shorter works (poems, articles)
Listing Author Names
Entries are listed by author name (or, for entire edited collections, editor names). Author names are written last name first; middle names or middle initials follow the first name.
Do not list titles (Dr., Sir, Saint, etc.) or degrees (PhD, MA, DDS, etc.) with names. A book listing an author named “John Bigbrain, PhD“ appears simply as “Bigbrain, John“; do, however, include suffixes like “Jr.“ or “II.“ Putting it all together, a work by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be cited as “King, Martin Luther, Jr.,“ with the suffix following the first or middle name and a comma.
More than One Work by an Author
If you have cited more than one work by a particular author, order the entries alphabetically by title, and use three hyphens in place of the author's name for every entry after the first.
Work with No Known Author
Alphabetize works with no known author by their title; use a shortened version of the title in the parenthetical citations in your paper. 31

32. Works Cited page Page numbers should continue
Double space, with no extra returns between entries
Hanging indent: Second line of entry (any following lines) should be indented
Alphabetize entries
Works Cited should be centered on first line of page
No italics, bold, underlining or font type or size change

33. Features of MLA style citations
Parenthetical citations need to blend smoothly with the text.
Citations acknowledge all quotes, summaries, or paraphrases.
Each citation in the paper must have a corresponding reference listed on the Works Cited page.

34. Tips for MLA Documentation
Credit the author’s work.
Give the author’s last name and page number.
Provide enough information to retrieve the original material if necessary.
MLA handbook recommends italics for all titles.
Do not add web addresses.

35. Books
Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Example: Smith, John. Many People, Many Faiths. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.
Books with edition numbers: Smith, John. Many People, Many Faiths. 2nd ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.
Books with editors: Smith, John, ed. Many People, Many Faiths. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1999.

36. Newspaper or magazine articles
Always consider credibility of source
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper or Magazine Title Date: Page Number.
Example: Smith, John. “Many People, Many Faiths.” The New York Times 13 Feb. 2001: A1.

37. Scholarly journals
Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume Number.Issue Number (Year): Page Number.
Example: Smith, John. “Many People, Many Faiths.” Language 11.3 (1999):
From electronic database: Smith, John. “Many People, Many Faiths.” Language 11.3 (1999): Academic Search Premier. EBSCO Host. Northern Michigan University, Lydia Olson Library. 22 Mar

38. Web sites Again, always consider reliability of source
Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Section or Page on Web Site.” Overall Web Site. Date last updated or published. Date accessed.
Example: Smith, John. “Hinduism.” Many People, Many Faiths. 19 May Mar

39. Other sources
s: Smith, John. “Re: Cultural Identity Paper.” to the author. 14 Mar
Personal interviews: Smith, John. Personal interview. 22 Mar
Class notes: Schiffer, Jim. “Shakespeare’s Language.” EN 313: Introduction to Shakespeare. Northern Michigan University, Marquette. 5 Mar

40. References
GiIbaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed.
Hacker, Diana. Rules for Writers. 5th ed.
OR A Pocket Style Manual. 4th ed.
Web sites:
NMU Library’s site:
Writing Center’s site:

41. MLA Works Cited style
List sources at the end of the paper giving full publication information.
Use hanging indent form. Begin flush left with second and third lines indented.
Title of publication follows author name.
Capitalize major words.
Italicize book and journal titles and all other titles formerly underlined.

42. Entry for an article Author 5. Issue “Title of the article” 6. Date
Title of the journal 7. Pages
Volume Medium
Scott, James. “The Power of Peers.” Education Weekly 17.2 (2006): Print.

43. Works Cited list cont. (electronic sources)
Name of author
Title of work- In italics unless part of a larger work
Title of the web site -In italics
Version or edition
Publisher
Date of publication- use n.d. if none given
Page numbers- use N. pag. if none given.
Medium-Web
Date of access

44. Works Cited list cont. (electronic sources)
Hoover’s Online Hoover’s, Inc. Web. 23 Mar
“Life in Drama.” AP Online 3 March Web. 26 Mar
Si, Spain Vers Ed. Jose Luis Pardos. Embassy of Mexico, Ottawa, Canada, N.d. Web. 20 Feb
Ward, Elizabeth. “Pomegranates.” Men’s Fitness (2008): 34. Health Source- Consumer Edition. Web. 17 Feb
This represent no date given on the Web and an example of a weak source. 44

45. Citing an Online Graph or Chart
Modern Plant Breeding (Genetic Engineering). Chart. “Genetic Engineering: The Future of Foods?” By Linda Bren. FDA Consumer 37.6 (Nov. 2003): Business Source Complete. Web. 29 April 2008.

46. Citing an Online Photo (from an article)
Histologic Section of a Representative 1-year Specimen. Photo. "Wallgraft™ Endoprosthesis: Initial Canine Evaluation." By Farabi M. Hussain and George Kopchok. American Surgeon (Oct. 1998): Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Apr

47. Citing an Online Photo (from a newspaper article)
Voigt, Amy E. Members of the Toledo Police Department Clear Out of an Alley Next to 2916 a Street Where Tammy Nelson's Body Was Found. Photo. “2 People Shot, Killed in Separate Toledo Incidents; 1 Suspect Captured.” By Mike Sigov and David Patch. toledoBlade.com. The Blade, 29 April Web. 29 April 2008.
Public photos underlined. 47

48. Final Checklist Is there a clear informative title?
Is there a clear thesis?
Is the organization logical?
Are sentences varied in length and structure?
Are there smooth transitions?
Are sources credible, suitable and persuasive?
Are quotes, paraphrases, and summaries introduced with signal phrases and cited?

49. Further guidelines:
MLA style is specified in the The Pearson Guide to the 2008 MLA Style Manual Updates. We have covered the most common rules and formats; however, this is no substitute for the manual itself.

50. Further Questions? Refer to your instructor.
Refer to your Little, Brown Compact Handbook.
Visit the Writing Center!

51. References
Fulwiler, Toby and Alan Hayakawa. The Blair Handbook. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, Print.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, Print.
Harris, Muriel. Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, Print.
Perrin, Robert. Handbook for College Research. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., Print.

52. Contributors 2/12/2009 Abts, Sarah Emrick, Nancy Hoffman, Lynda
Schuller, Linda
Trumm, Jim
Indigo Flemming