MLA FORMATTING and CITATION

MLA Heading and Title Your first page should contain an MLA Heading which should be left aligned and double spaced. It should also include you title which should not be bolded, italicized, underlined, or in quotes. Your first page should look like this:

MLA Formatting Your font needs to be Times New Roman size 12. Make sure that the font of your last name and page number in the top right header matches! Your paper should be evenly double-spaced with NO additional spaces between paragraphs, titles or headers. Margins should be 1-inch on all sides All paragraphs should be left aligned and indented ½- inch. Your last name and page number should appear in the top right header on every page.

Make sure last name and page # are in top right header of every page. It’s best to double click on header and insert page number FIRST, before typing last name DON’T FORGET TO CHANGE TO 12 PT. FONT, TIMES NEW ROMAN!

How to get rid of extra spacing in header and/or essay. The essay should be exactly double-spaced throughout. Be aware that MS Word often defaults to include extra spacing before paragraphs!

MLA Citation In addition to formatting, MLA governs how you must cite your sources. Any time you provide evidence from any source other than yourself you must cite your source to give the original author credit for his/her work. There are two different places where you must cite your sources: At the end of your essay in what is called a works cited page Directly after the quotation in the essay - what is called an in-text citation or internal documentation

MLA Works Cited Page The works cited page should include a list all of the works to which you make direct reference or that you paraphrase in your essay arranged in alphabetical order. The words Works Cited should function as a title for this page and all citations should have a hanging indent (if the citation extends more than one line, the first line must “hang” over any subsequent lines). The hanging line distinguishes/separates citations The Works Cited page should look like this: You too should have at least three sources.

Citations should be in alphabetical order Double space with no extra spacing in between citations Citations should be in alphabetical order If a citation is listed on the WC page, a quote from that source must appear in your essay. If a source is quoted in your essay, the full citation for that source must appear on your WC page

How to make a hanging indent: Click on paragraph section arrow in bottom right corner Under Indentation section, under Special – select “Hanging”

MLA In-Text/Internal Citation variations If you know the author, and the source has page numbers, proper in-text MLA in-text citation looks like this: (Johnson 5) Author’s Last Name| Page # If you know the author, and the source does not have page numbers, proper in-text MLA in-text citation looks like this: (Johnson) Author’s Last Name If the author is not known, and the source has page numbers, proper in-text MLA in-text citation looks like this: ("Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action” 5) Title| Page # If the author is not known, and the source does not have page numbers, proper in-text MLA in-text citation looks like this: ("Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action”) Title

In-text citation Full citation for same source appears on Work Cited page

MLA In-Text Citation If your quote already contains quotation marks change all quotation marks inside your quotation into apostrophes (i.e. quoting someone who quotes someone else). You quoting the author begins | The author quoting someone else begins Example: “America will have reason to exclaim, in the words of the poet: ‘FAREWELL! A LONG FAREWELL TO ALL MY GREATNESS!’” (Jay 5). The author quoting someone else ends | You quoting the author ends

MLA In-Text Citation If your quotation ends with a period or a comma leave it off of the end of the quotation and place a period after the citation. Example: “For in politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword” (Hamilton 1). If your quotation ends with a question mark or exclamation point, leave it, then place a period after the citation. Example: “Why is it suggested that three or four confederacies would be better than one?” (Jay 4).

Make sure you end the quote with quotation marks Make sure you end the quote with quotation marks. THE PERIOD DOES NOT APPEAR UNTIL AFTER THE INTERNAL CITATION!