Modern Language Association MLA Style Modern Language Association

What is MLA Style? Modern Language Association Used for writing papers and citing sources, usually within the humanities Simple, brief, and economical Increases your credibility Decreases risks of plagiarism accusations

Guidelines Type your essay on a computer and use standard 8.5x11 inch paper Double space the entire paper Use a legible font such as Times New Roman or Arial Use 12 pt font size Set the margins to 1 inch (2.54cm) on all sides Number all pages in the upper right-hand corner, half an inch from the top and flush with the right margin Use italics or underline titles of works

Formatting the First Page Do not make a title page In the upper left-hand corner list: Your Name Your Teacher’s Name The Course The Date Center the title Double space between the title and the first line of the text Put your name in the upper left-hand corner followed by the page number

Citation of Classic and Literary Works (Multiple Editions): General Citation: Author – Page Method The author's last name is written prior to the page numbers related to the quotation used and then both are placed in the text after the citation. Citation of Classic and Literary Works (Multiple Editions): The page number of the edition, semicolon “;”, then the abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.) paragraph (par.) are used where available. ex. (34; sec.2)

Anonymous Citations (Author unknown): Authors with same last names: Use an abbreviated version of the title. If the work is non-print then use the first word in your Works Cited page. Authors with same last names: Use ‘Author-page’ method with the exception that the author's first initial is placed before the last name. If the same last name and the same first initial occur, differentiate between the two by writing out the entire first name of the author. ex. (S. Smith, 22)

Multiple Works by the Same Author: Put the authors last name in parentheses followed by a comma " , " then a shortened version of the title of the work being cited "in quotations" and then the appropriate page number(s). ex. (Hemingway, “A Farewell,” 62) If the author’s name is in your text: a short version of the title in quotations then the page number(s) in parentheses. Indirect Sources: These sources follow the author-page method with "qtd.” in placed before the author's name.

Electronic/Internet Sources: For miscellaneous non-print sources, the title of the work is Underlined and placed in the sentence. For electronic sources, like a website, the title of the article is Underlined and placed in the sentence. If not placed in the sentence, the format is as follows: ( Author's last name , “ the title of the article ” and location, such as par. 4 ) ex. (Ramos, “Colombia volcano erupts again”, par. 3)

Formatting Short Quotations: When quoting less than four typed lines of prose or less than three lines of verse, enclose the quotation in quotation marks in the body of your text. The 'author-page' method is then use after the quote. Note: when citing a verse, line numbers are used Long Quotations: The text is placed in a ' free-standing block' and question marks are omitted. After a colon in your text, the quotation follows on it’s own line. The text is quoted one inch from the left margin (keeping double-spacing). Parenthetical citation follows after the final punctuation. Note: indent if more than one paragraph and keep line breaks if quoting a verse.

Adding and Omitting Words In Quotations Place square brackets around words that are added. ex. 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). Use an ellipsis to indicate words that have been removed. ex. 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).

Work Cited The Purdue OWL. 26 Aug. 2008. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. 23 April 2008 <http://owl.english.purdue.edu>. "What Is MLA Style?" Modern Language Association (MLA): Format, Bibliography, Style, Convention. 29 Apr. 2008. Modern Language Association. 22 Feb. 2009 <http://www.mla.org/style>.

For More Information See: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/ http://www.easybib.com/