MLA Rules

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General Rules Double-space the entire document, including block quotes and the Works Cited page Use Times New Roman or similar font 12 point 1” margins all around Italicize titles of novels, short stories and poems should be in “quotation marks”

In-text citations: Primary Sources When discussing a single author and one title, use the last name of the author: Nick found “something gorgeous” about Gatsby (Fitzgerald 23). When discussing a single author and more than one title, use the title of the novel: Nick found “something gorgeous” about Gatsby (Great Gatsby 23).

In text citations: Literary Critics Introduce the critic, and use the last name and page number (in the parenthetical citation. Literary critic Annabelle Gomez agrees, noting that “Tan’s characters bridge a gap between Chinese traditions and American ambitions” (Gomez 3).

Embedding Quotations Quotations cannot “stand alone” -- they must be embedded within your own words. Example: When Elizabeth becomes upset with Proctor about his having talked alone with Abigail, he responds, “I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven months since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches around your heart” (Miller 52). Period goes AFTER the parenthetical citation Exclamation or question marks in the quotation stay put, but you still need a period after the parenthetical citation.

Using Brackets or Ellipses By using brackets [ ] , you can insert words into the quotation that help things read more smoothly. The brackets tell your reader that the letters or words were not part of the original text. Proctor defends himself against his wife’s doubt by saying that “...[he has] gone tiptoe in this house all seven months since [Abigail] is gone” (Miller 52). You can also use ellipses to cut out words, phrases, or sentences to make passages you quote more concise. Ellipses = …

Avoid these Quotation Horrors The stand-alone quote: Proctor and Elizabeth still have trust issues to resolve. “I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven months since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches around your heart” (Miller 52). The poorly introduced quote: Proctor is annoyed with Elizabeth. An example of this is “I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven months since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches around your heart” (Miller 52). Poor introduction, and quotation simply repeats the idea of the original sentence… YIKES! Proctor has been doing everything to please Elizabeth for seven months since Abigail left. A quote to show this is, “I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven months since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches around your heart” (52).

Block Quotes Use for text that runs MORE THAN 4 LINES, dialogue that goes back and forth between two characters, quotations that span two separate paragraphs in the original text. Double space it! Indent the entire quote 2 tabs/1 full inch Use a colon to set it off No quotation marks Add the parenthetical citation AFTER the period

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)

WORKS CITED PAGE “Works Cited” is centered, without quotation marks, italics, or underlining Include all quoted, paraphrased, or summarized sources in ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY LAST NAME Indent the second and all subsequent lines five spaces (“hanging indent”) Double-space all lines

Sample Entry Article in Scholarly Journal Format Author(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume. Iss (Year): pages. Medium of publication. Example: Duvall, John N. “The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo's White Noise.” Arizona Quarterly 50.3 (1994): 127- 53. Print.