MLA documentation style - Refer to Chapter 35 in the Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers - There are two parts to MLA documentation - MLA documentation is used to indicate the source of quoted or paraphrased material, e.g…. Jane Smith writes in her essay, “A Look at Children,” that having kids “is a great and wonderful experience” (185).

MLA documentation style - Part 1 – in-text citation (in the text of your essay) - Part 2 – Works Cited (a separate page; the last page of your essay)

MLA documentation style Jane Smith writes in her essay “A Look at Children” that having kids “is a great and wonderful experience” (185). As one prominent author writes, having kids “is a great and wonderful experience” (Smith 185). As one prominent author writes, having kids “is a great and wonderful experience” (Smith, “A Look at Children” 185). [only use the work title if you are quoting from more than one work by “Smith,” or if there is more than one author named “Smith” that you are quoting from] Examples of in-text citation

MLA documentation style - Part 1 – in-text citation - Page number, author, work - (185) - (Smith 185) - (Smith, “An Essay on the Future” 185)

MLA documentation style - Part 1 – in-text citation - Page number, author, work - The contents of your MLA in-text citation depends on how you introduce the quotation.

MLA documentation style Jane Smith writes in her essay “A Look at Children” that having kids “is a great and wonderful experience” (185). As one prominent author writes, having kids “is a great and wonderful experience” (Smith 185). As one prominent author writes, having kids “is a great and wonderful experience” (Smith, “A Look at Children” 185). [only use the work title if you are quoting from more than one work by “Smith,” or if there is more than one author named “Smith” that you are quoting from] Examples of in-text citation

MLA documentation style Note that the period comes AFTER the MLA citation information: Smith writes that “the sport of climbing is becoming extremely popular” (99).  Smith asks, “is climbing a popular sport these days?” (99).

MLA documentation style Citing a quotation longer that 4 lines (i.e. lines in YOUR essay) -No quotation marks -Indent 10 spaces (usually about two TABS) or the equivalent of one inch -One space after the last punctuation mark of the quote -Insert parenthetical citation -For example….

MLA documentation style Example of in-text citation (long quote) McDonald speculates that monolingual speakers of English are disadvantaged in today's world: In Africa, as we have seen, most Africans, who are gifted linguists, will know at least three languages. In India, there is a de facto bilingualism. In Europe, English is widely understood--and taught--in all countries, even in France. It appears that the British and Americans, lacking many levels of language competence, are exceptional--and exceptionally handicapped, perhaps. (350)

MLA documentation style Part 2 – Works Cited The Works Cited page(s) lists all the works you paraphrase or quote from in the main body of your essay. Your Works Cited is its own numbered page; the last page of your essay. Entries in the Works Cited are alphabetical (usually by last name). Consult Chapter 35 of the Handbook for guidelines on formatting. Some examples….

MLA documentation style [Book by a single author:] Banting, Pamela. Body, Inc.: A Theory of Translation Poetics. Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, [last name, first name. Title. City of publication: publisher, year. [selection from an anthology (collection of works)] Ehrenreich, Barbara. “The Cult of Busyness.” Common Culture. Ed. Michael Petracca and Madeleine Sorapure. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, [author last name, first name. Title of selection. Title of anthology. Editors of anthology. Edition of anthology. City of publication: publisher, year. Pages numbers of selection.]

MLA documentation style Works Cited Banting, Pamela. Body, Inc.: A Theory of Translation Poetics. Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, Ehrenreich, Barbara. “The Cult of Busyness.” Common Culture. Ed. Michael Petracca and Madeleine Sorapure. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall,

MLA documentation style -link to MLA.org through my web site - Refer to Chapter 35 in the Handbook - Refer to: - CoD library page for documentation style - ( => Library => “Citing Sources” (under Research Help) - Another resource for MLA style