Modern Language Association (MLA) General Academic Paper Guidelines

Sources Most of the information for this powerpoint is taken from Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers- Sixth Edition. New York; Modern Language Association, Print.

Classroom Policies- MLA Anything you do that is typed on a computer, will be completed using MLA principles.

Heading In the heading: Name Instructor’s Name Name of Class Date- Written like this (26 July 2014)

Header The header of your paper goes in the margin of your paper. The header is your last name and the page number (Kerr 5 - Written in this exact way). To insert a header, you must go to [INSERT] select [PAGE NUMBER- TOP OF THE PAGE]. Then type your last name next to the page number. Be sure to include a space between your name the the number.

Title Every written assignment you complete in this class must have an original title. Your title may not be, “Process Essay One”, “Final Draft”, or “Lit Analysis”. Do not make a title page unless requested

Title Continued Your title must have the following requirements: ● Same font, and font size as the rest of your paper ● No underlines, italics, or bold faces ● It must centered. ● It must be one- double spaced enter strike down from your heading, and one- doubled spaced enter strike above the first line of your introduction.

Paragraphing and Page Setup The entire paper must have one inch margins all around and should be printed (if requested) on an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of white paper. The entire paper must be doubled spaced. Your paragraphs must begin with a half-inch indentation (one strike of the tab key) (DO NOT PRESS THE SPACEBAR FOUR TIMES).

Font You must use 12 point font. I prefer Garamond or Times New Roman. Do not use Arial. Ever. Black font color. Please eliminate all highlight colors.

Style- Saved the best for last Do not, unless told otherwise, use first or second person. First person- I, Me, We, Us, Our(s), Mine, Ourselves, or Myself. Second Person- You, Yours, You all, Yourself, or Yourselves.

Style- Appropriate Substitutions Often, young writers will say “I think…” or “In this paper, I will explain…” or “My interpretation is…” Instead of starting your paper or sentence like that, you should just say it. Don’t preface it with your opinion. Say it like a fact and then back it up. For example: “I think Brutus is the antagonist.” becomes… “Brutus is the antagonist because he let his wife die.” It’s still an opinion, but we back it with a fact. And we get rid of the “I”

Style- Appropriate Substitutions Instead of saying “you”, a writer might say “the reader.” For example: “You can see that Brutus is the antagonist in this example because…” Becomes The reader can see that Brutus is the antagonist in this example because…” The Writer gets rid of the “you” and it sounds better.

MLA- Last Word If you write in MLA, it reinforces your ethos. Ethos is your credibility. If you take the time to make sure your paper is written in MLA style, then I, as both your teacher and evaluator, know you were intentional about your writing. I know that you care, and I know that you probably won’t fail that assignment… unless you cheat.