MLA Format

Jana N. WilliamsInstructor of English

MLA Format Tips for Paper Writing

• Make all text double-spaced

• Use 12-point, Times New Roman font

• Use 1” margins all around

• Make a header/footer with your last name

and the page number

MLA Format Tips for Paper Writing

• As the first four lines of the paper, type your name,

instructor’s name, class (ENG 112), and date (03

December 2007).

• Center title with no quotation marks, italics, or

underlining, capitalizing key words

• Indent first line of every new paragraph.

Sample Paper Heading in MLA Format

Baker 1

Peggy Sue Baker

Jana N. Williams

ENG 112

03 December 2007

Early Responsibility

Many students today participate in extracurricular activities while in high school which

add to the students’ levels of responsibility. Some students participate in sports, which help improve

certain work ethics like leadership and teamwork. Others participate in clubs, which also aid in

In-Text Citations

• Students must give credit to each source inside the paper or report, as well as on a Works Cited page.

• Students give credit to a source by citing the source in parentheses () after each sentence containing information (directly quoted or paraphrased) from the source.

• MLA has a format for each type of source used.

Direct Quotes

• Direct quotation: A student uses an author’s information word-for-word.

• The student puts quotation marks around the author’s words and then cites the source.

• EXAMPLE:

According to Time magazine, “37% of all high school students work and go to school” (Smith, par. 9).

Paraphrasing

• A student uses an author’s information but puts the information in the student’s own words.

• A student still cites the source after the sentence.• EXAMPLE:

According to Time magazine, as many as 37% of students grades 9-12 both attend high school and work after school (Smith, par. 9).

Block Quotes

• A block quote is a direct quote that is four or more typed lines long.

• Generally, only use one block quote in a short research paper.

• Tab the whole word-for-word quote twice, omit quotation marks, and maintain double spacing.

• The citation may follow the period instead of come before the end punctuation.

Block Quote Example

According to a recent poll in Time magazine,

37% of all high school students work and go to school. Out of the remaining 63% that do not work, 40% state that they would hold some sort of part-time

employment, whether after school or just on the

weekends, if their parents would allow them. (Smith, par. 9)

This study proves that high school students are capable of working outside of

Sample Works Cited in MLA Format

Baker 6

Works Cited

Raymond, James. “Students Who Study, Work, and Play.” United States Journal of Statistics

3rd ed. Eds. Jimmy Crowe, et al. New York: Camden UP, 2007. 37-45.

Smith, Susan. “Work and School? Students Should Learn More Responsibility.” Time 34.2

12 August 2006: pars. 1-12. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. East Central

Technical College, Fitzgerald, GA. 05 December 2007 <http://www.galileo.usg.edu/>.

Tips for Paper Writing

• Always brainstorm (freewriting, listing, mapping) when you’ve chosen a topic.

• Work on your thesis statement (states key ideas you will discuss in your paper) before writing.

Tips for Paper Writing

• Once you’ve established your topic and thesis statement, create an outline to further organize your ideas.

• COMPOSE!

Tips for Paper Writing

• Revise several times for spelling, format, grammar, punctuation, citation, and content errors.

• Use reference books/handbooks to correct errors.