MLA CITATIONSCiting Sources in text and on Works Cited

Page

WORKS CITED PAGE: FORMATTING Open Microsoft Word Set margins for 1” on all sides Insert a header, justified to the right

The header should be your last name and page number of the essay Header should be ½” from the top of the page

It’s usually already set-up like that Go to “insert,” click “header,” click “page #” to the right and type in your

last name, click “close header & footer.”

Set paragraph spacing to double or 2.0 On “home,” go to “paragraph” section and select 2.0 from the line

spacing Set the font to 12 pt, Times New Roman On the first line, justify to the center and type “Works Cited” Push enter once, justify to the left, and begin entering your

sources alphabetically by author If there is no author, go by the title of the book/encyclopedia

entry/website page If a source goes beyond one line, indent the second line by ½”

CITING BOOKS1. Name of the author

1. Last name, first name 2. Period after the first name/middle initial3. Dargavel, Pita I.

2. Title of the work1. Italicize the title when typing it2. Period after the title

3. Edition Used4. Numbers of the volumes used5. City of Publication, followed by a colon “:”6. Name of Publisher, followed by a comma7. Year Published, followed by a period8. Medium of publication consulted, followed by a period

1. Print.

Dargavel, Pita I. How to scare High School English Students on the First

Day of School. Boston: Scholastic, Inc., 2011. Print.

CITING ENCYCLOPEDIA1. Name of the author (if signed)

1. Last name, first name (Dargavel, Pita I.)2. Period after the first name/middle initial3. If unsigned, go right to title of entry

2. Title of the entry in quotation marks, followed by a period INSIDE the quotation marks

3. Title of the Encyclopedia, italicized, followed by a period.4. Edition Used, followed by a period “15th Ed.” or “15th Edition.”5. Numbers of the volumes used, followed by a period “Vol.4.” or “Volume

4.”6. City of Publication, followed by a colon “:”7. Name of Publisher, followed by a comma8. Year Published, followed by a period9. Medium of publication consulted, followed by a period

1. Print.

Dargavel, Pita I. “Platypus.” Encyclopedia of the Weird and Awesome. 15th Ed.

Vol. 4. Boston: Publishing House, Inc., 2011. Print.

CITING WEBSITES1. Name of the author (if applicable), followed by a period2. Title of the webpage, followed by a period

1. Italicize the title of the webpage if it is an independent site2. Use quotes if the webpage is part of larger site

3. Title of the “mothership” website, followed by a period1. If the title of the webpage is italicized, then don’t do anything to the font for this

one2. If the title of the webpage is in quotes, italicize the title of the mothership website

4. Date of publication (day, month, year), followed by a period.1. 26 Oct. 2011 or 26 October 2011.

5. Medium of Publication, followed by a period1. Web.

6. Date of Access, same format, followed by a period7. URL of website inserted in angle brackets, followed by a period

1. <URL>.2. If it goes onto more than one line when you type in the URL on your Works Cited

page, split the citation only after a double or single dash

Dargavel, Pita I. “How to teach good and learn good too.” Grammar Mistakes of High School English Classes. 26 Oct. 2007. Web. 26

Oct. 2011. <http://www.grammar.org/mistakes/teachingandlearning>.

Grammar Mistakes Students Make. Grammar.org. 26 Oct. 2007. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://www.grammar.org>.

IN-TEXT CITATIONS When citing a book within your essay, follow this

format: If the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence before or

after inserting the quote, use only the page number inserted in parenthes Dargavel discussed this thoroughly when she stated: “Students will

make all kinds of grammatical mistakes…IF you let them.” (64) “Students will make all kinds of grammatical mistakes…IF you let

them.” Dargavel could not be more clear about the importance of grammar in the classroom with her statement. (64)

If the author’s name is not mentioned in the sentence, follow the quote or paraphrasing with the author’s last name and page # in parentheses Grammatical mistakes occur only when a teacher is too lazy to

correct the students. “Students will make all kinds of grammatical mistakes…IF you let them.” (Dargavel 64)

There are some who believe that the only reason students make grammatical mistakes is because their teachers allow them to and fail to correct them. (Dargavel 64-65)

IN-TEXT CITATIONS When citing an encyclopedia within your

essay, follow this format:Title of entry in quotation marks, followed

by page # In parentheses

(“Platypus” 72)

When citing a website within your essay, follow this format:Title of webpage and page # if applicable In parentheses

(grammar.org)