MLA Format

Portland State Writing Center

2002

Important!

This handout is intended to help students understand more about citing sources in the MLA style. It is not intended to substitute for firsthand acquaintance with the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 4th ed.

Table of Contents

Section One: MLA Manuscript Guidelines Section Two: How, When, & Why to Quote Section Three: Citation

In-text Parenthetical Citation Reference Page Criteria

Section Four: MLA Links

MLA Manuscript Guidelines Type or print on one

side only of white, unruled paper

Double-space the entire paper--text, notes, works cited and block quotations. Left justify text only; no right flush text.

Leave a minimum one inch margin on all sides of each page.

Number all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one half inch from the top.

MLA Manuscript Guidelines Type your last name

before the page number. Your name and page number together are referred to as the running head.

A separate title page is not required.

Beginning one inch from the top and flush with the left margin, type name,instructor's name, course number, and date.

Center the title. Double-space between the lines of the title and the first line of the text.

MLA Manuscript Guidelines Indent the beginning

of each paragraph 5 spaces.

Your final paper should appear similar to the front page shown at left.

MLA Manuscript Guidelines Remember to

document all quotations and paraphrased information.

When using a long quotation, indent ten spaces and omit quotation marks.

n Clarissa absolves her parents and creates alternate enemies:

n I beg your excuse for not n writing sooner. Alas my n dear, I have sad prospects n before me! My brother and n sister have succeeded in n all their views. They have n found out another love for n me; a hideous one [ . . . ] . n (Richardson 58)

MLA Manuscript Guidelines Two kinds of notes

can be used with parenthetical documentation Content: reader

comment, explanation. Bibliographic:

publication information.

Graphs, charts, figures, and tables should be placed near the paragraph to which they relate.

Some instructors may prefer to have illustrations in an appendix.

MLA Manuscript Guidelines The Works Cited list

is alphabetized according to the author’s last name--or title if no author is given--and includes information about publication.

How, When, & Why of Quotes Your own words

should clearly dominate. You are in control, not your sources. If you rely heavily on other people’s words, then you are not writing the paper; they are.

Use a variety of sources. If you rely too much on one source, your reader may as well go directly to that source instead of reading your paper.

How, When, & Why of Quotes Choose your quotations carefully and for specific

reasons.

Later reference. Memorable language. Authority Accuracy Brevity

How, When, & Why of Quotes Cite a source and

page number for each quotation and paraphrase.

Unless the information is common knowledge, you must cite a source.

Avoid plagiarism by paraphrasing carefully.

Paraphrasing is more than substituting noun or verb synonyms; it involves changes in sentence structure. Paraphrasing is complex and requires practice; everyone finds it difficult at first.

How, When, & Why of Quotes Always use your own

words between quotations.

Never use quotations back to back without your own words.

Make sure that your reader knows where your words end and another person’s ideas or words begin.

How, When, & Why of Quotes

According to Annie Dillard in An American Childhood, adolescence made her realize how adults had died to themselves through self-consciousness and caused her to question whether she too would lose forever the “passion peculiar to children” (225).

Dillard’s adolescent turmoil caused her to question whether she must lose the “passion peculiar to children” as she matured (225).

One writer focuses on the “passion peculiar to children” in her exploration of adolescence (Dillard 225).

Notice that the author’s name appears in the text when the author is central to your paper. When the author is not central to your paper (e.g., the author is one of many writing on the subject), the author’s name appears in parentheses.

How, When, & Why of Quotes

Avoid wordiness in introducing quotations. Select right verb and tense. Don’t overuse “says” or

“states.” Here are some alternatives: adds, admits, agrees, alleges, argues, asserts, claims,

compares, concludes, contends, contrasts, declares, deduces, defines, demonstrates, disagrees, establishes, explains, finds, grants, holds, implies, includes, infers, juxtaposes, maintains, mentions, notes, observes, points out, posits, proposes, provides, reports, reveals, shows, speculates, stresses, suggests, supposes, thinks, views, volunteers.

How, When, & Why of Quotes Put prose quotations in

running text when they are four lines or fewer.

When they are more than four lines, indent and block them one inch from the left margin.

Block quotations should be double-spaced but not enclosed in quotation marks.

How, When, & Why of Quotes Put poetry quotations in

running text when they are three lines or fewer. Use a slash mark with one space on each side of the slash to indicate line breaks.

When poetry lines are more than three lines, indent and block them ten spaces from the left margin. Block quotations should reproduce the format of the original poem and should not be enclosed in quotation marks.

How, When, & Why of Quotes At times, change position of your quotations to provide

variety in your sentences.

At the beginning: “What is known can seldom be immediately told, and when it

might be told it is no longer known,” says Johnson on the subject of biography (116).

At the end: In the Life of Addison, Johnson further acknowledges the

biographer’s difficulties: “What is known can seldom be immediately told, and when it might be told it is no longer known” (116).

How, When, & Why of Quotes In the middle:

About biography, Johnson says that “what is known can seldom be immediately told, and when it might be told it is no longer known” (116), thus expressing both his discretion and his desire for intimate knowledge which led to interviews with the servants of his subjects.

Split up: “What is known,” says Johnson about biography, “can

seldom be immediately told, and when it might be told it is no longer known” (116).

How, When, & Why of Quotes

After you’ve finished your first complete draft, scan the entire paper to make sure that you’re not quoting too much. If necessary, revise the paper to quote less and paraphrase more.

If you notice long chunks of indented quotations, then you need to revise.

If within the text your voice seems to have been drowned by the voices of your sources, consider working harder to paraphrase your sources. Remember: it’s your paper.

In-text Citation Sentence including quotation, wherein author is

introduced

In Clarissa, Richardson writes, “I beg your excuse for not writing sooner” (58).

Quotation without introduction, including author’s name.

Clarissa’s regret is clearly stated: “I beg your excuse for not writing sooner” (Riichardson 58).

In-text Citation Paraphrase citation

In the early eighteenth century, our present day concept of the integrity of the individual began to exert a prominence in cultural consciousness just as capitalism replaced agrarianism resulting in our modern day economy (Hof 78).

Long quotation Richardson’s heroine absolves her parents and creates

alternate enemies: I beg your excuse for not writing sooner. Alas, my dear, I

have sad prospects before me! My brother and sister have succeeded in all their views. They have found out another lover for me; a hideous one!--yet he is encouraged by everybody [ . . . ] . (146-147)

In-text Citation Short poetry quotation God, however, is not diverted from Adam’s own guilt within the affair

and charges, “Was she thy God, that thou didst obey/ Before his [God’s] voice [. . . ] .” (146-147).

Long poetry quotation Despite knowing he should protect his wife, he damns her and her

maker: This woman whom thou madst to be my help, And gavist me as they perfet gift, so good, So fit, so acceptable, so Divine, That from her hand I could suspect no ill [ . . . ] She gave me the of the Tree, and I did eate. (137-141)

Reference Citation: Books BookAuthor’s name. Title. Location of Publication: Publisher, date. Book with two authorsJacobs, Allan and Diana Peach. Title. Location of Publication:

Publisher, date.

Book with an editorAuthor’s Name. Title. Ed. Name. Location of Publication: Publisher,

date.Or

Lazy, Larry, ed. A Whole Bunch of Stuff. New York: Woowoo Press, 2001.

Reference Citation: Articles Article in a scholarly journal, issue paginatedAuthor’s name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal 13.3-4 (date): page

number(s).

Article in a Scholarly Journal, volume paginatedAuthor’s name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal 49 (date): page #s.

If a book or article has no author, alphabetize by the title.

Reference Citation: Articles Article in a NewspaperLala, May. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper 6 Apr. 2002, late ed:

A1+.

Film or Video RecordingIt’s a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra. Perf. James Stewart, Donna

Reed, Lionel Barrymmore, and Thomas Mitchell. RKO, 1946.

Sound RecordingBartolli, Cecilia. Chant d’amour. London, 1996.

MLA Links MLA Website Portland State Writing Center Purdue Writing Center/MLA Page