MLA Day
FordMustang
by micampe @Flickr
Ford Mustang
by micampe @Flickr
from MLAHandbook.org
from MLAHandbook.org
Small Note:
‘Single Quotes’ are ONLY for showing “quotes ‘within’ other quotes.”
For MLA “style,” you do “this.” (Colons and semicolons go outside the quotes, “though”; I’ve shown that in this sentence. It’s a convention that has to do with the way printers had to set up their letters in the old days, so it’s a little arbitrary. But it’s the convention.)
Watch how the quotes work with the comma and the period here. →
In Case of an Accident, What Do You Need to Tell The Operator?
Who? What? When?Where? How?
by Rigmarole @Flickr
Author. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Print.
The periods block off major bits of data.
Author. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Form.Basic Book
Author. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Form.
Loblaw, Bob.Loblaw, Bob, ed.Loblaw, Bob, and Joe Schmoe.Loblaw, Bob, and Joe Schmoe, eds.Loblaw, Bob, Jr., and Joe Schmoe, Jr., eds.Loblaw, Bob, Joe Schmoe, and Sallie Mae.Loblaw, Bob, et al.Anonymous source? Skip the author section.Corporate source? Use the corporate name.
Basic Book
Italics Are Acceptable but Potentially Confusing.Italicize the Title.If You’re Writing By Hand, Underline It.
“Quote Marks” Are NOT Acceptable for Book Titles!
Author. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Form.Basic Book
Titles: If it encloses other stuff or stands alone, italicize.If it is enclosed, use quotes.
Italicize QuotesBook “Chapter”
Long Poem “Poem in a Collection”
CD “Song Title”
DVD “Chapter”
Magazine “Article Title”
Collection of Essays “Individual Essay”
General Rule: Capitalize All the Important Words.
Specific Rules --> Do Not Capitalize These:articles (a, an, the)prepositions (aboard, about, above, etc.)coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.)“to” in infinitives (to Drive, to Walk, to Run, etc.)
UNLESS They’re the First Word in the Title!
OR They’re the First Word After a Colon in the Title!
Author. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Form.Basic Book
Spokane, WA: Dunder Mifflin Press, Inc., 2006. Print.Spokane, WA: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. E-Book.Seattle: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print.NY: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print.LA: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print.Spokane, WA: Whitworth UP, 2006. Print.Podunk, GA: U of Nowhere P, 2006. Print.
Author. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Form.Basic Book
Author. Title. City: Publisher, Year. Database or Website. Form. Date of Access.
Basic BookONLINE
Loblaw, Bob. Awesome Book. Sunnydale, CA:Penguin, 2007. Google Books. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Schmoe, Joe. Super Duper Book. Shermer, IL: BuellerBrothers, 2002. Bueller E-ditions. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
For articles inside books.
Author. “Article Title.” CollectionTitle. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City: Publisher, Year. Pages.
Article/Chapter
Inside Book
25-35.25-35, 62.23+.100-12.1045-56.1045-115.
Author. “Article Title.” CollectionTitle. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City: Publisher, Year. Pages.
Article/Chapter
Inside Book
Author. “Article Title.” CollectionTitle. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City: Publisher, Year. Pages. Database or Website. Form. Date of Access.
Article/Chapter
Inside Book ONLINE
Loblaw, Bob. “Awesome Article.” Awesome Book. Ed. Willow Rosenberg. Sunnydale, CA: Penguin, 2007. 22-42. Google Books. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
For Articles from Academic Journals
Academic Journals
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Print.
Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages. Print.
Academic Journals
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages. Database. Web. Date Accessed.
Academic Journals
from DATABASES
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Literature Online. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
If There Are No Page Numbers Included:
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages. Database. Web. Date Accessed.
Academic Journals
from DATABASES
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Literature Online. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
If There Are No Page Numbers Included: Article
s from databases are
not necessarily “online” sources!
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages. Web. Date Accessed.
Academic JournalsONLINE
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
If There Are No Page Numbers Included:
Everyday Magazines and Newspapers
Everyday Periodicals
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: 6-17. Print.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine Feb. 2007: 8-24. Print.
***Abbreviate All Months But May, June, and July.***
Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title Date: Pages. Print.
Everyday Periodicals
Everyday Periodicals
fromDATABASES
Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title Date: Pages. Database. Web. Date Accessed.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: 6-17. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine Feb. 2007: n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Everyday Periodicals
fromDATABASES
Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title Date: Pages. Database. Web. Date Accessed.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: 6-17. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine Feb. 2007: n. pag. LexisNexis. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Articles fro
m databases are not necessaril
y “online” sources!
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Newsweek. Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2007. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday Magazine. Bueller Brothers, Feb. 2007. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Author. “Inside Title.” Publication Title Date: Pages. Print.
Everyday PeriodicalsONLINE Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Title. Publisher, Date. Web. Date Accessed.
1.! Name of the author, compiler, director, editor, narrator, performer, or translator of the work
2.! Title of the work3.! Title of the overall Web site (italicized), if different than item 24.! Version or edition used5.! Publisher or sponsor of the site; if not available, use N.p.6.! Date of publication (day, month, and year, as available); if nothing is
available, use n.d.7.! Medium of publication (Web)8.! Date of access (day, month, and year)
Information Needed for Web Sources
See 14e!
Information Needed for Web Sources
NCAA.com. NCAA, 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Whole Website
NCAA. “Men’s Basketball.” NCAA.com. NCAA, 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Page From Website
SEE ALSO: 14e and 14f
Information Needed for Web Sources
Whole Blog
Loblaw, Bob. “Charles Not in Charge.” Bob Loblaw’s Law Blog. N.p., 15 Oct. 2007. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Single Posting from Blog
Loblaw, Bob. Bob Loblaw’s Law Blog. N.p., 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
SEE ALSO: 14e and 14f
This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe 17).This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe 17-18).This sentence cites a fact from Schmoe (17-18).This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe and Doe 17).This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe, Doe, and Jones 18).This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe et al. 18).This cites a fact from an anonymous source (“Title” 27).One of two works by one guy (Schmoe, “Title” 52).One of two guys named Schmoe (J. Schmoe 52).
Parenthetical (“In-Text”) Citation for Fun and Profit
Some say good citation “builds character”(Schmoe 17).As Schmoe says, “I like to be quoted” (17).Schmoe says he “like[s] to be quoted” (17).Schmoe likes “to be quoted” (17).Schmoe asks, “Who doesn’t like being quoted?” (17).Schmoe said, “It’s like my dad always said, ‘Proper citation builds character’” (17).
Direct Quotes and Parenthetical Citation
Direct quote from Joe Schmoe: “I like to be quoted. It’s like my dad always said, ‘Proper citation builds character, and it makes you strong.’ Who doesn’t like being quoted?”
If you quote a lot of text--more than four printed lines--then you insert a paragraph break and indent one inch. Like this:
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things. (Thoreau 22)
The block quote, like the rest of your essay, should be double spaced. It’s also in the same size font as the rest of the essay. Don’t get fancy.
Block Quotes
You don’t need to cite huge blocks of text. Usually, you shouldn’t. Selectively cite just as
much as you need--and no more--working the quote smoothly into the sentence.
YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.
Most men, Thoreau said, live in “quiet desperation” (22).
... You don’t need ellipses at the “ . . . start and end of excerpted words . . . ” because, by convention, we know that you’re cutting words out of their context.
Only three dots in an ellipsis, with spaces before, after, and in between.
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ellipsis.aspx
Good discussion of the ellipsis at the Grammar Girl site:
abjohnson.net/writing.html
Be sure to take a look at the sample MLA-formatted essay at 14h in the Little Penguin Handbook.
More examples and types of sources are available in section 14 of the Little Penguin Handbook.