MLA Basics for Writing 1

MLA Day

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by micampe @Flickr

Ford Mustang

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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!


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!


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. 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.



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.


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!


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


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.

Education

MLA Basics for Writing 1