MLA Format

MLA Format

is boring.

MLA Format isn't exactly the most fun thing in the world. As a student it was one of my least favorite things to do, and as a teacher, it's one of my least favorite things to teach. The problem is that it’s not something that I can exactly teach you—it’s something you have to practice and practice until you get it right.

So what is MLA Format exactly?

MLA Format is a set of rules that help you organize your essay. The main focus of the rules is to provide a standard way for you to give credit to sources that you use for your papers. These credits are called citations.

You’re probably saying to yourself, “Rules? That sounds boring and hard.”

And you’re right. It’s boring. And hard.

Fortunately for you, MLA isn’t something you have to memorize. You have a handy handbook (the Little Seagull Book) to refer to when you need help. There are also a ton of websites out there (the most reputable being the OWL at Purdue).

There are also a ton of MLA generators out there that you can use to generate your citations. The problem with generators is that they are frequently wrong. I get so many papers that use those generators that end up being wrong—and because the student hasn’t taken the time to learn about citation, they don’t understand why it’s wrong, and they aren't able to correct it.

Citations are kind of a pain, I know, but they're important. We cite to give credit to words and ideas that aren’t ours. Note that ideas is emphasized: if you're using someone else's idea, you need to cite your source. If you don’t cite a source you’re a thief. You’re stealing from them, and you're lying to me.

That’s what plagiarism is: it’s not just copy-and-pasting someone else’s words; it’s stealing their ideas. And if you’re some kind of inhuman monster who doesn’t see anything wrong with that, then think about this: plagiarism will get you kicked out of this class.

To cite properly, you must use two types of citation: in-text citations and a works cited page.

In-Text Citations

When you quote or paraphrase a piece in your paper (which you must do for this class), you have to include the author’s name and the location where you found that information (most often, a page number). There are different ways to use in-text citations, including direct quotes and paraphrasing. Here are some examples.

Direct quote without author referenced in sentence:The story says, “She took care of it as someone else would his soul” (O’Connor, 321).

A direct quotation, with author referenced in sentence:O’Connor writes, “She took care of it as someone else would his soul” (321).

A paraphrase without author referenced in sentence:The story compares the way Hulga takes care of her leg to the way other people take care of their soul (O’Connor 321).

Paraphrase with author referenced in sentence.

O’Connor compares the way Hulga takes cares of her leg to the way other people take care of their soul (321).

Not every in-text citation requires or can use a page number. Web pages, hand outs, and many other sources don’t use page numbers. Check the “Class Resources” section for how to cite things handed out in class and poems. Check your Little Seagull book (starting on page 96) for how to do in-text citation for other sources.

Works Cited Page

A Works Cited Page should be a separate page and be an alphabetical list of all of the works that you used for your paper. Based on the sources that you used, there are different formats to use for how to list the source. Check for your type of source in the Little Seagull book (starting on page 103).

The most common format you will use for any source coming from our text book will be “Works in an Anthology.” You can find that on page 107 in your Little Seagull book.

Regardless on what source you use, however, you must always try to include the following things:• author• title of the work• where it was published• publisher• date published• how it was published (print or web)

Again, this is really something you’ll have to practice (which is exactly why we have a MLA Format assignment this week).

I don’t expect you to be perfect at MLA Format at first. In fact, I strongly encourage you to look over these notes, the Class Resources section, and your Little Seagull Handbook as you write and edit your essays.

With practice and with my help, you can get MLA Format down.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.