MLA Basics
What does MLA stand for?
Modern Language Association
What font and font size does your MLA guide require?
Times New Roman, 12 point
What is the basic MLA in-text citation style?
Author's last name and page number.
Example: (Smith 42)
How are sources generally arranged on the Works Cited page?
Alphabetically by the author's last name.
Which type of source uses this basic format?
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
A book
Which three types of information from a source need to be cited?
Direct quotes, paraphrases, and summaries
How should an MLA paper be spaced?
Double-spaced
A sentence introduces a quotation by saying, “According to James Smith...” What information would normally go inside the parentheses at the end of the quotation?
The page number.
Example: According to James Smith, ... "quotation" (42).
What should you use to alphabetize a source if it does not have an author?
The title
Which type of source uses this basic format?
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Periodical, Day Month Year, pages.
A magazine article
True or False: If you paraphrase information instead of directly quoting it, you do not need an in-text citation.
False. Paraphrases still need to be cited.
What two pieces of information belong in the header?
Your last name and the page number
A source has an unknown author. What should you use for the in-text citation?
The title of the work in quotation marks.
What happens to the lines after the first line of a citation on the Works Cited page?
They are indented (hanging).
What additional information does an online scholarly journal citation include that a basic book citation does not?
The journal's volume, issue, year, and URL, along with the access date in the format shown in the class notes.
rue or False: Every source listed on your Works Cited page should be used somewhere in your paper.
True
What alignment should your title be (left, centered, or right)?
Centered
You are citing a source written by three or more authors. What should your in-text citation look like?
The first author's last name followed by et al.
Example: (Franck et al. 327)
True or False: The Works Cited page should be double-spaced.
True
A website has an author and a publication date. Which information comes after the title of the webpage?
The title of the main website/publisher, followed by the day, month, year, and URL.
Your friend says, “I only need to cite exact words that I copy from a source.” What is wrong with this statement?
Information from a source must be cited when it is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
Name four MLA formatting requirements from our notes.
Any four of the following:Times New Roman, 12 point, Double-spaced, Last name and page number in the header, Proper heading, Centered title, Indented paragraphs
Two different sources were written by authors with the last name Miller. How can you tell the reader which Miller you are citing?
Include the author's first initial along with the last name.
Example: (R. Miller 12) and (A. Miller 46)
Put these Works Cited entries in the correct order:
"1984", “How to Study,” Anderson, Sarah, Smith, John.
Why: Numbers come before letters, and then entries are alphabetized.
A YouTube video has no author. According to our MLA notes, what should the citation begin with?
The title of the video in quotation marks.