The pdf posted at www.mauhau.wordpress.com under the “MLA Citation” link provides the current and correct way of typing MLA-style Works Cited page entries.

If you need other information on MLA citation (such as citing sources in-text), refer to the following slides and/or The Purdue University Online Writing Lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

MLA Citation

• In Article Title, Bob Smith claims that “quotation exactly as appears in article” (37).

• The main issue at stake is “quotation exactly as appears in article” (Smith 37).

• Longer than four lines means block quote.

10 spaces indentation for each line

no quotation marks!

ending: blah blah blah. (37)

blah blah blah. (Smith 37)

MLA Citation• If no page number is given (usually with

websites), write np where the number would go

• Use brackets for changed or added words

“Blah blah blah [but] blah blah” (22).

• Use ellipse for any words taken out

“Writing is hard. … But some people like it” (Smith 22).

• If quoting the same source multiple times, make sure the author’s name is in the first in-text citation. After that, just the page number will suffice…until you change sources.

MLA Citation

• Avoid plopping the parenthetical citation after the entire paragraph! If every single sentence in the paragraph is paraphrased from a source, that means there is not enough of your own thoughts, opinion, and interpretation.

• So, instead make sure that each parenthetical citation matches up with the preceding sentence or quote.

MLA Citation

• Make sure to set up your quotes by introducing the source in the sentence itself.

• Although it is sometimes more effective to simply insert the quote into the sentence (i.e. when you want to stress the idea itself without acknowledging who said it), make sure that each source included in the essay is explicitly stated at lease once.

For example, …

Regardless, it is apparent that the film is, as Jay Goulding in his article “Crossroads of Experience: Miyazaki Hayao’s Global/Local Nexus” states, “a comment on the negative impact of globalization and its accompanying commodity culture” (121).

VS

It is apparent that the film is “a comment on the negative impact of globalization and its accompanying commodity culture” (Goulding 121).

MLA ChecklistFormatting1. In the upper left hand corner, does the paper include the following components in   the following order?              Name              Instructor’s name              Course number               Date 2. Is there an original title that is centered? 3. Does the author’s last name and page number appear on every page? In Text Citation1. Are all quotations cited?2. Is paraphrased/summarized information by others cited?3. Is uncommon knowledge cited?4. Does the end punctuation appear after the citation (unless a block quote is used)? Block Quotations1. If a quote is longer than 4 lines, is the block quote format used?2. Does the block quote end with a citation? Does the end punctuation appear after the last word of the quote—not the end of the citation? Works Cited 1. Is the Works Cited page done on a separate page?2. Is the title “Works Cited” in the center?3. Are the entries alphabetized? 4. If the entry runs longer than one line, is the following line indented?5. Are new entries left justified?