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How to Cite in MLA Form

+What is this MLA you speak of?

MLA stands for “Modern Language Association”. These are the people who decide how scholarly, academic writing is presented, cited and formatted.

There are other methods, like APA and Chicago Style (not like a hot dog…).

In English class and literature class, all papers are written in MLA Style.

+So, why do I have to do this?

Once you begin high school, the thoughts in your head about analysis and interpretation of text are all yours. MLA formatting allows for a few things: Everything is neat and formal. Everything is formatted in a way that can be presented or

even published in your name. Everything is properly cited, so you are not accused of

plagiarizing (copying other people’s work). It allows you to use other people’s thoughts and

interpretations, but gives you a way to formally cite (give a shot-out to) yourself and others.

+Standard MLA Rules:

Page margins all need to be 1”

Times New Roman font, size 12 (always black ink)

Double space

THIS IS NOT NEGOTIABLE. (See Ms. Cody’s reasons why font matters.)

+MLA Paper Heading

Paul Cook

Ms. Cody

English I

6 June 2013

+Adding a Header and Title

Paul Cook

Ms. Cody

English I

6 June 2013

Cook 1

Title

The title should NEVER be bold, italicized, or underlined.

a HEADER includes your last name and page number. This should be on every page of your paper.

+So…now what, with this whole MLA thing, Ms. Cody?

Well, HERE’S WHAT: for the next four years and beyond, you will be using MLA format to write informational and argument-based writing assignments. Everything you write, will in some way, be an argument. But more on that later.

You need to use MLA format, especially because at the high school level, you need to use TEXTUAL EVIDENCE.

+Textu…whaaa?

Yes. TEXTUAL EVIDENCE.

To put it simply, this is when you use evidence from the text (a quote) to support your thinking and analysis.

Finding quality quotes can be difficult.

This week, we will be modeling this writing process (a literary analysis paper using textual evidence) through the film The Lion King.

Don’t hate…I swear you will understand this by Friday.

+So, Lion King…way to lower your expectations, Ms. Cody

Calm down.

We will be analyzing The Lion King by seeking to answer the following question/writing prompt: How are the characters in The Lion King directly and indirectly characterized through their embodiment as various animal species?

In other words: Why is it important that Simba is a lion, Zazu is a toucan, Pumba is a warthog, etc?

We will be writing five-paragraph analysis essays using textual evidence from the film (lines from the film).

+Basic Quote Format

“For some reason he looked pleased with Jem” (Lee 296).

Place quotations around quote.

Author’s Last Name

Page number where quotation is found.

If there are multiple page numbers for the quote, write them as 296-297.

296).

+Dialogue within the Quote

“‘I was wondering when that’d occur to you,’ he said” (Lee 296).

When typing dialogue within a quotation, first use the quote symbol, then a single quote (‘) to signal the beginning and ending of the dialogue.

+MLA Works Cited

Author’s last name, first name. Italicized Book Title. Publisher’s city: Publisher’s name. Year published. Format.

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central

Publishing. 1960. Print.