1. USING MLA STYLE:
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Brought to you by the Learning Commons

2. What is MLA Style?
 Created by the Modern Language
Association
 Provides writers with credibility
 Protects writers from accusations of
plagiarism
 Allows writers to cross-reference sources
 Allows readers to easily locate source
material

3. Here’s what we’ll cover:
 Basic format
 In-text citations
 Works Cited page

4. Basic Format
 1” inch margins all around
 12 point font, Times New Roman or Arial
 Double spaced
 Identification in upper left corner of first page
 Use a running header to number pages in top
right hand corner, include your last name; i.e.,
McNair 2

5. What should I cite?
 “Unique words or phrases” - use sparingly
 Paraphrases and summaries

6. Quotes
 “Quotation” (Author page number).
 One of McNair’s grading criteria includes, “title
and author stated in first sentence,” (1) which
will be examined in a later slide.

7. Paraphrases, summaries
With an author
In Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass
Castle, the author depicts a childhood filled
with dysfunction and chaos.
No author
“Children of Alcoholics” examines the
developmental and psychological effects that
children experience.

8. Signal Phrases
 acknowledges  disputes
 admits  emphasizes
 agrees  insists
 argues  notes
 claims  observes
 contends  suggests
 denies  writes
Borrowed from Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Style Manual: Fourth Edition

9. Creating Works Cited
 Separate page, end of paper
 Include both works referenced in your paper
 Label it Works Cited (centered)
 Double space both entries
 Alphabetized by last name – don’t reorder
names!

10. Citing a Book
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of
Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Medium.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle. New
York: Scribner, 2005. Print.

11. Popular Magazine - online
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.”
Journal Title. Date of Publication. Database.
Medium. Date of Access.
Fitzgerald, Dorothy. “A Slow Descent.”
Parenting. 1 Jun. 2000. NewsBank. Web.
19 Oct. 2012.

12. Article from an Academic
Journal
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Journal
Title volume, issue (year): pages(s). Database
Name. Medium. Date of access.
“Children of Alcoholics.” International
Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family. (2003).
Credo Reference. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.

13. Newspaper Article - online
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.”
Newspaper Title. Date of Publication.
Database. Medium. Date of Access.
Sullivan Jr., Bishop. "Why Can't We Declare a
War on Poverty?" The Patriot-News. 8 Aug.
2012. NewsBank. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.

14. Works Cited
“Children of Alcoholics.” International Encyclopedia
of Marriage and Family. (2003). Credo Reference.
Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
Fitzgerald, Dorothy. “A Slow Descent.” Parenting.
1 Jun. 2000. NewsBank. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
Sullivan Jr., Bishop, et al. "Why Can't We Declare a
War on Poverty?" The Patriot-News. 8 Aug. 2012.
NewsBank. Web. 19 Oct. 2012.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle. New York:
Scribner, 2005. Print.

15. Want More Info?
 Diana Hacker’s, A Pocket Style Manual, Sixth
Ed.
 Class LibGuide
 MLA Citation Website
 Learning Center – tutors and academic coach