MLA

Citations +
Formatting Rules
 What is MLA?
WHY to cite, WHAT to cite, and HOW to cite

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MLA

The Modern Language Association dictates the rules for

formatting and citing sources.

Any time you are required to write an English essay you

will follow the guidelines set out by the latest edition of
MLA.

Visit style.mla.org for helpful links and tools regarding

MLA

Visit Owl Purdue to help with citing material you use in

class

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Citations

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 MLA
Citations WHY to Cite WHAT to Cite
● be academically honest ● Statistics
● give credit to thinkers and creators ● Direct quotations
● share sources with other learners ● Maps, graphs
● show you use valid information to ● Pictures
support your thinking ● Any fact, idea, theory which
● allow readers to retrace your steps in you have quoted,
thinking summarized or paraphrased
● trace sources of information-->helps (put in your own words)
to combat misinformation (fake
news) and myths

From Wikipedia itself:

“Wikipedia is not a reliable source. Wikipedia can be edited by anyone at any time.
This means that any information it contains at any particular time could be vandalism,
a work in progress, or just plain wrong.”

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 Citations
Anytime a piece of information from another source is added into
your essay, you must create two citations, or references, to show the
reader where the information originated.

1. One reference is placed in the written text of the paper, called

an in-text citation that comes immediately next to any
borrowed information. It provides a glimpse for the reader to
see where the information came from.
2. the other is placed at the end of the project in the form of a full
citation on a Works Cited page. It includes enough information
The reader matches
the brief information about the source so the reader can locate the source themselves,
in the brackets in the if they choose to do so, whether online or at their library.
in-text citation to the
full entry on the
Works Cited.
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 “
In-text Citations

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Example:
In-text citations in MLA require two main pieces of information: the author’s
BOOK name and the page number. These are included in parentheses at the end of
SOURCES the sentence containing the borrowed information, before the final period.
Here’s an example:

Lark contemplates how to handle life on the river: “I try to count the seconds
before I hear the thunder, so I know how far the storm is, but I’m too rattled”
(Wingate 12).

Here’s the full reference on the Works Cited page, which corresponds to the in-text
citation in the body of the essay:

Wingate, Lisa. Before We Were Yours. Random House, 2017.

★ Notice that the beginning of the reference in the text, Wingate, corresponds with the
first word in the full reference. This is very important-they should always match! It
allows the reader to easily find the full reference on the works cited page.

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 In-text
Citations
When the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence only cite the page
number at the end.
Example: According to Redding, it is better to eat smaller meals throughout
the day than three large meals (123).

If the paper you are writing includes only one source you will be citing
throughout, you may provide the full in text citation the first time (ex:
(Smith 47)). All other in-text citations can simply be the page number only
(ex: (52))

Use the charts on the next 2 slides to determine how the in-text citation
should look depending on the source type and the information provided by
the source as sometimes there will be no author, more than one, etc.

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HOW to Cite: In-text Citation Reference Chart

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Works Cited

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Works Cited
When you have completed your project, you must create a Works Cited that
shows all the resources you have used. Only include the research you used in
your project (both print and electronic sources). This goes on a SEPARATE
page at the end of your project/essay. Rules for Works Cited page:
An alphabetical listing of all sources used
Double spaced throughout, but do not skip spaces between entries
Indented if a second or third line is needed
Punctuated according to specific rules (each source determines the punctuation
rules)
Not numbered
remove the hyperlink format and http:// from all website addresses

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Works Cited
Remember, the Work Cited page is important for you to show your
understanding of the instructions of the assignment.

For example, if you are writing a literary essay where you are attempting to
argue a point about a novel studied in the unit then the expectation is you
include ONLY the novel in the essay and on the works cited, unless your
teacher asked for additional secondary sources to be included.

For example, if your teacher asked you to conduct a research paper including 5
sources then your works cited page should have those 5 sources listed
alphabetically by author last name and checked to see that you have chosen
reliable and credible sources.

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 Full Citations
on Works Cited
Page Here is the order to follow 1. Author.
for full citations: 2. Title of source.
3. Title of container, (ex: a poem within an
anthology)
4. Other contributors, (editors, translators,
illustrators)
5. Version,
6. Number,
Not all sources will have 7. Publisher,
all of this information. 8. Publication date,
Write the full reference 9. Location.
with the information you
are able to gather from
your source.
SOURCE

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Works Cited

Citing a website with one author:

Author’s last name, author’s first name.“Title of Section/Article.”
Title of Website, Publication Date, URL.

Citing a website with no author:

“Title of Section/Article.” Title of Website, Publication
Date, URL.

Citing a book:
Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book.
Citing
City of Publication, Publishing Company Name, Publication Date/Year. a Book

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Works Cited

Citing a TedTalk:
Speaker first name, last name. “Talk title”. TED. Month, year, URL.

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Works Cited Database article or Encyclopedia Britanica: these sources provide the citation but need to be formatted correctly

The database gives you:

CZARNECKA, MARZENA. "Stoned ... With a Power Shovel." Canadian Business, vol. 86, no. 1/2, 18 Feb.
2013, p. 15. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=p3h&AN=85180463&lang=en-ca&site=pov-can.

You must format it:

Czarnecka, Marzena. "Stoned ... With a Power Shovel." Canadian Business, vol. 86, no.
1/2, 18 Feb. 2013, p. 15. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=p3h&AN=85180463&lang=en-ca&site=pov-can.

Britannica gives you:

"Drug." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2013.
school.eb.com/levels/high/article/drug/106187. Accessed 12 Dec. 2018.

You must format it:

"Drug." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 10

Apr. 2013. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/drug/106187.

Accessed 12 Dec. 2018.

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Example
Notice how the
Works Cited
title is centred.
Bjornlund, Lydia. Is Athlete Drug Testing Needed? Reference Point Press, 2014. There is not
underline,
Czarnecka, Marzena. "Stoned ... With a Power Shovel." Canadian Business, vol. 86, no. 1/2,
italics, or change
18 Feb. 2013, p. 15. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct in font.

=true&db=p3h&AN=85180463&lang=en-ca&site=pov-can. Also, remember

Essiminy, Patrick and Stephanie Weschler. “Canada: The Supreme Court Of Canada Rules proper
On Random Drug And Alcohol Testing In The Workplace.” Mondaq, 21 June 2013,.
formatting. The
first line is far
www.mondaq.com/canada/x/246488/employee+rights+labour+relations/The+Supr
left aligned. If
eme+Court+Of+Canada+Rules+On+Random+Drug+And+Alcohol+Testing+In+The+ the citation goes
Workplace. beyond 2 lines
the second line
“Policy on Drug and Alcohol Testing 2016.” Ontario Human Rights Commission, 2016,
and on are
indented.
www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-drug-and-alcohol-testing-2016.

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Let’s Practice

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Here’s what the front cover of a
novel typically looks like. This
example is from Sherman
Alexie’s The Absolutely True
Diary of a Part-time Indian.

As shown on the previous slides

you need the following
information to complete a proper
work cited for a book with one
author:
● Author’s first and last
name
● Title of the book
● City of Publication
● Publishing Company Name
● Publication Date/ Year

Find the information and write it

down. 21
Next, you need to format it properly according to MLA formatting
rules for a Works Cited page. The formatting looks like this:

Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book.

City of Publication, Publication Company Name, Publication Year.
Write out your citation.

ANSWER:

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Boston. Little, Brown and Company,
2007.
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 When citing Shakespeare:

Author Last Name, First Name.Title of Play. Editor or

Translator. Publisher, Publication Date, Location.

ANSWER:

Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. Ed. John F. Cox. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press,

1997, Google Books.

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There are many online citation generators that can help you with full citations.
For example, Google docs has a citation generator. Use Owl Purdue as well:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_a
nd_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html

However, they are not full-proof. You still need to check that the information
is correct!
For example, if your class is using a particular edition of a book you need to
have the correct publishing company name and publishing year. It will also
need to be formatted correctly. Generators will not do this for you so when
you copy and paste the information to the work cited page the formatting is
your responsibility.

REMINDER
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 2
Formatting Your
Essay Doc

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 Essay
Formatting ● Use white 8 ½ x 11” paper (portrait doc on Google)
Basics ● Make 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides (this should be
default formatting on Google Docs already)
● The first word in every paragraph should be indented one half inch
(use the “tab” button to achieve this)
● Use any type of font that is easy to read, such as Times New Roman.
Make sure that italics look different from the regular typeface.
● Use 12 point size
● Double space the entire research paper, even the works cited page
● Leave one space after periods and other punctuation marks, unless
your instructor tells you to leave two spaces
● Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper
right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right
margin (see slides below for this)

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Header A running head is a brief heading that is placed in the top right corner of every
page in a project. The running head consists of:

Last name of the paper’s author (this is typed by you)

Page number (this is generated automatically by the doc when you select
“page number” in the options tab)
The FIRST page of your essay
must include the following Do not place the word “page,” or use an abbreviation,
information at the top left corner such as p. or pg., before the page number.
(directly under header):
Order:
Your full name
Your instructor’s name
The name of the course or class
The assignment’s due date
(day month year)

*Double space each item and one

more double space afterwards for
your title
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On the far left you This is part of the
will see the header. It is placed on
information that the far right side.
needs to go on the Simply double click
far top left corner of the very top of the
the FIRST page of page to type your last
the essay. It is name.
double spaced and
follows an order. Under “Options”, click
page numbers and
apply the suggestions.
This will allow the
MLA format is header to repeat and
double spacing change page #’s as
from start to your document adds
finish. Notice how pages.This is an
there is NO AUTOMATIC
additional spacing PROCESS so there is
from the due date to no need for you to
the title to the first write the page number
paragraph, AND yourself.
second paragraph.
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Let’s Practice

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Titles

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 Titles
The assignment’s title should be placed below the due date, after a double space.
Align the title so it sits in the center of the page.
The title should be written in standard lettering, without underlines, bold font,
italicized font, or any quotation marks.
Only include italics if your title includes the title of another source (Only
italicize words that would normally be italicized in the text. Example: Character
Development in The Great Gatsby- The Great Gatsby is italicized because it is
the name of a novel. If it were a short story, place the title of the work in
If you are required to
quotation marks)
create a title page for
your assignment: Do not place a period after the title
please note there are Double space between the title and first lines of the text
no specific guidelines
for this

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Capitalizing
your Title
What Gets Capitalized? What Doesn’t Get Capitalized?

• the first and last word of the title • articles (a, an, the)
• short verbs like be, am, is, and
was • conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so,
• all words that are four letters yet)
long or longer
• short prepositions that are three or fewer
letters (at, by, for, in, of, off, on, to)

In the title AND throughout the essay

Books/novels, plays are italicized Example: The Great Gatsby

Short stories and poems are in quotation marks

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 Sample First
Page

Sample MLA Essay

provided on MLA
style website

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 4

Plagiarism

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 What is
plagiarism?

Plagiarism is the practice of taking

someone else's work or ideas and passing
them off as one's own.

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NOTE:

It is important to remember that despite your

intentions to plagiarise or not, if you do not
provide complete AND accurate citations (both
in-text and in a full reference on a Work Cited
page), then your work is still considered
plagiarized.

Please refer to the plagiarism slideshow for

more information
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