Bakersfield College Jessica Wojtysiak AcDv B80

Heading/Header errors Title missing Page number missing MLA Format Warning Spacing Issues Heading/Header errors Title missing Page number missing Original Title Needed

Essay Error Correction It is important that a student choose a career path that they enjoy because after all they are paying for their education.

Essay Error Correction Earning a college degree can benefit many college students throughout your life by giving you a decent, well-paying job. So even though college can be hard, never give up on getting a degree because it will change your life.

MLA In-Text Citations Another common problem…

Page Number or Paragraph Number Basic Format: (LastName P#) MLA In-Text Citations Author Last Name Page Number or Paragraph Number Basic Format: (LastName P#) Example: (Wojtysiak 15)

When do We Use In Text Citations? Cite: Quoting an author’s exact words (Verbatim) Paraphrase: Sum up a source’s idea or argument using your own language

Paraphrasing Paraphrasing: Explaining the author’s ideas in your own words Usually shorter than complete quotations Tend to take a broader stance

When Writing Body Paragraphs First sentence should be entirely your words Do not start a body paragraph with a quotation Introduce your evidence Introduce the author and their qualifications The last sentence should be entirely your words You need to explain how the evidence applies to your writing

Explain how the quotation or paraphrase supports your point Ice, Ice Baby Introduce the source Cite or Paraphrase Explain how the quotation or paraphrase supports your point

The Template: First Time Source Use In ________, ____________, __________________, (title) (Author/s) (Qualifications) ____________ (s) that __________________. (Action verb) (direct quotation or paraphrase)

Example Citation If you use the author’s name in the introduction, cite only the page number in parenthesis. In The Effectiveness of Involuntary Outpatient Treatment, Professor Randy Borum, Coordinator of Strategy and Intelligence Studies in the School of Information at the University of South Florida, states, “You are not shaped by a particular loss or failure, but by what you do with it” (1).

Additional Quotations Once you introduce an author, you can quote them again without including their qualifications. Dr. Borum further explains that “many states use civil commitment to compel people with mental illness to undergo treatment” (5).

Standard In-Text Format If the author is not being named in your sentence, you must include them in the parentheses with the page number. While many states ban compulsory commitment, “many states have amended or interpreted their existing civil commitment statues to allow for involuntary outpatient treatment (Borum 5).

Never do this Never drop a quotation into the paper without some sort of introduction. Never do This: “In the last decade, many states have amended or interpreted their existing civil commitment statues to allow for involuntary outpatient treatment” (Borum 5).

Instead Do This Instead, put your own language before or after a quotation. Dr. Borum explains that “many states have amended or interpreted their existing civil commitment statues to allow for involuntary outpatient treatment (5).

Practice “Thus, over the past four decades, those with a bachelor’s degree have tended to earn 56 percent more than high school graduates while those with an associate’s degree have tended to earn 21 percent more than high school graduates.” From Abel & Deitz “Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs?” page 3

Paraphrase Examples Paraphrases are cited and introduced like quotations Psychology researcher Heidi Halvorson contends that some negative thoughts are important for positive growth (2). People who fantasize about their future without serious addressing the obstacles they face will likely fail in researching their dreams (Halvorson 4).

Example Just before playing his cello for the inmates, Salzman explains that “when we play the instrument… we bring these pieces to life again by letting them speak to use and affect us and, hopefully, inspire us to live more fully” (123-124). Just before playing his cello for the inmates, Salzman urges his audience to appreciate the construction of his instrument from once living creatures (123-124). He reasons that playing music honors the past while improving the quality of life for the audience.

Advantages of paraphrasing Field Specific Preferences Purpose Preferences (Summaries) Fit broad idea into a shorter space Demonstrate confidence as a writer

Practice “Despite entering the labor force at a later age, workers with a bachelor’s degree on average earn 10 See Beaudry, Green, and Sand (2013). well over $1 million more than high school graduates during their working lives, while those with an associate’s degree earn about $325,000 more.” From Abel & Deitz “Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs?” page 3

Works Cited Page How Do We Put Together a Works Cited Page? This is required for the final draft of Essay #2