1. Graduate Writing Center Jessica Erkfitz
MLA
Graduate Writing Center
Jessica Erkfitz

2. Pages Parts of the paper Cover page (optional, ask your professor)
Body
Works Cited (Bibliography)

3. Cover page Cover Page (Example to follow) Title 1/3 down the page
Two double spaced lines
Your full name
Professor’s name
Course name
Date

4. 1/3rd of the way down the page
Title
Your name
Instructor
Course
Date

5. Body Body Heading (Example to follow) Includes the following Location
Full name
Professor’s name
Class
Due date
Location
First page of body
Upper left-hand corner
Double spaced

6. Body Title Header Center aligned Double spaced Next line below heading
Same font size as text and heading
Header
½ in. from top
Page number in right-hand corner
Last name precedes page number on every page

7. Body Text Layout 1 in. Margins Double spaced
Indent beginning of each paragraph 1/2 in.
Do not leave extra spaces between paragraphs

8. Everything Double Spaced
margin
½ in. margin
Last
name
Name
Professor
Class
Date
Page
number
Everything Double Spaced
Title
1 in.
margin
1 in.
margin
1 in.
margin

9. In-text Citations Citation types (Example to follow)
Quotes (4 or less lines)
Put quotation marks around the phrase
Use exact dictation without changing spelling or punctuation
Block quotes (more than 4 lines)
Indent entire quote 1in./one tab more than the normal text
Do not use quotation marks
Double space like rest of paper
Insert the period before parenthetical citation
Paraphrases
Use your own words, not those of the author
Good guideline – do not use more than two consecutive words from the source in your rephrasing
Cite them with a parenthetical reference.

10. Citations Normal citation Author’s name within sentence No author
Located after quote/paraphrase
Within parentheses
Author’s last name
Page number
Punctuation comes after parentheses *unless block quote
Author’s name within sentence
Does not need to be restated at end
Page number still given in parentheses
No author
Title in replace of the author
After first reference shortened version of title may be used
Must be underlined not in italics

11. Paraphrase
Citation
Author’s name
Direct
Quote
Block Quote
Citation without author

12. Works Cited Works Cited (Example to follow)
Title: Works Cited (not Bibliography)
Top of new page
Center aligned
Sources
Alphabetical order by first word
Hanging indent (use the tab button once)

13. Works Cited Individual layout (example of a book)
Author (last name, first name)
Period
Title (italicized)
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Medium (Print or Web)

14. Works Cited
d. Individual layout (example of a book by two or three authors)
Author (last name, first name)
Period
Comma
and
Second Author (first name, last name)
Title (italicized)
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Year of publication
Medium (Print or Web)

15. Works Cited e. Individual layout (an edited book)
Author (last name, first name)
Period
Title (italicized)
Original year of publication
Ed.
Editor’s name (first name, last name)
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Medium (Print or Web)

16. Works Cited f. Individual layout (a subsequent edition of a book)
Author (last name, first name)
Period
Title (italicized)
(#, i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd) ed.
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Medium (Print or Web)

17. Works Cited g. Individual layout (a multi-volume work)
Author (last name, first name)
Period
Title (italicized)
Vol. (#)
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Medium (Print or Web)

18. Works Cited
h. Individual layout (the foreword, preface, or afterword of a book)
Author of foreword (last name, first name)
Period
Foreword
Title (italicized) By
Author of book (first name, last name)
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Period
Page number(s)
Medium (Print or Web)

19. Works Cited i. Individual layout (a translation)
Author (last name, first name)
Period
Title (italicized)
Trans
Translator’s name (first name, last name)
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Medium (Print or Web)

20. Works Cited j. Individual layout (the Bible)
Title (italicized) i.e. The New King James Version
Period
Ed. (edition, if applicable)
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Medium (Print or Web)

21. Works Cited
k. Individual layout (a short story, play, or poem in an anthology)
i. Author (last name, first name)
Period
“Title of the short story.” (period inside quotes)
Title of the anthology (italicized)
Ed.
Editor’s name (first name, last name)
(#, i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd) ed
Period
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Page range of short story
Medium (Print or Web)

22. Works Cited
l. Individual layout (a signed article in a reference book)
Author (last name, first name)
Period
“Title of article.” (period inside quotes)
Title of reference book (italicized)
(#, i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd) ed
City of publication
Colon
Publishing company
Comma
Year of publication
Medium (Print or Web)

23. Works Cited
m. Individual layout (an unsigned article in a reference book)
“Title of article.” (period inside quotes)
Title of reference book (italicized)
Period
(#, i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd or year) ed
Medium (Print or Web)
*Note: you may omit page numbers when the reference book lists entries alphabetically

24. Works Cited
n. Individual layout (listing one definition among many from a dictionary)
“Title of article.” (period inside quotes)
Def
Period
# (definition number)
Title of reference book (italicized)
(#, i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd or year) ed
Medium (Print or Web)

25. Everything Double Spaced
Last Name
Title
Page Number
Everything Double Spaced

26. Abbreviations Abbreviations within sources
Geographic locations are abbreviated
Ohio - OH
Ontario - ON
Turkey - Turk.
Common Publishers' names
American Library Association – ALA
W.W. Norton & Sons, Publishers – Norton
University Press – UP (U of Illinois P, Notre Dame UP)
*For a further listing of abbreviations (both in the text and works cited) see the MLA handbook.

27. Other Citations 4. Articles in Periodicals
Author. “Title.” Journal volume: issue* (year):
pages. Print.
Horowitz, Evan. “George Eliot: The Conservative.”
Victorian Studies 69 (2006): Print.
* Only include the issue number if the pagination starts over in each separate issue. Leave it out if pagination continues through a whole volume of a periodical.

28. Other Citations 5. An article in a weekly magazine (signed/unsigned)
Signed article:
Author. “Title.” Magazine Date: pages. Print.
Corliss, Richard. “His Days.” Time 14 Aug. 2005: Print.
Unsigned article:
“Title.” Magazine Date: pages. Print.
“His Days.” Time 14 Aug. 2005: Print.
6. An article in a monthly magazine
Thomas, Evan. “John Paul.” American History Aug : Print.

29. Other Citations An article in a newspaper (signed/unsigned)
Signed article:
Author. “Title.” Newspaper Date: section number. Print.
Krantz, Matt. “Stock Success.” Wall Street Journal 11 Aug. 2004: B1+. Print.
Unsigned article:
“Title.” Newspaper Date: section number. Print.
“A Steadfast Friend.” New York Times 6 Sept. 2003, late ed.: B8. Print.

30. Other Citations An editorial in a newspaper
Author. “Title.” Editorial. Newspaper Date: section. Print.
Brooks, David. “Living in the Age.” Editorial. Dayton Daily News 1 Aug. 2004, final ed.: A12. Print.

31. Other Citations 9. Parts of Books
Author of selection. “Title.” Book Title. Editor.
City: Press, year. Pages. Print.
Fisher, Judith L. “Image versus Text in the
Illustrated Novels of William Makepeace Thackeray.” Victorian Literature and the Victorian Visual Imagination. Ed. Carol T. Christ and John O. Jordan. Berkeley: U of California P, Print.

32. Other Citations 10. Web sources An entire web site:
Editor (if given). Title of the site. Date of electronic publication. Web. Date of access.
Liberty University Web. 2 May 2007.
b. A document within a web site
“Title of document.” Title of site. Title of site, Date of electronic publication. Web. Date of access.
“June 3, 1800: President Adams Moves.” History.com. History Channel, Web. 3 Aug

33. Other Citations c. An online posting
Author. Online posting. Title of site. Title of site, Date of electronic publication. Web. Date of access.
Sethi, Beth. Online posting. Enviromom. Enviromom, 2 Aug Web. 6 Sept
d. An article in a database:
Author. “Title.” Journal volume.issue (year): pages/paragraphs.Subscription service. Web. Date of access.
Schmoe, Joe. “Online Article.” Online Writing (2004): 56 pars. JSTOR. Web. 2 May