1. How to write a research paper MLA Format Modern Language Association

2. Main Components of an MLA paper There are two main components that make MLA paper unique they are: Using a parenthetical citation Works Cited

3. What is parenthetical citation? To identify the source of a quotation, paraphrase, or summary, place the author's last name in parentheses after the cited material.

4. Types of Parenthetical Cites Direct: write down what the author says word for word(verbatim); when using this type put quotation marks around the cited material Paraphrased: You take the author’s ideas and you put it in your own words; this types is good and means you understand what the author is saying; although you use not quotes you still put the authors last name & page number at the end.

5. Examples: "Parents know in advance, and with near certainty, that they will be addicted to their children" (Landsburg). DIRECT In response to Victor Brombert's 1990 MLA presidential address on the "politics of critical language," one correspondent suggests that "some literary scholars envy the scientists their wonderful jargon with its certainty and precision and thus wish to emulate it by creating formidably technical-sounding words of their own" (Mitchell). PARAPHRASED

6. What is Works Cited? When using MLA style, place a list of cited sources, arranged alphabetically, after the text of your essay and any explanatory notes. The MLA Handbook recommends that you "draft the [Works Cited] section in advance, so that you will know what information to give in parenthetical references as you write" (144). Doing this makes in-text citation of sources easier by giving you an idea of what in-text reference options will work best for each citation.

7. Examples of Works Cited

8. Additionally: If we cite the movie “A Raisin in the Sun” here is an example of how to cite a movie: Movie: Ed Wood. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette. DVD. Touchstone, 2004

9. General Guidelines Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper, Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font like Times Roman. The font size should be 12 pt.

10. General Guidelines Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor). Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. Indent the first line of a paragraph one half-inch (five spaces or press tab once) from the left margin.

11. General Guidelines 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. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.) Use either italics or underlining throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis. If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page.

12. How to format your first page Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text. Double space again and center the title. Don't underline your title or put it in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case, not in all capital letters.

13. Continued… Use quotation marks and underlining or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text, e.g., –Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play –Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking" Double space between the title and the first line of the text. Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow their guidelines.)

14. Ex. of 1 st pg.

15. Sample MLA Paper C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\sample MLA paper.pdf