An Introduction

to MLA Style
Writing Support Centre
Student Development Services

This presentation will introduce the basics of APA style.

Outline

What is MLA style?

Referencing
Paper Organization

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 MLA Style

Modern Languages Association

Standard research paper format
Standardizes spelling, punctuation, tables figures, reference
style and lists etc.

MLA style was developed by the Modern Languages Association as a means of standardizing
the format of academic papers.
 MLA Style

Used in arts and humanities

Contrast with APA Style (some social sciences and sciences)
and Chicago style (the original)

MLA is used in several disciplines and differs from other style guides in many ways. Some of
these differences are subtle, others are quite major.
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An MLA handbook will give you all of the details needed to format a paper. This presentation
does not cover every rule. It is just intended to introduce MLA style to you. If you have any
questions, please refer to a style manual or the MLA’s website (mla.org).
 Referencing

Any idea used that is not your own must be properly

referenced
Failure to do so is plagiarism

Referencing is usually where people have the most issues and questions when it comes to
formatting a document, so we will start here.

Any idea that you take from an outside source must be referenced to avoid plagiarism.
 Types of References

Short works
(e.g. journal and magazine articles, short stories, short poems)

Use quotation marks when referring to shorter works

E.g.: “A Modest Proposal”

There are several types of references that you will find yourself using.
Types of References

Longer works
(e.g. books, theses, longer poems)

Italicize when referring to longer works

E.g.: Gulliver’s Travels

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 Types of References

Non-print media
(e.g. websites, personal communications, videos)

There are many different types of non-print media, all with their individual referencing styles.
Find a style manual to figure out how to reference the particular source you are using.
 Proper Referencing

Two Steps:
Paraphrase or Quote
Proper Citation

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To reference properly, you must execute two tasks.

 Paraphrasing

Rewording the ideas of another author

Indicates that you understand and can interpret ideas in your
own words

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We paraphrase from other texts to indicate that we understand and can interpret the ideas we
are writing.
 Quotations

Select the text that you would like to cite and place it
between quotation marks
Details on formatting quotations to come

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Quotations ensure that the exact wording of the original text is maintained. They can,
however, be taken out of context, so it is important to use them carefully.
 Proper Citation

Two Steps:
Referencing Within Text
Works Cited page

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Once you’ve reworded an idea or quoted another author, you must use the proper citation
format to make sure it is clear that the idea was not your own, and where the reader can find
the original source. To do this properly, you must reference both within the text and include
a Works Cited page at the end.
 Referencing Within Text

Always cite the author and the page number

Two choices:
Within the flow of the sentence
Separate from the sentence

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We’ll start with referencing within the text. When referencing within the text you must always
include the author(s) and the page number. There are two main styles for referencing within
the text. You can either incorporate the author(s) within the flow of the sentence, or separate
the citation from the sentence.
 Examples

Within the flow of the sentence

MacKaye stated, “...” (23).
Separate from the sentence
“...the fragility of life” (MacKaye 23).

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Here are some examples. Notice the lack of punctuation separating the author and the page
number.
 More Rules
Multiple sources from the same author
Include a shortened title of each paper in the citation

E.g.: Bannon first argues... (Petitioning 45)

then mentions ... (Jane Doe 19).

If author not mentioned within sentence, include with a

comma

... is the tragedy of life” (Gabel, Reinventing

29).
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Many times while writing, you will want to indicate that an idea or ideas came from several
sources. Here’s how you reference that.
 More Rules

Multiple authors within paper have the same

last name
Use first initial in the reference
E.g. “...the cost of fighting” (M. Pryor
27).

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More rules and examples.

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All these rules and more can be found in the APA manual.
 Formatting Quotations

Introducing Quotations
Proper formatting is needed to introduce quotations
The methods used are determined by your style and the
length of the quote
Proper punctuation is also key

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Quotations cannot be simply throw into a text. They must be introduced. Quotations should
be incorporated into the flow of a sentence. There are several options that you can tailor to
your writing style, but the length of the quotation will also impact your choice.
 Formatting Quotations

Short Quotations
Incorporated within the sentence
E.g. The appearance of this “false pariah” (Rollins 43)
indicates that...

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Short quotations can be incorporated into the flow of sentence and are punctuated just like
they would be if they were your own words (ie. no commas used before the quotation in this
example
 Formatting Quotations

Medium Quotations
Longer quotations require more of a statement to introduce
them
E.g. Armstrong remarks, “This is the difference between
good and evil” (11).

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If the statement introducing your quotation is a complete sentence, you need to punctuate
with a colon. Otherwise, use a comma as in the example. The period is placed after the
reference (not within the quotation marks).
Formatting Quotations

Long Quotations
Quotations longer than 4 typed lines (or 3 lines of verse)
need to be offset from the rest of the text
Example on the following slide

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 Example Long Quotation

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Long quotations usually have longer introductory statements that are complete independent
clauses punctuated with a colon. Indent the whole quotation, omit quotation marks, maintain
double spacing and punctuate the final sentence before the citation.
 Works Cited Pages
A list of bibliographical information of all sources cited
within the text
Organized by author’s last name
Different than a bibliography
Rigid format
Most commonly referencing books or periodicals

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After including citations within your text, it is necessary to compile all of these references
into a list. This is different from a bibliography which includes books that were not
referenced but may have “inspired” or been consulted while preparing the text. Reference
lists have a very rigid format in MLA style.
 Works Cited - Books

General Format
Author Last name, Author First name. Title of Book.
[indent] Publisher Location: Publisher Name, Year.

Modifications for special cases (e.g. translations, editions)

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This is the basic format for documenting a book in a works cited page. Refer to a style guide
for any special cases.
Works Cited - Periodicals

General Format
Author(s). “Title of article.” Title of Periodical. Day
[indent] Month Year: Pages.

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 Works Cited - General

Unique formats for non-print and online sources

If citing the same author more than once, do not write out
author each time, use three hyphens
Bixler, Cedric. In/Casino/Out. El Paso, Texas: Penguin, 1998.

--- The Relationship of Command. El Paso, Texas: Penguin,

2000.

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An increasing number of online and non-print sources are being used in academic writings.
Be sure you are documenting these unique cases correctly.
 Paper Organization

General Format
First Page

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The MLA has guidelines for other aspects of academic papers as well.
General Format

Double-space all text and use a legible 12-pt font

Margins should be 1-inch
Create a header on the top right with your last name and the
page number (unless otherwise instructed)

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First Page
Usually no title page
Left justified at the top, list your name, instructor’s name,
course, date on separate lines (double spaced)
On next line, centre the title (write in Title Case; no
underlining or quotation marks)
Example on next slide

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Example First Page

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 In Conclusion

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This should serve as a solid introduction to MLA style. For more detailed information and
examples, the MLA style guide is your best resource.