An Introduction to MLA

Citing Sources Using the MLA Style Guide

What is MLA?

MLA stands for Modern Language Association. The MLA publishes a style manual showing writers how to format their papers, including how to cite references. The MLA Style Manual answers the question, “What should my paper look like?”

What will we use the MLA for?

In English 9 we will primarily use MLA style for citing sources in our papers. Whenever we write about information or ideas that are not our own, we must cite that source to avoid plagiarism.

In Text Citation

Include citations within the body of the paper whenever you use the ideas or information from a source, or when you quote them directly. Use the author’s name and the page number. For example:

In the play, Juror 9 says, “The facts are supposed to determine the case,” (Rose 51).

Reginald Rose is the author of the source material (in this case, a play), and the quote is located on page 51.

For more examples, go to:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/

Works Cited Page

At the end of your paper, create a Works Cited page that lists all of the sources you have cited within the paper, in alphabetical order by the author’s last name.

Works Cited

Rose, Reginald. Twelve Angry Men. New York: Penguin Group, 1955. Print.

To cite a book: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/To cite a website: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/

MLA Resources

For more information on how to cite texts and format your Works Cited page, please see your MLA Style Guide (located in class), or visit the Purdue OWL site:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/