What You Need to Know About Writing Essays and

Papers Using the MLA Format

Plagiarism

1. Failing to cite quotes and borrowed ideas2. Failing to enclose borrowed text in quotation

marks3. Failing to put summaries and paraphrases in

your own words4. Presenting someone else’s ideas as your own5. Turning in someone else’s paper6. Turning in a previously written paper

When should I use quotations?

• When language is especially vivid or expressive

• When exact wording is needed for technical accuracy

• When you cannot put the statement in your own words

Two ways to cite sources in a paper

As of 2000, there were about ninety million cell phone users in the United States, with 85% of them using their phones while on the road (Sundeen 1).

Matt Sundeen reports that as of 2000, there were about ninety million cell phone users in the United States, with 85% of them using their phones while on the road (1).

Helpful Hints

• If you use the same source throughout one paragraph, you do not need to put a citation after each sentence. Put one citation (author page #) at the end of the paragraph.

• You ALWAYS need a citation (author page #) after a direct quote or after you change sources.

Works Cited Page

• This is the last page of your paper.• Every work which has a citation in your paper

must appear on your Works Cited page.• Only works which have been cited in your text

may appear on your Works Cited page.• The Works Cited page is double spaced and

must be alphabetized by author’s last name.

Important Links

1. Purdue Owl2. Easy Bib

*Use these websites to help you compose your Works Cited page.

*These links can be found on my website.

Basic Requirements

• Length: 5 paragraphs • Formatting Style: MLA• Font Size: 12• Font: Times New Roman• Margins: 1 inch

Works Cited

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. Boston:Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.

*All slides were quoted directly from this resource.