MLA Style

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Find scholarly editors who can format your research papers to the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation and format style. Find MLA Style WFH freelancers on January 21, 2025 who work remotely. Read less

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What to Know

What are the key issues about the MLA Style?

The Modern Language Association (MLA) Style is commonly used in the humanities, particularly in literature, language, and cultural studies. Here are key facts about MLA Style with examples:

1. In-Text Citations
Author-Page Style: Citations within the text include the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, without a comma between name and page.

Example:
Direct Quote: "Language is the road map of a culture" (Hall 146).
Paraphrase: Hall argues that language serves as a cultural roadmap (146).

2. Works Cited Page
- Alphabetical Order: Entries are listed alphabetically by the author's last name or, if no author, by the title.

- 3 Formats:
Book:
Example:
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1925.

Journal Article:
Example:
Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. Volume, no. Issue, Year, pages.
Smith, John. "Modernism in American Literature." Journal of Literary Studies, vol. 22, no. 1, 2018, pp. 45-60.

Website:
Example:
Lastname, Firstname. "Title of Web Page." Title of Website, Publisher, Date of Publication, URL.
Doe, Jane. "The Impact of Digital Media." Cultural Studies Online, Digital Humanities, 20 Mar. 2021, www.example.com.

3. Formatting
Double Spacing: The entire paper, including quotes, notes, and the list of works cited, should be double-spaced.
Font: Typically, Times New Roman, size 12.
Margins: One-inch margins on all sides.
Header: In the upper right-hand corner of each page, include your last name followed by the page number (e.g., Smith 1).

4. Title Page
No Specific Title Page: Instead, on the first page, include your name, instructor's name, course, and date in the upper left corner. Center the title of your paper.

5. Block Quotations
Long Quotes: If a quotation runs more than four lines, format it as a block quote, indented one inch from the left margin, without quotation marks.

Example:
At the heart of the novel, Mrs Dalloway, a novel by Virginia Woolf published in 1925, Woolf writes:

Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself. For Lucy had her work cut out for her. The doors would be taken off their hinges; Rumpelmayer's men were coming. And then, thought Clarissa Dalloway, what a morning—fresh as if issued to children on a beach. (Woolf 3)

6. Use of Abbreviations
Common Abbreviations: Use common abbreviations like "vol." for "volume" and "no." for "number" in the Works Cited.
Latin Abbreviations: Use "et al." for three or more authors in in-text citations.

7. Punctuation with Quotation Marks
Periods and Commas: These go inside the quotation marks in American English, which MLA follows.
Example: She said, "It's time to go," and left.

8. Titles of Works
Long Works: Titles of books, journals, websites, and other standalone works are italicized.
Short Works: Titles of articles, poems, short stories, or chapters within larger works are in quotation marks.
Example: Morrison's novel Beloved includes the chapter "Rememory."

9. Numbers
Spell Out Numbers: Numbers below 100 are spelled out, except for specific cases like dates, page numbers, or percentages.

10. Footnotes and Endnotes
Limited Use: MLA discourages the use of footnotes or endnotes for citations but allows them for supplementary information or commentary. If used, they appear at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or at the end of the paper (endnotes).

11. Lists
Bulleted or Numbered: When listing items, use either bullets or numbers, ensuring consistency in your document.

These facts and examples provide a foundational understanding of MLA Style, but for detailed guidance, especially for less common sources or complex citation scenarios, consulting the latest edition of the MLA Handbook is recommended.

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