MLA Formatting in Sentences

MLA Formatting in Sentences

Sometimes teachers seem to talk a little foreign when it comes to explaining how to cite your sources. For the longest time every year I could not stand when the words “research paper” came out of my teacher’s mouth because I knew that meant citing your sources. I had never been fully and properly exposed to MLA formatting but luckily for all you guys reading I have the key from success to future success, I have the key important information you need to know.

First, MLA formatting changes every year. You need to make sure that you have all the updated information necessary for your research paper before you begin your research. If you begin your research and you don’t know how to cite your sources, then you’re not going to be able to cite your sources as you work and them trying to find those sources later WILL NOT WORK. Trust me, I once wrote down information and moved on to find the next set of information I needed because I thought I could come back and cite my sources correctly when I figured out how well like I said it does NOT work.

Second, Ms. Yon’s website has a detailed as well as easy to understand power point for those of you who do not know what MLA is and also for my readers who don’t know how to properly use it you will find information for you in that power point as well. Check it out.

Third, once you have viewed the power point, try checking out OWL at Purdue. This website not only will give you information but also show you how to cite your sources. Websites such as citiationmachine.com and bibme.com are not always beneficial. As I said MLA updates every year (they have to make money some way, huh?), and therefore, those websites may still be programmed for the year before and will not give you the correct citation.

Key points regarding your Works Cited page include the following: ALWAYS use hanging indent, ALWAYS use double space, ALWAYS put in alphabetical order from A-Z regardless if it is a book, website, etc. Remember to center “Works Cited” at the top of your page your format will be okay.

End Line Citations

Citations in the end of the line are just as important as the Works Cited page. Remember when quoting you should have the following parenthesis, last name, page number, parenthesis, and period. “WOAH! Slow down. What happened? I am confused”. Alright well here is an example (Sather23). See that was not too complicated after all. One last thing, the ONLY time a period will be before the parenthesis is if the citation follows a block quote for example:

                Sally went to the market to buy shrimp,

                but instead she bought crab and lobster to

                make for dinner. (Sather 11)

Be sure to talk to your teacher because sometimes some information in MLA may be at the teacher’s discretion and you will need to know how they want the information. The website provided above will help answer any other question you have so I STRONGLY recommend it to anyone.