Lastname 3 (i.e., page #)
Course # (i.e., ENG104) and assignment name (i.e., SE, A1, LR1 etc.)
Center Title, Do Not Bold or Underline
[if your title contains the title of a published work, that title must be underlined or in quotation marks ( Title/“Title”); use underline for major works (novels, films) and quotation marks for minor titles (short stories, essays). for e.g.,
Monstrosity in Frankenstein; The Patriarchal Dilemma in “Eveline”]
This is a template for formatting your written assignments in a modified (streamlined) MLA format. The paper has one-inch margins all around. Each page has a header of last name, page number, and course and section number. The paper will be double-spaced throughout, no extra space between sections or paragraphs. The entire paper, including the heading and title, needs to be in the same type of 12pt font. This template uses Times New Roman because it is easy to read. The essay is left aligned, not fully justified. Hit the enter key only once at the end of each paragraph.
Reference all quotations in parenthetical citations. This allows you to “acknowledge your sources by keying brief parenthetical citations in your text to an alphabetical list of works that appears at the end of the paper” (Gibaldi 142). Notice that in this brief citation the period goes after the parenthesis. Notice also the quotation is introduced with a short phrase; free-standing standing quotations are a no-no. Gibaldi explains:
The information in your parenthetical references in the text must match the corresponding information in the entries in your list of works cited. For a typical works-cited-list entry, which begins with the name of the author (or editor, translator, or narrator), the parenthetical reference begins with the same name. . . . If the work is listed by title, use the title, shortened or in full. (238-239)
Whenever your quotation is over 40 words, it must be set off by an extra one-inch left margin rather than quotations marks, single-spaced, and the period goes before the parenthetical citation (a block quotation). Using a block quotation signals to the reader you are going to discuss in depth the words quoted in your subsequent sentences. Note: I do not do this here, as this is a ‘how-to’ guide.
This course only: if you are using a ‘Course Source’ then you do not need a bibliography, and you need not cite the author’s name in your parenthetical citation [i.e., (Gibaldi 142). This is an exception to MLA and APA guidelines. A course source is defined as the specific editions of the texts on the syllabus, the versions of the texts in the course reader or Google Drive, or for which I supply a URL, or any text that is posted on the course D2L. The assumption here is I know the source. If you are using any other source – for example, a critical work, or an edition other than a course source edition – you must give bibliographic information at the end of your assignment.
After the last paragraph in an MLA style essay, force the document to begin a new page for the Bibliography page. The Bibliography page will still have the one-inch margins all the way around and have the heading of last name and page number. This page will also be double-spaced throughout with no extra space between entries. Items in a Bibliography page will be alphabetized by the first word of each entry (author’s last name or title of work). Each entry will use a hanging indent, in which lines after the first indent half an inch. Because the URLs in a Bibliography page are not underlined, remove the hyperlinks so that URLs will be formatted correctly. To do this, right click on the hyperlink and select remove hyperlink. The sample Bibliography page that follows has the entry for the MLA Handbook and then templates for some of the most common types of sources used. For more information, refer to chapters 5 and 6 of the MLA Handbook, Bedford/St. Martin’s guide to using internet sources: (http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite5.html), and Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html).
Bibliography
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003.
Lastname, Firstname. Title of the Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year.
Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Article.” Name of the Scholarly Journal Volume.Issue (Date): first page-last page of the article.
Lastname, Firstname. “Title of the Newspaper Article.” Title of the Newspaper Date, edition: Section, Pagenumber+.
“The Title of the Article.” Title of Magazine Date: page number. Name of the Library Database: Name of the Service. Name of the library with city, state abbreviation. Date of access .