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An easily readable font (most professors prefer Times New Roman.)
Size 12 font
Double-spaced
Style
Use active voice
Use present tense when referring to events that happen within the literature
Remain consistent with tense (especially important to keep in mind when writing about historic non-fiction)
First Page
Create a running header with your last name and page number in the upper right-hand corner (with only one space between name and number) one half inch from the top
In the upper left-hand corner, type your name, professor’s name, course name, and date
Center the title of your paper just below following standard capitalization rules for titles
Main Body
Your paper should include a thesis statement, “a single sentence the formulates both your topic and your point of view...your answer to the central question or problem you have raised”
Use only one space after a period unless professor prefers two
Indent the first line of each paragraph ½ of an inch
Use block quotes sparingly and only when the prose quotation exceeds four lines
Include parenthetical citations in your paper whenever you use another person's words or ideas. Usually this will include the author's last name and a page reference with no punctuation: (Smith 10)
When referencing plays and poetry, use the line number (not the page number)
Works Cited Examples
Your works cited page should have the words “Works Cited” center at the top. Your entries should begin right after and should be left-aligned with hanging indents. Eighth edition MLA citations operate on model. The model is a one-size-fits-all approach that asks for nine different elements and takes whatever are available.
These are the elements and the proper punctuation in a citation if they were all present in a source:
Generic example for all citations:
Author. “Title of Source.” Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.
Book:
Model: Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Example: Smith, John. Hunting for Peace. Mifflin Publishing, 2004.
Work in an anthology:
Model: Last name, First name. "Title of Source." Title of Container, Other Contributors, Publisher, Publication Date. Location.
Example: Smith, Joanna. “The Squirrel Poem.” Poems about Wildlife, edited by John Smith, Harvard UP, 2016, pp. 122-23.
Journal article retrieved from database:
Model: Author. “Title of Source.” Title of Container, Number, Publication Date, Location.
Example: Smith, Sara. “Squirrel Habitat Reduction.” The Journal of the Environment, vol. 30, no. 2, 2009, pp. 127-56. JSTOR, jstor.org/stable/10/1086/000001
Website:
Model: Author (if available). “Title of Source.” Title of Container, Other Contributors, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.
Example: “Human and Animal Relations.” Wildlife Details, edited by John Smith, Turtles Inc., 26 May 2011, www.turtlelist.com/squirrels.