CategoryMLA Format

If you’re new to writing research papers, setting everything up can be intimidating. However, breaking the MLA paper format down into the basics makes it much easier to digest. Learn how to set up your paper, cover page, headings, headers, tables, and figures in your MLA paper. MLA Paper Format General Guidelines In general, the MLA style formatting guidelines are flexible. That’s why...

MLA (Modern Language Association) offers a flexible guideline for formatting your MLA headers and heading. Rather than worry if you’re doing it right, just follow these simple tricks for creating an MLA format heading and headers. And just to make sure you understand all the style tricks, you’ll learn about section headers too. MLA Heading vs. MLA Header You have graduated from 5-paragraph essays...

Writing your first paper in MLA format can be a bit scary. Use this simple yet comprehensive MLA style guide on all things MLA 8 to take you through the step-by-step process of creating your MLA paper. Use the MLA citation generator to create a detailed works cited page with properly formatted MLA citations. The comprehensive examples and illustrations ensure you don’t get led astray in...

These MLA 8 PowerPoint citation examples show you how to incorporate sources from slideshows into your humanities school paper. Lectures and meeting notes from conferences are useful sources for your research. Using these types of resources provides your reader with current findings in the topic being discussed. PowerPoint Citation Examples MLA citations uses nine citation elements in a container...

Use this MLA 8 in-text citation for a film example to help you write your school paper. MLA format is a flexible editorial style designed for formatting research papers in the humanities. While creating your works cited page, remember that each in-text citation must have a corresponding source entry. Example In-Text Film Citation in MLA Style While writing your in-text citations, duplicate the...

Although most editorial styles don’t require a bibliography entry for religious works, MLA 8 style does. Follow these MLA Bible citation examples to see how it is done. This means not only do you place parenthetical or in-text citations within your paper, but you also include a corresponding entry on your works cited page. MLA Bible Citation Format Refer to these basic formats to cite biblical...

Following MLA citations for Shakespeare examples, such as those below, helps to ensure you cite his work correctly. Writing papers about Shakespeare’s life or his plays is easy to do with plenty of open source resources available for your research. If you’re citing his works, then use the title of the play as the first element. If you’re writing about William Shakespeare, in general, then use his...

Books are great, but they take a long time to publish. Most magazines are published weekly or monthly by reputable publishers. Bring current resources to your readers’ attention by including magazine articles in your MLA research paper. Learn how to create a magazine citation for your MLA humanities paper through easy to follow examples. How to Cite a Print Magazine in MLA When it comes to...

MLA citations make it easy to format book citations with multiple authors as you simply use the Latin term “et al.” for three or more authors. Et al. means “and others,” which helps the reader understand there are more authors than are listed in the entry. Use these MLA book citation examples to help you follow a straightforward pattern. Format for One Author MLA 8 is a...

Scholarly journals are a great resource when it comes to creating a research paper. However, with MLA journal citation, you should follow a basic format starting with the authors’ names and ending with the date, pages and online address. Look scary? It’s not. Don’t let the fear of inaccurate citations stop you from using these sources by following these MLA journal citation...

Using MLA 8 citations for TV shows adds depth and context to your research. Many television show producers bring social justice issues to the public’s attention. Popular shows such as Fresh Off the Boat and Black-ish highlight racism in everyday life. Other shows, such as the updated version of One Day at a Time, use comedy to showcase the struggles of single mothers. Learn how to cite a TV show...

While writing your humanities paper, use these movie MLA 8 citation examples to compose your works cited page. Using movies for humanities subjects, such as art, history, and philosophy, is a good way to incorporate visuals into your paper. Find movies on streaming sites, such as Netflix, or check out DVDs from the library. Movie MLA Citation Examples An easy to follow citation style like MLA can...

Following these MLA video citation examples will guide you through the process of writing entries in your works cited page. MLA 8 style allows for flexibility while creating your works cited entries. Adapt this basic format using the container system with nine core elements. Using video sources, such as DVDs and streaming videos, sparks interest in your research paper. MLA Video Citation Format...

Following these MLA 8 website citation examples helps students create accurate entries in works cited lists. Finding website sources for your humanities or art history paper is easy if you remember to evaluate each website carefully. Be sure to evaluate online sources for the reliability and authority of the website’s publishers. MLA Website Citation Basic Format MLA citations uses nine core...

Learn how to cite a newspaper article in MLA through clear, concise examples. Citing a newspaper article or two in your school paper allows you to include current, relevant viewpoints in your research. MLA’s latest update, MLA Handbook, Eighth Edition, developed a container system to help students figure out how to cite sources, like a newspaper article, correctly. You’ll also explore how...

Students start writing essays in middle school English classes. Their first assignments will be short essays, like the standard five-paragraph essay. As they progress through high school and college, they will learn how to research and write longer papers for different subjects using citation style guides like MLA 8. Usually, MLA format is the first style that students learn to use. Technology...

Including quotations to your MLA 8 school essay or research paper adds strength to it. Quotes help the reader understand the original sources while also reinforcing your thesis. Although you don’t want to overuse long quotations in your paper, it is sometimes necessary, particularly for poems. To properly set the quote off from the rest of the paper, you’ll need to format it correctly. In MLA...

You’ll need to know when and how to write out numbers in your MLA 8 style school essay. The rules are easy to follow as MLA format tries to make it simple to write and organize papers in this style. Arabic or Roman Numerals Although you will use Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3) for numbers that are not spelled out, you may use Roman numerals (e.g., I, II, III) in certain cases. For example, the...

No matter what style you’re using for your school paper, you should cite from authoritative sources. Verify the information comes from a valid, authoritative source by checking the authenticity of the website, author, and/or the organization that published it. This includes citing an afterword or preface in your MLA 8 paper. Establishing Authority in Your School Paper Many times, you can...

Your instructor just gave a fabulous lecture in PowerPoint that you could use in your MLA paper. But how do you cite a PowerPoint presentation in MLA style? Learning how to format an in-text citation for PowerPoint in MLA isn’t as hard as you might think. But, it will depend on if the presentation was given during a lecture or if you found the PowerPoint online. For clarity, you’ll learn both how...

Formatting your MLA 8 paper is important to the overall presentation of your paper. As part of the learning process, your teacher will require you to format your essay by following MLA rules. The cover page is critical to your overall paper, as it’s the first impression your instructor and readers will see. However, in MLA format, a formal cover page is not required. MLA Cover Page Formatting...

Arranging your MLA 8 works cited page properly with the correct punctuation is an important part of finalizing your school research assignment. Your teacher will provide guidance as to any particular formatting issues; however, in general, you should adhere to the following rules. Basic Works Cited Punctuation MLA format doesn’t have a lot of fancy punctuation rules. For the most part, it’s...

When writing a school paper in MLA 8 style, you will need to know how to format your works cited page. Hopefully, you’ve created a working or preliminary bibliography as you did your research. Now, you simply take your preliminary works cited page and start arranging it as required. One common question is whether numbers come before letters. The quick answer is “no.” Instead, follow...

If you’re writing a school essay using MLA format and need to cite films, movies or television shows, you can do so easily. MLA 8 is designed to be flexible to accommodate different platforms and versions. The container system enables you to emphasize relevant details, so your citations will always be on point. Films or Movies? “Films” and “movies” are synonymous, so you...

Most citation styles, such as APA and Chicago/Turabian, do not require you to include entries for the Bible in bibliographies or reference lists. MLA 8 style, on the other hand, does require a works cited entry. Cite the Bible or other religious texts using the MLA container system. Creating an MLA Entry for a Bible Source Using the nine core elements of MLA format, the first element will be the...

Anthologies are collections of writings published in a book or journal. The writings center around a similar theme, time, or subject matter. Oftentimes, this involves various authors. However, collections of poems or short stories by the same author are also anthologies. How you cite an anthology in MLA style depends on whether you are referencing the whole anthology or a single entry in it...

You use hanging indents in a bibliography, reference list, and works cited. A hanging indent is where the second and subsequent lines of a citation are indented five spaces. Learn how to create a hanging indent in Google Docs and Microsoft Word. See examples of how a hanging indent is used in MLA and APA style. What Is a Hanging Indent? Also called a second line indent or reverse indent, a...

Did a prominent professor give you a personal interview over email? Are you taking a quote from a personal interview in a magazine, either online or in print, for your MLA paper? In figuring out how to cite an interview in MLA style, you’ll need to account for different scenarios. No matter what type of interview you need to cite, though, you’ll learn how to quickly, easily and perfectly create...

Acts, scenes and lines, oh my! You must be figuring out how to cite Shakespeare in your MLA paper. When it comes to Shakespeare in your MLA citation, creating quotes, in-text citations and formatting works cited entries is all about style. To make sure your style is “A” worthy, get the step-by-step instructions for creating all your Shakespeare citations from “Hamlet” to “Romeo and Juliet.”  How...

Using scholarly journal articles in your MLA 8 essay is a good way to find authoritative sources to back up your thesis statement. Depending on their content, journal articles can be primary or secondary sources. When searching for relevant articles, read the abstract first. This will help you determine whether the article will be a useful addition for your paper. Using Journal Article Databases...

Learning to research and write MLA 8 college papers is an essential skill as you leave the comfort of high school classes. One frequent complaint by college professors is that high school students come unprepared for college-level writing. Gearing high school classes towards standardized tests encourages teachers to teach the five-paragraph essay. Thus, students don’t really learn how to...

In today’s digital age, it seems strange that organizing your research sources would be done on index cards. Instead of a mobile app or Google Doc, writing your sources on separate 3″ x 5″ index cards may still be a better way to help organize your citation sources. Although some teachers provide Word document templates that follow the same pattern, note cards make it easier to sort...

In high school, you’ll learn how to write a five-paragraph essay. This skill comes in handy as you learn to develop a thesis statement and organize an essay. Writing a five-paragraph essay is a part of standardized testing, which means it is a useful skill to learn. However, it is different from an MLA 8 format research paper or essay. Organizing a Five-Paragraph Essay When you write a five...

Writing thesis statements for your MLA 8 style school paper can seem intimidating to high school and college students. You may have practice in understanding thesis statements when you prepared five-paragraph essays. Maybe you have even written short five-page research papers in your English classes. Writing MLA College Papers However, now you are entering college and you will be writing a lot of...

Learn the ins and outs of creating an MLA in-text citation. Explore how to deal with multiple or no authors, multiple sources, and even anthologies through this quick and easy guide to MLA in-text citations. MLA In-Text Citation Website Create MLA In-Text Citations for Multiple and No Authors MLA In-Text Citation for Multiple Sources In-Text Citations for Anthologies and Collections Quoting vs...

As you learn about using MLA 8 for citing your sources, you’ll notice the term “container” being used. You may wonder what that means for you as you create your works cited page. There’s a simple reason why MLA format developed the container style. While updating the MLA Handbook, the editors realized they needed to create an easier way to format entries. Since information is found in...

You may use abbreviations and acronyms in your MLA 8 works cited list. However, when you are writing your paper, you should always spell out the words in full. Instead of using abbreviations such as etc., i.e. and e.g., write them out completely. For example, instead of using e.g., write out “for example.” When you use acronyms in your MLA format paper, write them out in full first. Then, you can...

As you start to prepare your paper, you hit a crossroads. Should you use the seventh edition or the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook? You may think there’s not much difference. However, the MLA 8th edition introduced a shift in creating entries for your works cited list. In 2016, the Modern Language Association (MLA) decided it was time to revise its guidelines to reflect ever-changing...

You finally finished your research paper and your sources have been created into entries. Now, you can start putting it all together. You’re almost done. Alphabetizing your MLA 8 works cited list is easy as it follows the letter by letter method. Read on to understand how this method works when you’re dealing with multiple authors, no author or other cases. List Items Alphabetically  The first...

Unlike a bibliography, an MLA format works cited list only lists the sources you cite in your research paper. Every citation in your paper should match up to an entry in your works cited list. This means you need to review your paper to make sure the in-text citations are properly sourced at the end of your paper. If your instructor asks you to prepare a bibliography in MLA 8 style, title it as...

Your paper is perfect! All your in-text quotes have a citation, the formatting is top-notch, and you’re now breathing a sigh of relief. Until you realize you don’t have a works cited. Don’t lose your cool. You have the research and the paper. Now, just follow the MLA 8 works cited page example below as a guide to create your own. Table of Contents How to Do a Works Cited Page Example of Works...

Is your professor asking you to write an MLA annotated bibliography? Are you clueless? You’ve come to the right place. The world of bibliographies can be a tricky web to weave, especially when talking about annotated bibliographies. Take a deep breath and get ready. You’re going to learn everything you need to know to make an annotated bibliography in MLA 8 style. MLA Annotated...

Images and photographs add diversity and visual information that sometimes just isn’t possible with words alone. But, how do you cite a picture and add it to your MLA 8 works cited list? Learn the ins and outs of citing an image in your MLA work and a little about the legalities. How to Cite a Reproduced Image in Text MLA Sometimes, it makes sense to reference images visually to prove a point...