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What is MLA

What is MLA. Modern Language Association . This is one style of documentation. MLA tells us how to document our sources when we are writing about literatures, languages, and other fields in the humanities. Paper Heading.

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What is MLA

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  1. What is MLA • Modern Language Association • This is one style of documentation. MLA tells us how to document our sources when we are writing about literatures, languages, and other fields in the humanities.

  2. Paper Heading • When you head your paper – any paper you turn in to your English teacher – you should use the following format. • Your Name • Your teacher’s name • Your Class • The date

  3. Example • Karen Smith • Mrs. Strothers • English 9 Pre-Diploma • 09 September 2010 • Just as this information is on the left hand side – your heading should be aligned at the left margin above the first line of your paper, double-spaced.

  4. TITLE Always give your paper a title that is clever but not too cutesy. Do not use a generic title. The name of the work that you are writing on is not the title. MLA: CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION

  5. CONTEXT Context is crucial. Establish the context of your paper in the first paragraph. In an essay about a piece of writing, mention the author and the title in the first paragraph.

  6. THESIS A thesis is a sentence that establishes the direction for the rest of your paper. The thesis should be in the first paragraph.

  7. THESIS cont. Do not refer to the writing of the essay itself or to yourself as a writer in the thesis. For example, “In this paper” or “I will prove that..” etc.

  8. CONTROLLING IDEA Give each paragraph a clearly stated controlling idea, topic sentence, or statement of purpose. Make sure every sentence in your paragraph relates to the controlling idea of that paragraph.

  9. DEVELOPMENT Do not write one or two sentence paragraphs. Five sentences minimum are required.

  10. DEVELOPMENT cont. Do not support or develop an idea with only one example. Fully develop your controlling idea with examples, details, reasons, illustrations,

  11. Development cont. Quotations from the literary piece work well and an analysis of the quotation should follow. Yet, be careful not to overdevelop your essay. Too much of anything is not good. 

  12. TRANSITIONS Make the transitions between your paragraphs clear and logical. This task is difficult, but it can be done with practice.

  13. Sometimes, a transition can be accomplished through the use of a single word: Similarly, Additionally, However;

  14. A phrase: On the other hand, In addition; a transition sometimes requires a complete sentence.

  15. Example of one sentence transition • Zaroff clearly displays traits of barbarism, but he also exhibits traits of a highly civilized gentleman. • After this sentence you would begin a new paragraph analyzing this other side of Zaroff.

  16. MLA: SENTENCE STYLE • POINT OF VIEW: DO NOT USE FIRST OR SECOND PERSON – I, ME, MY, MINE, WE,US, OUR, OURS; YOU, YOUR. • DO NOT USE THE PRONOUN ONE BECAUSE IT LEADS TO WORDY AND AWKWARD SENTENCES.

  17. DO NOT USE PASSIVE VOICE! • DEFINITION: A VERB IS IN THE PASSIVE VOICE WHEN IT EXPRESSES AN ACTION PERFORMED UPON ITS SUBJECT OR WHEN THE SUBJECT IS THE RESULT OF THE ACTION.

  18. REVISE THE FOLLOWING: • 1.THE TEST WAS PASSED BY MOST OF THE STUDENTS. • 2. JULIET IS PORTRAYED AS CLEVER AND BOLD. • 3. THE IDEA IS ILLUSTRATED IN THE STORY.

  19. USE ACTIVE VOICE- REVISIONS: • 1. MOST OF THE STUDENTS PASSED THE TEST. • 2. SHAKESPEARE PORTRAYS JULIET AS CLEVER AND BOLD. • 3. THE STORY ILLUSTRATES THIS IDEA.

  20. NO “THERE” CONSTRUCTIONS • DO NOT BEGIN SENTENCES OR CLAUSES WITH “THERE IS,” “THERE ARE,” “THERE WAS,” OR “THERE WERE.” DO NOT WRITE, “THERE ARE THREE EXAMPLES OF ATTICUS’S COURAGE IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.”

  21. INSTEAD, WRITE SOMETHING LIKE, “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD CONTAINS THREE EXAMPLES OF ATTICUS’S COURAGE,” OR “IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, ATTICUS DISPLAYS COURAGE IN THREE WAYS.”

  22. WHO/THAT • USE “WHO” OR “WHOM” TO REFER TO PEOPLE AND “THAT” OR “WHICH” TO REFER TO NON-PEOPLE. • EXAMPLE: ATTICUS IS THE CHILD WHO LEARNS A LESSON. • EXAMPLE: THE RED CAR IS THE ONE THAT HE WANTS.

  23. NO HEDGING • DO NOT HEDGE. WORDS LIKE “MAYBE,” “PERHAPS,” AND “MIGHT” DO NOT KEEP YOU FROM BEING WRONG, THEY MERELY ALERT THE READER TO YOUR LACK OF CONFIDENCE. IT WEAKENS YOUR ARGUMENT.

  24. EXAMPLES:REVISE THE FOLLOWING • ACHILLES SEEMS ARROGANT WHEN HE WON’T RETURN HECTOR’S BODY. • HECTOR MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A COWARD WHEN HE RUNS AWAY FROM ACHILLES.

  25. REVISION: • ACHILLES SHOWS HIS ARROGANCE WHEN HE REFUSES TO RETURN HECTOR’S BODY. • HECTOR DISPLAYS HIS COWARDICE WHEN HE TURNS AND RUNS FROM ACHILLES.

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