MLA Format and Paragraph Writing

MLA format and ICE+A

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following uses the correct format for MLA citation?

• The author uses a simile comparing the waves of water to a talented juggler when he writes, “It surged over the rocks . . . like a juggler” (Thiele).

• The author uses a simile comparing the waves of water to a talented juggler. “It surged over the rocks . . . like a juggler” (Thiele).

• The author uses a simile comparing the waves of water to a talented juggler when he writes, “It surged over the rocks . . . like a juggler.” (Thiele)

Remember: Introduce the quote with your own words. Do not create a dropped quote.

Always introduce a quotation with your own words.

• Notice the difference between the two examples.

• A good way to start is to use a signal phrase.

Put quotation marks around text you quote from another source.

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Parenthetical Citations 

Use parenthesis at the end of the

cited text

Identify the source document by author AND page number

Multiple Choice

The citation format we use in class is:

• APA

• Chicago

• MLA

• BBC

Multiple Choice

MLA stands for

• Modern Laboratory Answers

• Modern Language Association

• Mental Liability Alternatives

• Mastery Logic Administration

Multiple Choice

The placement of an in-text citation is important.

Select which in-text citation is formatted correctly from the paraphrases below.

• Many students who plagiarize do so out of ignorance rather than deliberately (Smith 10).

• Many students who plagiarize do so out of ignorance rather than deliberately. (Smith 10)

• Many students who plagiarize do so out of ignorance rather than deliberately. (Smith p.10)

• (Smith 10) Many students who plagiarize do so out of ignorance rather than deliberately.

Remember to use this format!

Multiple Choice

You put your citation inside of

• "quotation marks"

• [brackets]

• (parenthesis)

• $dollar signs$

Multiple Choice

Which of these is formatted correctly?

• (Hinton 27).

• ("The Shell")

• (Connell p.28)

Multiple Choice

Which of these citations is formatted correctly?

• (Cisneros, 23).

• (Donald Trump 45).

• (Harry Potter 73).

• (Hinton 4).

Multiple Choice

Why do we cite our sources?

• To get an A on the assignment

• To use quotation marks

• To show our reader where we got our information

• To write our topic sentence

Multiple Choice

What do you include in an in-text citation?

• author's last name and page number

• author's last name and book title

• book title and page number

• author's first and last name

Multiple Choice

Is this formatted correctly?

The text says, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known” (Dickens 104).

• Correct

• Wrong

Multiple Choice

Is this formatted correctly?

The author eloquently writes, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same” (Bronte 94).

• Correct

• Wrong

Multiple Choice

Is the formatted correctly?

The text states, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us” (Tolkein page 229).

• correct

• wrong

Multiple Choice

Is this formatted correctly?

The author accurately states, “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be" (JK Rowling 301).

• correct

• wrong

Multiple Choice

Is this formatted correctly?

According to the text, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose" (Seuss #21).

• correct

• wrong

Multiple Choice

What is wrong with this?

The main character in the story expressed his disapproval of "hooligans who wrote their names on bathroom stalls"(Rogers 22).

• nothing is wrong

• there should be a space before the parenthesis

• There should be a comma

Punctuating quotations

• The only thing different that we are doing is that we are using parenthetical citations at the end to indicate the author and page number.

• Pay attention to the words that come before the quote in these examples.

Multiple Choice

23. The four parts of a parenthetical citation are...

• open parentheses, author's last name, page number, and close parentheses

• open parentheses, author's first name, page number, and close parentheses

• open parentheses, author's last name, a comma, the page number, and a close parentheses

• parentheses, quote, comma, author's last name

MLA Paper Format

• Top Right: Last Name & Page #

• Top Left: Your name, teacher, class, date

• Double Space All (no extra spaces)

• The title is not bolded or super-sized.

• Use Times New Roman, Size 12 point font

Multiple Choice

True or False?

The title of your paper should be both centered and in bold.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which key should you press at the beginning of each paragraph?

• Enter

• Space Bar

• Caps Lock

• Tab

Multiple Choice

Which type of font should be used for an MLA formatted paper?

• Arial

• Comic Sans

• Times New Roman

• Wingdings

Multiple Choice

How do you write the date in an MLA formatted paper?

• 9/23/20

• September 23, 2020

• 23 September 2020

• Sept. 23, 2020

Multiple Choice

What should the spacing be in an MLA formatted paper?

• 1.0

• .5

• 2.0

• 1.5

Multiple Choice

True or False?

There should be an extra space (blank line) between paragraphs.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False?

You should number the first page of an essay.

• True

• False

Multiple Select

The header, in the upper right hand corner, should contain:

• Last name and page number

• Page number only

Notice which goes in italics and which goes inside "quotation marks"

• Short Story (quotation marks)

• Novel/Book (italics)

• Movie? (italics)

• TV show (quotation marks)

• THE DIFFERENCE IS WHETHER IT IS LONG OR SHORT, in most cases.

Multiple Choice

Do you italicize or put quotation marks around this?

the title of a book

• italicize

• use quotation marks

Multiple Choice

Do you italicize or put quotation marks around this?

short story title

• italicize

• use quotation marks

Multiple Choice

Which of these would be the BEST way of writing a sentence in a formal essay?

Remember: no contractions, no personal pronouns, no past tense, etc.

• The author doesn't use very many similes.

• I like the way the author used similes.

• He used similes to compare the ocean to a juggler.

• Thiele's use of similes creates a playful mood.

Look at these examples of BAD theme statements

• Do not state theme as a subject (theme topic) instead of a complete idea about the subject.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the best way to phrase a statement about the theme of a literary work.

• The theme of the book was about long-lasting friendships.

• Money is the root of all evil.

• Everyone should put their fears behind them and try their hardest.

• You should not get involved with things that do not concern you.

• Love, if taken to extremes, can be negative rather than positive.

When writing a thesis for literary analysis, remember to include the last column.

• What is the resulting literary effect?

Multiple Choice

Choose the best thesis statement.

• The author uses imagery to engage the reader and pique his interest to make the reader want to read all the way to the satisfying conclusion.

• Within this engaging novel, the effective use of similes is the foundation for the theme of love.

• The author's use of indirect characterization helps to underscore the idea that independence is necessary in order to mature.

Open Ended

Are YOU feeling confident about your formal writing?