Student first and last name
Instructor’s name
Course number (including section number)
Due Date (Ex: 18 May 2012)
An Original Title Goes Here (centered, with no quotation marks)
This essay demonstrates the format elements required by Modern Language Association (MLA) and follows the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers eighth edition. This is applicable for English Composition essays. All the necessary information regarding student name and class goes in the upper left hand corner of the first page. Notice all text, including heading and title, is double-spaced, the page has one-inch margins all around, and no extra blank lines are included between paragraphs. The type face used in this essay is Times New Roman, 12 point, with “one space after periods” (“MLA Formatting”). MLA style calls for indented paragraphs. Indent each new paragraph using the TAB key. MSWord defaults to an indent of ½ inches — approximately seven spaces. 
In order to create a recurring header with student last name and page number at the top right corner of each page, look under the Insert tab in Microsoft Word for the Page Number icon. Click on it, and choose the Top of Page option. Then select the Plain Number 3 option, which shows the page number in the upper right corner of the sample page. Type the last name, and put a space between it and the number 1. Click on Close Header and Footer, or double click the cursor below the header line. The student’s name should appear as a header on each successive page with a corresponding page number after it.
The organization of the essay will most likely follow a standard format which includes an introductory paragraph (the beginning), several body paragraphs (the middle), and a conclusion (the end). The introductory paragraph introduces the subject, generates interest in the topic, establishes the writer’s perspective, and ends with the essay’s purpose defined in a thesis statement. “A thesis statement tells the reader what to expect, summarizes the essay’s focus, and identifies the supporting points” (Giddings). Subsequent body paragraphs support the thesis by providing main points with accompanying minor points, all directly connected to the development of the thesis, or purpose, of the paper. Closure is accomplished in the concluding paragraph, which may restate the thesis and the essay’s main points depending on the paper’s focus. 
When using materials to support ideas, it is necessary to indicate where the information came from. This is true if using direct quotes or if paraphrasing someone else’s work, ideas, and/or statements; this can be an author, an expert, or someone known personally. In a study on plagiarism, Angela Walker “explored the possibility that unintentional plagiarism was related to misunderstanding the definition of plagiarism” (387). Borrowed material must be linked to its source, and credit given where credit is due. This is necessary not just when using exact words, but when using the ideas and statements that come from others. Plagiarism is using someone else’s work while presenting it as one’s own (Kelly and Lawton 70). Consequently, in-text citations as well as a Works Cited page must be included in the essay. 
	An in-text citation is found in the body of the essay directly after the quoted or paraphrased material, and there are two types. The first is used when the author’s name is not mentioned in the phrase that introduces the quote. When this happens, the citation includes the last name of the author and the page number of the text where the quote was found. For example, reading has varying importance for different people; some read “with equal parts joy and desperation” (Alexie 18). If, on the other hand, the author’s name is used when introducing the quote, then only the page number is included in the citation. For example, Amy Tan explains, “language is the tool of my trade” (396). This is the second type of in-text citation, and the use of the author’s name before the quote is a signal phrase. There may be times when a source without an author is used. In those cases, use an abbreviated title of the article or website so it can be easily identified on the Works Cited page (“MLA Formatting”). Keep in mind that the parenthetical citation should not appear in the middle of the sentence, but “at the end of the sentence” (Lunsford 374). Notice there is no comma or any indication like p. or pg. in the citation, and the citation occurs before the period.  More specific directions concerning citations are in the MLA Documentation section of The Little Seagull. 
Some citations are too large to insert into the body paragraphs and must be off-set with special formatting. A general rule of thumb is to block any quotation that is more than four full lines of text. When signaling the blocked quotation, be sure to use a colon to indicate such:
Every line in the block quote should be 5 spaces into the indent (1/2 inch, use the ruler as formatted in this document). In MLA, the blocked quote is always double-spaced, with no quotation marks around it. "At least, there aren't any quotes around it unless you have a quotation within that quotation," remarks Max Brooks. Do not forget to include the parenthetical citation after the quote. (Hokanson 1)
Note that the citation in a block quotation comes after the period. If the quote includes more than one paragraph, indent each paragraph by an additional half inch. Resume normal margins (no indent) once returning to the paragraph. It is best to almost always have additional text after the blocked quotation in order to avoid having a quotation floating within the text. Including one’s own words after a block quote will ensure analysis when incorporating that quotation into the essay.
Immediately following the last page of the essay text is the Works Cited page(s). Begin by centering the words “Works Cited” on the first line, and include all of the information about the text cited in the body of the paper according to a prescribed format. The format differs depending on the kind of text cited (book, periodical, edited collection, electronic source), so it is best to always consult the MLA Documentation section of The Little Seagull before writing citations. Students may want to consider using the Bedford Bibliographer to assist with constructing and formatting bibliographic information.  Simply Internet search “Bedford Bibliographer.” It is a free service, but it is necessary to create an account to get started.
 The first line on the Works Cited page should begin at the left margin, and all subsequent lines of that citation should be indented ½ inch; this is called a hanging indent in many word processing programs. It can usually be found in the paragraph format menu of the word processing software. The font remains the same as the body of the paper and all citations are double-spaced. Be sure that the entries are arranged in alphabetical order according to the first letter of the first part of each entry; typically, this is the first letter of the author's last name, but not always. This is true with sources where the author is unknown and placement of the citation depends on the first letter of the title. “Hanging indention makes alphabetical listings easier to use” (Modern Language). 
One of the most recent changes to MLA format is that the medium the source comes from, such as Print, Web, Television, or Personal Interview, is no longer required. The title of an article has quotation marks around it and the period goes inside the quotation mark. All titles of complete works, like books, periodicals, or movie titles, must be italicized; underlining is no longer used. MLA guidelines do require a DOI or URL in a Web site citation (DOI preferred, when available). For Web sites, look carefully to see who publishes, or sponsors, the Web site and the date the article was posted or the last time the Web site was updated (Hokanson 1). If the publisher is the same as the website name, only mention that website name once instead of listing it twice (once as the website name, once as the publisher name) (Russell). The n.d. in an entry means no date was found. The last date in each entry for electronic sources is the date it was accessed. 
While this guide is intended to help students use the MLA conventions in their college courses, individual instructors may require specific features that differ from those summarized here and detailed in The Little Seagull. Therefore, students are advised to consult with their instructors regarding specific course requirements related to MLA style papers. 

Works Cited
Alexie, Sherman. “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me.” 50 Essays, 	edited by Samuel Cohen, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011, pp. 15-18.
Cohen, Samuel, editor. 50 Essays. 3rd ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 
Giddings, Larry. Crafting a Thesis Statement. Youtube. 13 Mar. 2012. https://www .youtube.com/watch?v=ef6y2yMlLpU. Accessed 5 Feb 2018.
Hokanson, Peter. “Works Cited Zombies.” Pikes Peak Community College Writing 
Center Format Sample. 2011. Print.
Kelly, William J. and Deborah L. Lawton. Odyssey From Paragraph to Essay. 
Longman, 2008.
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer. 4th ed, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010.
Modern Language Association. “FAQ About the MLA Handbook.” MLA, 02 Mar. 2012, 
	https://www.mla.org/Publications/MLA-International-Bibliography/Frequently-	Asked-Questions. Accessed 12 May 2012.
Russell, Tony, et al. “MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications).” The 	Purdue Owl, 2017, https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/. 	Accessed 5 Feb. 2018. 
Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” 50 Essays, edited by Samuel Cohen, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011, pp. 396-402.
Walker, Angela. “Preventing Unintentional Plagiarism: A Method for Strengthening                                           
           Paraphrasing Skills.” Journal of Instructional Psychology, vol. 35, no. 4,
          Dec. 2008, pp. 387-395. Academic Search Complete, www.ebscohost.com. 	Accessed 16 May 2012. 
 (This style guide was adapted for Pikes Peak Community College, Spring 2018, SDK and RHP.)