WHO SHOULD USE MLA?

MLA Style is typically reserved for writers and students preparing manuscripts in various humanities disciplines such as:

• English Studies – Language and Literature
• Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Literary Criticism
• Comparative Literature
• Cultural Studies

MLA FORMATTING AND NOTATION STYLE

You should start by becoming familiar with the general formatting requirements of MLA Style, as well as the different standards for notation that MLA writers are expected to use. Because MLA is different than other writing styles, such as APA, you should pay attention to every detail of the Style, from general paper layout to abbreviations. The following pages will introduce you to some of these basic requirements to get you started in the right direction.

GENERAL FORMAT

• Covers the basic requirements of page layout for a typical MLA manuscript
• Includes general guidelines to apply throughout the document and specific formatting details for the first page of the paper
• Provides an image of the first page of a sample essay written in MLA Style

FOOTNOTES AND ENDNOTES

• Explains the necessity for using both types of notes and how to use them effectively in an MLA paper
• Covers different reasons for why you may use a footnote or endnote to supplement the main body of your paper
• Describes how to number and format the notes to be consistent with MLA guidelines

FORMATTING QUOTATIONS

• Describes how to format quotations borrowed from secondary sources
• Addresses both short quotations worked into the writer’s own sentences and long quotations that are blocked off as distinct material
• Explains how to omit or add in words properly to clarify the meaning of a quotation

ABBREVIATIONS

• Covers MLA standards for abbreviating words commonly used in academic prose
• Describes the different categories of abbreviations: times, locations, academic references, and publishers
• Includes guidelines for abbreviating information in citations on a Works Cited page

MLA CITATIONS AND WORKS CITED PAGE

As with any publishing style, the most difficult aspects of MLA Style are the requirements for citing secondary sources accurately. The pages included here walk you through the details of incorporating citations into the text of your paper as well as how to compose a Works Cited page of references at the end of your paper. Read these guidelines carefully. It is important that you refer to your sources according to MLA Style so your readers can quickly follow the citations to the reference page and then, from there, locate any sources that might be of interest to them. They will expect this information to be presented in a particular style, and any deviations from that style could result in confusing your readers.

HOW TO DOCUMENT SOURCES IN MLA STYLE: AN OVERVIEW

• Covers the process for developing Works Cited pages and in-text citations using MLA (9th ed.)
• Explains “containers,” a concept new to the eighth edition, including how to apply them to develop citations

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