instructor: Jentery Sayers 
~ classroom: smi 309 
& ougl 101 ~ TTh: 9:30-11:20
MLA Documentation
The Modern Language Association (MLA) establishes parameters for proper documentation of sources for writing in the humanities. The following is only a brief overview of MLA documentation. Consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and/or The Everyday Writer for more information.
A citation is when you recognize the source of your information. In MLA, an in-text
citation is written in parentheses at the end of your sentence or paragraph. Cite when you:
- Quote directly
- Paraphrase
- Summarize
- Use someone’s ideas, which are not common knowledge, or
- Cite statistics.
Use the person’s last name if you do not attribute the quote. (Note how the period is after the parentheses.)
- Direct quote - “Don’t eat ice cream” (Sayers 15), he claims.
- Paraphrase - Someone even claims you shouldn’t eat ice cream (Sayers 15).
Use only the page number if you include the person’s name. (Note how the period is after the parentheses.)
- Direct quote - Jentery Sayers says: “Don’t eat ice cream” (15).
- Paraphrase - Jentery Sayers suggests that you shouldn’t eat ice cream (15).
Other important MLA info:
- Titles of books, films, and albums should be in italics in the text.
- Titles of articles/essays, chapters, and songs should be in quotes.
- A quote within a quote should use a single quotation mark for the “inner quote.” For example: “Jentery says, ‘Don’t eat ice cream’” (Smith 26).
- If you alter a quote, use brackets to insert the alteration. For example: “Don’t eat [it]” (Sayers 15), he claims. Alterations should not alter the original meaning.
- If you cite something in one paragraph, you need not repeat the name for additional quotes from the same source. For example: “Don’t eat ice cream ” (Sayers 15). He then goes on to say, “Don’t drink it, either” (16).
- If a quote is longer than three lines, you must double indent on the left margin, and you do not use quotation marks.
For more, visit the The OWL at Purdue's MLA Formatting and Style Guide . It's a great, in-depth resource!
uw english | jentery at u.washington.edu
