For further explanation, visit our online handout about the MLA formatting style.
Where should I put the page number?
Top left corner
Bottom center
Top right corner
Bottom right corner
Starting at the top, in what order should the items in the header be listed?
Student's name, teacher's name, class, and date.
Date, student's name, class, and teacher's name.
Student's name, date, teacher's name, and class.
Student's name, class, date, and teacher's name.
The title should be centered and bolded.
True
False
How should I structure a block quotation?
Indent the left side of the first line only, single-space the quotation, and include the in-text citation at the end.
Indent the left side of all lines, double-space the quotation, and include the in-text citation at the end.
Indent both sides of all lines, double-space the quotation, and leave out the in-text citation.
Indent both sides of all lines, single-space the quotation, and include the in-text citation at the end.
How do I add or omit information from a quotation?
Add or omit without marking your changes because readers can go to the source if they really want to see the original.
Use parentheses around the information you add and ellipses for information you omit.
Bold the information you add, and insert ellipses for information you omit.
Use brackets around the information you add and ellipses enclosed in brackets for information you omit.
For in-text citations, both the author's last name and the page number need to be listed.
True
False
I should end my sentence with a period before using a regular in-text citation.
True
False
If I include the author's last name in my sentence, then I do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.
True
False
What should I do if no author is given for the work I am citing?
Omit the author's name and list only the page number.
Use "anonymous" in place of the author's name.
Use the year of publication in place of the author's name.
Use an abbreviated form of the title in place of the author's name.
In the works cited, I should include all the sources I read, regardless of whether I cited them in the paper or not.
True
False
Sources listed in a works cited page should be alphabetized.
True
False
How do I format the works cited pages?
The first line of each source should be flush against the left side, while the second line (if any) should be indented one-half inch. The entire page should be double spaced.
All lines of each source should be flush against the left side. The entire page should be double spaced.
All lines of each source should be centered and single spaced.
The first line of each source should be flush against the left side, while the second line should be indented one-half inch. There should be two spaces between each entry; the entries themselves should be single spaced.
In the works cited list, how should I cite a work that has more than three authors?
List only the first author's name.
List all authors' initials.
List all authors' names in alphabetical order.
List the first author followed by et al.
What is wrong with the following citation? Jupiter, Janie and Suellen Powers. The Nitty Gritty Lit Book. New York: Banter Press, 1991.
The title of the book should be underlined or italicized.
Initials should be used for the authors' names.
Page numbers need to be listed for a book.
Instead of a colon, there should be a comma.
What is wrong with the following citation? Allan, Joseph. "How the Americans Made Sugar in the West." Journal of American History (1986) 23: 245-257.
Initials should be used for the author's name.
Page numbers do not need to be listed for an article.
The year should come after the volume number.
There needs to be a period immediately after the journal title.