The document provides instructions for formatting sources in MLA style, including books, articles from academic journals or periodicals, and web sources, outlining the key information needed such as author, title, publisher, and date according to the source type. Rules are given for formatting titles, quotes, including block quotes, as well as citing sources parenthetically and creating works cited lists.

1. ADay
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4. Mustang Ford
by micampe @Flickr

5. Ford Mustang
by micampe @Flickr

6. from MLAHandbook.org

7. from MLAHandbook.org

8. Small Note:
‘Single Quotes’ are ONLY for showing
“quotes ‘within’ other quotes.”

9. Watch how the quotes work with
the comma and the period here. →
For MLA “style,” you do “this.” (Colons and
semicolons go outside the quotes, “though”; I’ve
shown that in this sentence. It’s a convention
that has to do with the way printers had to set
up their letters in the old days, so it’s a little
arbitrary. But it’s the convention.)

10. In Case of an Accident, What Do
You Need to Tell The Operator?
Who? What? When?
by Rigmarole @Flickr
Where? How?

11. Author. Title. City: Publisher,
Basic Book
Year. Form.
Author. Title. City: Publisher,Year. Print.
The periods block off major bits of data.

12. Author. Title. City: Publisher,
Basic Book
Year. Form.
Loblaw, Bob.
Loblaw, Bob, ed.
Loblaw, Bob, and Joe Schmoe.
Loblaw, Bob, and Joe Schmoe, eds.
Loblaw, Bob, Jr., and Joe Schmoe, Jr., eds.
Loblaw, Bob, Joe Schmoe, and Sallie Mae.
Loblaw, Bob, et al.
Anonymous source? Skip the author section.
Corporate source? Use the corporate name.

13. Author. Title. City: Publisher,
Basic Book
Year. Form.
Italics Are Acceptable but Potentially Confusing.
Italicize the Title.
If You’re Writing By Hand, Underline It.
“Quote Marks” Are NOT Acceptable for Book Titles!

14. Titles: If it encloses other stuff or stands alone, italicize.
If it is enclosed, use quotes.
Italicize Quotes
Book “Chapter”
Long Poem “Poem in a Collection”
CD “Song Title”
DVD “Chapter”
Magazine “Article Title”
Collection of Essays “Individual Essay”

15. Author. Title. City: Publisher,
Basic Book
Year. Form.
General Rule: Capitalize All the Important Words.
Specific Rules --> Do Not Capitalize These:
articles (a, an, the)
prepositions (aboard, about, above, etc.)
coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.)
“to” in infinitives (to Drive, to Walk, to Run, etc.)
UNLESS They’re the First Word in the Title!
OR They’re the First Word After a Colon in the Title!

16. Author. Title. City: Publisher,
Basic Book
Year. Form.
Spokane, WA: Dunder Mifflin Press, Inc., 2006. Print.
Spokane, WA: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. E-Book.
Seattle: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print.
NY: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print.
LA: Dunder Mifflin, 2006. Print.
Spokane, WA: Whitworth UP, 2006. Print.
Podunk, GA: U of Nowhere P, 2006. Print.

17. Author. Title. City: Publisher,
Basic Book
Year. Database or Website.
ONLINE
Form. Date of Access.
Loblaw, Bob. Awesome Book. Sunnydale, CA:
Penguin, 2007. Google Books. Web. 2 Nov.
2009.
Schmoe, Joe. Super Duper Book. Shermer, IL: Bueller
Brothers, 2002. Bueller E-ditions. Web. 2 Nov.
2009.

18. Article/ Author. “Article Title.” Collection
Chapter Title. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City:
Inside Book Publisher, Year. Pages.
For articles inside books.

19. Article/ Author. “Article Title.” Collection
Chapter Title. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City:
Inside Book Publisher, Year. Pages.
25-35.
25-35, 62.
23+.
100-12.
1045-56.
1045-115.

20. Article/ Author. “Article Title.” Collection
Chapter Title. Ed. Joe Schmoe. City:
Inside Book Publisher, Year. Pages.
ONLINE Database or Website. Form.
Date of Access.
Loblaw, Bob. “Awesome Article.” Awesome
Book. Ed. Willow Rosenberg. Sunnydale, CA:
Penguin, 2007. 22-42. Google Books. Web. 2
Nov. 2009.

21. Academic
Journals
For Articles from Academic Journals

22. Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Academic
Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages.
Journals
Print.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic
Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Print.

23. Academic Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Journals Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages.
from Database. Web. Date Accessed.
DATABASES
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic
Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
If There Are No Page Numbers Included:
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic
Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Literature Online.
Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

24. Academic Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Journals Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages.
from Database. Web. Date Accessed.
DATABASES
ources!
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” “onlin e” s
Academic
Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35.cess arily Search
Academic
Premier. Web. 2 Nov. ne
t2009.
s are no
ase
atab
If There d
from Are No Page Numbers Included:
cles
Arti Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic
Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Literature Online.
Web. 2 Nov. 2009.

25. Academic Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Journals Title Volume.Issue (Year): Pages.
ONLINE Web. Date Accessed.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic
Journal 22.3 (1987): 22-35. Web. 2 Nov.
2009.
If There Are No Page Numbers Included:
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Academic
Journal 22.3 (1987): n. pag. Web. 2 Nov.
2009.

26. Everyday
Periodicals
Everyday Magazines and Newspapers

27. Everyday Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Periodicals Title Date: Pages. Print.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday
Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: 6-17. Print.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday
Magazine Feb. 2007: 8-24. Print.
***Abbreviate All Months But May, June, and July.***

28. Everyday Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Periodicals Title Date: Pages. Database.
from Web. Date Accessed.
DATABASES
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday
Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: 6-17. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday
Magazine Feb. 2007: n. pag. LexisNexis. Web.
2 Nov. 2009.

29. Everyday Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Periodicals Title Date: Pages. Database.
from Web. Date Accessed.
DATABASES ces!
sour
onl ine”
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” “
arily Everyday
Magazine 12 Sep. 2007: nec ess Academic Search
t 6-17.
Premier. Web. s2are no 2009.
base Nov.
data “Super Duper Article.” Everyday
Schmoe, Joe.
from
clesMagazine Feb. 2007: n. pag. LexisNexis. Web.
Arti
2 Nov. 2009.

30. Everyday Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Periodicals Title Date: Pages. Print.
ONLINE Author. “Inside Title.” Publication
Title. Publisher, Date. Web.
Date Accessed.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Newsweek.
Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2007. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Schmoe, Joe. “Super Duper Article.” Everyday
Magazine. Bueller Brothers, Feb. 2007. Web.
2 Nov. 2009.

31. Information Needed for Web Sources
1.! Name of the author, compiler, director, editor, narrator, performer,
or translator of the work
2.! Title of the work
3.! Title of the overall Web site (italicized), if different than item 2
4.! Version or edition used
5.! Publisher or sponsor of the site; if not available, use N.p.
6.! Date of publication (day, month, and year, as available); if nothing is
available, use n.d.
7.! Medium of publication (Web)
8.! Date of access (day, month, and year)
See 14e!

32. Information Needed for Web Sources
Whole Website
NCAA.com. NCAA, 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Page From Website
NCAA. “Men’s Basketball.” NCAA.com.
NCAA, 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
SEE ALSO: 14e and 14f

33. Information Needed for Web Sources
Whole Blog
Loblaw, Bob. Bob Loblaw’s Law Blog. N.p.,
2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
Single Posting from Blog
Loblaw, Bob. “Charles Not in Charge.” Bob
Loblaw’s Law Blog. N.p., 15 Oct. 2007.
Web. 2 Nov. 2009.
SEE ALSO: 14e and 14f

34. Parenthetical (“In-Text”)
Citation for Fun and Profit
This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe 17).
This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe 17-18).
This sentence cites a fact from Schmoe (17-18).
This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe and Doe 17).
This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe, Doe, and Jones 18).
This sentence cites a fact (Schmoe et al. 18).
This cites a fact from an anonymous source (“Title” 27).
One of two works by one guy (Schmoe, “Title” 52).
One of two guys named Schmoe (J. Schmoe 52).

35. Direct Quotes and
Parenthetical Citation
Direct quote from Joe Schmoe:
“I like to be quoted. It’s like my dad always said,
‘Proper citation builds character, and it makes you
strong.’ Who doesn’t like being quoted?”
Some say good citation “builds character”(Schmoe 17).
As Schmoe says, “I like to be quoted” (17).
Schmoe says he “like[s] to be quoted” (17).
Schmoe likes “to be quoted” (17).
Schmoe asks, “Who doesn’t like being quoted?” (17).
Schmoe said, “It’s like my dad always said, ‘Proper citation
builds character’” (17).

36. Block Quotes
If you quote a lot of text--more than four printed lines--then
you insert a paragraph break and indent one inch. Like this:
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What
is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the
desperate city you go into the desperate country, and
have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and
muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is
concealed even under what are called the games and
amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for
this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of
wisdom not to do desperate things. (Thoreau 22)
The block quote, like the rest of your essay, should be
double spaced. It’s also in the same size font as the rest of
the essay. Don’t get fancy.

37. YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.
YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE. ” (22).
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in “q uiet d
YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.
i d, live
YOU hore au saNEED A BLOCK QUOTE.
RARELY
en, T RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.
Most m
YOU
YOU RARELY NEED A BLOCK QUOTE.
You don’t need to cite huge blocks of text.
Usually, you shouldn’t. Selectively cite just as
much as you need--and no more--working the
quote smoothly into the sentence.

38. ... You don’t need ellipses at the “ . . . start and
end of excerpted words . . . ” because, by
convention, we know that you’re cutting
words out of their context.
Only three dots in an ellipsis, with spaces
before, after, and in between.
Good discussion of the ellipsis at the
Grammar Girl site:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
ellipsis.aspx

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40. More examples and types of sources are available
in section 14 of the Little Penguin Handbook.
Be sure to take a look at the sample MLA-formatted
essay at 14h in the Little Penguin Handbook.