MLA Manuscript Format

1
MLA Manuscript Format

• From A Writers Reference
• by Diana Hacker
• http//www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/humanities/manus
  cript.html

2
Overview

• Page Set-up
• Titles
• Spacing and Indentation
• Quotations
• Pagination
• Punctuation
• Other Common Problems

3
Purpose

• These are the most common errors students make
  when formatting their papers
• Learning to follow one style guide makes it
  easier to adhere to others in various disciplines

4
Materials

• Use only white paper
• Use only black ink
• Use a paper clip to fasten pages (unless the
  instructor specifies a staple)
• Do not use a binder or folder unless specified by
  instructor

5
Headings

• No title page necessary
• Set 1 to 1 ½ margins at top and on sides
• Use File pull-down menu and select Page Setup

6
First Page

• At left margin, list on separate lines
• Your name
• Instructors name
• Course name and number
• Date
• Double Space the entire paper!

7
Titles

• Compose a title that is descriptive of the main
  idea in your paper
• Capitalize first word, last word, and all other
  words besides articles, prepositions, and
  coordinating conjunctions (see S3-c)
• Dont underline, quote, italicize or bold your
  own title

8
Double Spacing

• Click Format then Paragraph to find dialog
  box

9
Spacing

• Dialog Box will appear

• Select Double Space

• (Set indentation and tabs here also)

10
Indentation

• Indent each paragraph with one tab (five spaces)

• Do not add an extra return between paragraphs

11
Long Quotations (more than four typed prose
lines or three lines of poetry)

• Indent two tabs (ten spaces)
• Do not use quotation marks
• Double space just like the rest of the paper
• Place citation outside of punctuation (see P6-b)

12
Pagination

• Use the header function to place your last name
  and page number on each page
• Click view and header and footer

13
Pagination

• Type in your last name, space, then click on the
  symbol
• Do not use p., pg., , or any other symbol with
  your page numbers

14
Pagination
Link to Microsoft Word
15
Punctuation ellipses

• Leave a space between periods for an ellipsis
  mark
• The typing should look like this . . . and not
  thisso your reader can see the ellipsis clearly

16
Punctuation Dashes

• To type a dash, type two hyphens without a space
  before or after
• Typing like this . . . any work of
  literature--most specifically a novel--can be
  adapted into film . . . 
• Should turn out like this . . . any work of
  literaturemost specifically a novelcan be
  adapted into film . . . 

17
Caution

• Using only one hyphen connects, rather than
  separates the words
• . . . any work of literature-most specifically a
  novel-can be adapted into film . . .

18
Typing an Internet Address

• Remove the hyperlink if it is set automatically.
• Right-click the hyperlink you want to remove, and
  then click Remove Hyperlink.
• Add a space where you want to begin a new line,
  and the margins will remain consistent.

19
Subject Headings

• Check with your instructor before using internal
  headings in your paper
• Make sure the text of your paper includes smooth
  transitions in addition to the headings

20
Visuals(graphs, charts, maps, pictures)

• Label each visual (Table 1, Figure 4)
• If you cannot drop the visual into the text,
  create an appendix and refer to it in the text
• Visuals should always be referred to in the text
  and should not be expected to stand alone.

21
Sample Paper

• You can view a sample MLA formatted paper at the
  Diana Hacker website
• http//www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/humanities/pdf/
  dalypaper.pdf

22
Acknowledgements

• MLA Format Rules Hacker, Diana. A Writers
  Reference. New York Bedford/St.Martins, 2003.
  http//www.dianahacker.com/ writersref/
• For header function image http//www.utexas.edu/
  its/training/handouts/word/
• Good hypertextual site for many writing
  issuesespecially good for citing sources
  http//web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/ StartHere.html
• Good Microsoft Word Tutorial and place where I
  copied images for tool bars http//www.baycongrou
  p.com/wlesson1.htmtitle
• Other images from a good interactive Word
  tutorial site http//www.internet4classrooms.com/
  msword_toolbar.htm
• Page Setup Image header and footer image
  http//graduate.gradsch.uga.edu/help/numbering.htm
  
• Powerpoint Templates http//www.brainybetty.com/
  educators1.htm

23
Acknowledgements

• First Page Image http//home.earthlink.net/
  jlsterk/format.html
• Formatting Paragraphs Image (single space)
  http//www.qcc. mass.edu/booth/wordprocess.html
• Formatting Paragraphs Image (double space)
  http//ponce. inter.edu/acad/cdi/TutorialWord.html
  
• Header/footer images, paragraph pulldown
  http//www.word-medex.com.au/formatting/pagemsw60_
  mac.htm
• Indenting image http//www.oit.umass.edu/hds/docs
  / thesis/word2000/about-template.html
• Sample paper layout http//www2.gasou.edu/facstaf
  f/ jwalker/tutorials/mlaword.html