MLA Guidelines & Rules
In 2009, the Modern Language Association, or MLA, updated their
rules and guidelines on how to format the Works Cited page. We are adapting
to those changes at Clayton, and you'll see those updates on this page. For
further assistance, we recommend that you visit Purdue University's Online
Writing Lab (OWL).
An example paper:
Guidelines & Rules
Remember these overall guidelines:
1. Margins must be 1-inch.
2. Font must be Times New Roman and size 12 pt.
3. Text should be double-spaced.
4. Header with last name and page number must appear on all pages in the
upper right-hand
corner of each page, including the Works Cited page. Here are
directions:
5. In the upper left-hand corner, list your name, your teacher's name, the
course name, and the
due date in this order without punctuation:
day month
year. Again, make sure this is
double-spaced.
6. Center a creative, interesting title without altering the font by making it boldface or
larger. Do not put
quotation marks around the title either. See the example below.
7. Leave only one space after periods and other punctuation marks.
General Notes on Good Writing Practices:
1. Do not use personal pronouns (I, you, we, etc.) in formal essays or
research papers.
2. Do not talk directly to the reader.
3. Avoid "to be" verbs. These include: is, am, are, was, were, be, being,
been.
4. Avoid starting sentences with "There are" or "There is."
5. Do not use contractions like don't, can't, won't. Spell these
contractions out (do not, can not, will not, etc.).
Weeks 1
Catheryne Weeks
Mrs. Noel
English 3 - Block 1
03 January 2010
Is Motherhood Instinctive or Learned?
Hallmark cards and TV movies often depict loving mothers
tiny babies in their arms while cooing gently a sweet lullaby.
Viewers
smile and think, "Oh, how wonderful!" If every mother feels this way
while holding a baby, why are there so many babies and children
