How to Write MLA Styled Reference Paper
Writing a reference paper in the MLA style is not that difficult. You just have to follow certain basics and you can become a master of using MLA style.
First let us see how to set up a page:
- You shall have to title the fresh page as “Works Cited”. Bring it to the center near the top of the page. Now you have to hit the “return” or “enter” button 4 times to double space all the lines from there on.
- Use the left alignment and proceed to add entries. Now you have to arrange the references in alphabetical order by author, title, date of publication etc. Make sure that the most recent comes first. You will also have to indent the second and the following lines of any reference entry by 5 spaces.
- Remember to use abbreviations for all the months of publications. But use the full month names for May, June and July.
We have to now focus our attention on the type of reference cited. The different formats are given below:
For a Book:
- You shall have to type in the author’s name first. Remember to write the last name first. End the name with a period.
- The title of the book has to be underlined and closed with a period.
- Type in the place of publication and then insert a colon. Then write down the publisher’s name and put in a comma after that. Now you have to follow this with the year of publication and end it with a period.
- For example: California: Nonesuch, 2008.
For an article:
- Type the name of the author beginning with the last name. End this name with a full stop.
- Write the name of the article and end it with a period. Remember to give quotation marks around the title and make sure that the period is inside the quotation marks.
- Type in the name of the publication i.e. the source of the article. Underline this name and remember not to close it with a period.
- Write the volume number of the publication.
- After this you will have to put in the date of publication which should be enclosed in parentheses and followed by a colon. Example: (Jan 2008):
- Just after the colon mark, type the page number(s) where the article was found and then end the total reference with a period.
Watch a video instruction on how to write MLA styled reference paper
See also
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