Writing Center

Resources and handouts for the writing center

MLC Writing Rubric [PDF]
Plagiarism

The MLC Writing Rubric for Academic Papers

How to Write an Introduction (from LEO)
How to Write a Conclusion (from LEO)
Help with Paragraph Issues (from U of Victoria)
Guide to APA Style (from U of Wisconsin)
Guide to MLA Style (from Purdue OWL)
How to Organize a Paper (from LEO)
Punctuation with Commas (from LEO)
How to Use a Semicolon (from LEO)
How to Introduce Quotes and Paraphrases in Research Writing (from LEO)

What is an introduction?

An introduction is the first paragraph (or paragraphs) of any written work.

What is the function of an introduction?

An introduction:

captures your audience's attention.
gives background on your topic.
develops interest in your topic.
guides your reader to your thesis.

How can I write an introduction?

There are three basic ways to write an introduction:

You can write the introduction after you write the body of your essay.

You can write the introduction before you write the body of your essay.

You can rough out the introduction first and then focus and revise it once you have written your essay.

Many people write a rough draft and from that find out what their purpose really is and what they really believe. Then they revise the focus, language, or order of their introduction. This sequence -- of drafting an introduction and then revising and refining it once the body of the paper is sketched out -- is very common.

None of the above situations is better!

What goes on in an introduction?

There is no single right form for an introduction to take, but one common form that many writers use is the following:

The introduction begins with a broad statement about the main idea. This statement might suggest background or the general category to which the thesis idea belongs.

The next sentences are more specific, moving closer to the actual thesis of the essay.

The final sentence of an introduction often contains a fairly specific version of the main idea; it is the thesis statement.

Do all introductions have four sentences?

No, introductions can have a very few to many sentences, or even be more than one paragraph in length, depending on the length of your essay. In short, the actual number of sentences in an introduction is not important.

Strategies for Writing a Conclusion

Conclusions are often the most difficult part of an essay to write, and many writers feel that they have nothing left to say after having written the paper. A writer needs to keep in mind that the conclusion is often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion should be the best part of your paper.

A conclusion should

stress the importance of the thesis statement,

give the essay a sense of completeness, and

leave a final impression on the reader.

Suggestions

Answer the questions "So What?"

Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful.

Synthesize, don't summarize

Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together.

Redirect your readers

Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.

Create a new meaning

You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.

Strategies

Echoing the introduction:

Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay was helpful in creating a new understanding.

Example:

Introduction
From the parking lot, I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing stately against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even higher. From the left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I entered the gate, Main Street stretched before me with its quaint shops evoking an old-fashioned small town so charming it could never have existed. I was entranced. Disneyland may have been built for children, but it brings out the child in adults.
Conclusion
I thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time, leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.

Challenging the reader: By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives.

Example:

Though serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America's attempt to be a free and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges us to be interested and responsible citizens.

Looking to the future: Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally.

Example:

Without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.

Posing questions: Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning.

Example:

Campaign advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications and positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what a boob or knave the opposing candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a family person or God-fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating an informed electorate or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and soap?

This handout was written by Randa Holewa; Joe Mathison completed the html markup for the Write Place, St. Cloud State University: it was updated by Judith Kilborn.

Developing and Ordering Paragraphs

Developing The Paragraph

The Functions of Paragraphs

Paragraph Order

Paragraph Transitions

APA Documentation Guide

This section provides a quick resource for citing references in papers using the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2009).

For more information, visit the APA's web site: http://www.apastyle.org/

Orientation to APA

Parenthetical Citations

Reference List

Format and Headings

Usage and Style

pdf Download an APA overview

Index of the Writer's Handbook

Introduction

In this section, you will find many instructional materials we've developed for our Writing Center teaching.

However, there are limitations to these materials. Assignments vary, and different instructors want different things from student writers. Therefore, the advice here may or may not apply to your writing situation.

Finally, handouts can give only a fraction of the customized guidance that an individual conference with a Writing Center instructor can provide. If you have questions about the information in our handouts, please make an appointment to see a Writing Center instructor.

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

MLA Overview and Workshop

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

MLA Formatting Quotations

MLA Endnotes and Footnotes

MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format

MLA Works Cited Page: Books

MLA Works Cited: Periodicals

MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources

MLA Works Cited: Other Common Sources

MLA Additional Resources

MLA Abbreviations

MLA Sample Works Cited Page

MLA Sample Paper

MLA Tables, Figures, and Examples

MLA PowerPoint Presentation

Summary

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.

Contributors:Tony Russell, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli, Russell Keck
Last Edited: 2012-01-31 01:51:34

To see a side-by-side comparison of the three most widely used citation styles, including a chart of all MLA citation guidelines, see the Citation Style Chart.

General Format

MLA style specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using the English language in writing. MLA style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages.

Writers who properly use MLA also build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material by other writers.

If you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition). Publishing scholars and graduate students should also consult the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd edition). The MLA Handbook is available in most writing centers and reference libraries; it is also widely available in bookstores, libraries, and at the MLA web site. See the Additional Resources section of this handout for a list of helpful books and sites about using MLA style.

Paper Format

The preparation of papers and manuscripts in MLA style is covered in chapter four of the MLA Handbook, and chapter four of the MLA Style Manual. Below are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style.

General Guidelines

Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are recognizable one from another. The font size should be 12 pt.

Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).

Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.

Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.

Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.)

Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis.

If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. Entitle the section Notes (centered, unformatted).

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper

Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested.

In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.

Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.

Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking"

Double space between the title and the first line of the text.

Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number; number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)

Suggested Resources

-MLA Guide

-APA Guide

-How to Navigate the New OWL

Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:

This image shows the first page of an MLA paper.

Image Caption: The First Page of an MLA Paper

Section Headings

Writers sometimes use Section Headings to improve a document’s readability. These sections may include individual chapters or other named parts of a book or essay.

Essays

MLA recommends that when you divide an essay into sections that you number those sections with an arabic number and a period followed by a space and the section name.

1. Early Writings

2. The London Years

3. Traveling the Continent

4. Final Years

Books

MLA does not have a prescribed system of headings for books (for more information on headings, please see page 146 in the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd edition). If you are only using one level of headings, meaning that all of the sections are distinct and parallel and have no additional sections that fit within them, MLA recommends that these sections resemble one another grammatically. For instance, if your headings are typically short phrases, make all of the headings short phrases (and not, for example, full sentences). Otherwise, the formatting is up to you. It should, however, be consistent throughout the document.

If you employ multiple levels of headings (some of your sections have sections within sections), you may want to provide a key of your chosen level headings and their formatting to your instructor or editor.

Sample Section Headings

The following sample headings are meant to be used only as a reference. You may employ whatever system of formatting that works best for you so long as it remains consistent throughout the document.

Numbered:

1. Soil Conservation

1.1 Erosion

1.2 Terracing

2. Water Conservation

3. Energy Conservation

Formatted, unnumbered:

Level 1 Heading: bold, flush left

Level 2 Heading: italics, flush left

Level 3 Heading: centered, bold

Level 4 Heading: centered, italics

Level 5 Heading: underlined, flush left

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/). Contributors:Tony Russell, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli, Russell Keck Last Edited: 2012-01-31 01:51:34. "MLA Formatting and Style Guide. " The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 March, 2012.

How To Organize a Paper

I'm having problems getting started.

I'm not sure how to write the kind of paper my teacher assigned.
I'd like to see some guidelines on time management and steps for writing a paper.
I'm overwhelmed and don't know where to begin working on my paper.
I need some new strategies for generating ideas.
I would like strategies for starting particular types of papers.
How do I get started writing a book or film review?

I'm never sure about where commas go.

I use too many commas.
I use too few commas.
I use a comma wherever I would pause in speaking.
I'd like to see an overview of comma rules.

Punctuation with Commas

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, or, but, nor, yet, for, so) that separates two independent clauses.

State censorship boards flourished, but the pressure groups wanted a more comprehensive ban on objectionable material.

Traditional classroom methods are under fire from educators nationwide, and many are advocating that methods for individualizing instruction be incorporated into K-12 curricula.

Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or clause that comes before a main clause.

words

Strangely, no one has suggested that Watergate gave us a "new Nixon."

Nevertheless, many critics of the new administration point to its inability to develop a coherent strategy for decreasing the budget deficit.

phrases

In addition to television's influence, some parents and teachers ascribe children's diminished drive to play to recent changes in the elementary school curriculum.

Despite immigrant's high hopes, their illusions were often shattered.

clauses

Since the new system was implemented, payroll has been processed 25% faster than it had been using the prior system.

As they move through the twilight world of big-time narcotics, Crockett and Tubbs constantly break the law to do their jobs.

Use commas around words, phrases, and clauses in the middle of a sentence when they aren't essential to the meaning of the sentence.

words

By "imagination," then, I mean the free intellectual and sensory play of the mind.

Numerous studies, however, have shown that negative reinforcment affects self-image more extensively than does positive reinforcement.

phrases

This was not, in other words, an invisible 56 percent of the population.

Karl Marx, an important nineteenth-century sociologist, believed in his role as a social thinker to change the world.

clauses

Senator McGilvery, who is a Democrat from Rhode Island, dealt fully and responsibly with the controversy his new child care bill sparked.

Newspeak, which greatly reduced people's vocabularies, lessened their ability to understand scientific words.

Use commas between items in a series.

words

The frigid, snowy, windy day was typical of Minnesota in January.

Bald eagles, ospreys, herons, mergansers, and kingfishers are native to this area.

phrases

As more and more anti-smoking laws are passed, we see droves of would-be non-smokers chomping on Nicorettes, gnawing peppermints, chewing pencils, knitting sweaters, or practicing self-hypnosis.

Three reasons for the closing were insufficient enrollment, poor instructional materials, and inadequate funds.

clauses

Though dogs are messy and hard to train, though they chew up my shoes and give me the blues, though they howl like wolves but jump at their own shadows, though they eat me out of house and home, I still find them a necessary part of my existence.

If the procedure is carefully planned, if that plan is followed with skill and precision, and if the results are carefully analyzed and professionally presented, we might receive the research award.

Use commas before and after a quotation within a sentence.

"Cooperation between government and industry," the president said, "must exist if the country is to prosper."

The band leader said, "Once the simple marching drill is learned, we will work on more maneuvers."

Use a comma before an afterthought or contrasting element.

afterthought For Canada, the War of 1812 was vitally important, far more important than it was for Britain.

contrasting element

To understand a particular culture, we must consider the society as a whole, not its individual parts.

Use commas to set off geographical names, items in date, and professional titles.

geographical names	The speaker that day was from Atlanta, Georgia; she discussed the discrimination against blacks which still exist there.
items in dates	Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky.
professional titles	Stephanie Glenn, Ph.D., will be the main speaker at the banquet.

My teacher says I use, "comma splices", "fused sentences", and "run-ons."

Comma Splices, Fused Sentences, and Run-ons

Comma splice

Comma splices, fused sentences, and run-ons are three types of mechanical errors created by incorrectly joining independent clauses. (An independent clause is a group of words which contains a subject and verb, expresses a complete thought, and can be a sentence.)

A comma splice is an error caused by joining two independent clauses with only a comma. Oftentimes, the subject of the second sentence is this, that, these, or those.

Incorrect

Corrected

Fused sentence

A fused sentence is an error caused by running two independent clauses together with no separation at all.

Incorrect

Corrected

Run-on

A run-on sentence is an error caused by joining two or more independent clauses with only a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet).

Incorrect

Corrected

Strategies for Correcting These Errors

You can separate the clauses with a period.

You can join the clauses with a semicolon.

You can connect the clauses with a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb followed by a comma.

You can connect the clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction.

You can use a subordinator to make one clause dependent upon another.

How to Use a Semicolon

The following rules and examples will help you know when and where to use the semicolon as a punctuation mark.

Use a semicolon to combine two very closely related complete sentences.

Toni Morrison uses parabolic storytelling in her writing; she seldom writes in a linear mode.

Many people believe the state quarters released from the United States Mint will be valuable someday; although this is possible, the coins may also turn out to be worth no more than their actual value of 25 cents.

Use a semicolon along with a conjunctive adverb and a comma to clarify the relationship between two closely related complete sentences. Conjunctive adverbs include however, therefore, in addition, moreover, subsequently, consequently, instead, and additionally.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is in danger of falling over; however, engineers are trying to stabilize its foundation.

The Five Nations respects the abilities of all its people therefore both women and men participate in making tribal decisions.

Use a semicolon to separate a series of phrases or clauses that are long or have punctuation, like commas, within them.

In Walden, Henry David Thoreau encourages individuals to find their own way of life rather than conforming to the ideas of others; to seek the truth and beauty of life in nature; and to learn about themselves and the world by experiencing life instead of just studying it.

The University's community outreach committee was led by three individuals: Erica Hunt, a full-time student; Dave Woods, a Center for Information Media administrator and Joyce Wilkins, a business professor.

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How to Introduce Quotes and Paraphrases in Research Writing

Using Introductory Tags in Research Writing

An introductory tag introduces a quote by providing the authority's name and a strong verb:

Authority's Name + Strong Verb = "Introductory Tag"

Verbs used in an introductory tag should be chosen according to meaning. Be careful to avoid subtle meaning changes; "to admit" does not mean the same as "to express."

Common Verbs Used in Introductory Tags

acknowledges	comments	expresses	speculates
admits	considers	insists	states
affirms	criticizes	mentions	submits
argues	declares	proposes	suggests
asks	defends	refers	testifies
believes	explains	reveals	writes

Examples

Quotation

Eisenhower admitted in retrospect that Sputnik had created two problems: the "near hysteria" of the American people and the need "to accelerate missile and satellite perspectives" (211).

Paraphrase

In his memoirs, Eisenhower claims to have been kept silent because of the confidentiality of government secrets (225).

Note: When referring to something written by a deceased authority, always use present tense. When referring to something that was said by a deceased authority, use the past tense. Examples are shown above.

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Martin Luther College

Writing Center

Resources and handouts for the writing center

The MLC Writing Rubric for Academic Papers

What is an introduction?

What is the function of an introduction?

How can I write an introduction?

What goes on in an introduction?

Do all introductions have four sentences?

Strategies for Writing a Conclusion

Developing and Ordering Paragraphs

APA Documentation Guide

Index of the Writer's Handbook

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

How To Organize a Paper

I'm having problems getting started.

I'm never sure about where commas go.

My teacher says I use, "comma splices", "fused sentences", and "run-ons."

Incorrect

Corrected

Incorrect

Corrected

Incorrect

Corrected

How to Use a Semicolon

How to Introduce Quotes and Paraphrases in Research Writing

Resources

Tools