week 11 chapter 56 mla formatting

Adam Cole
Lauren Servais
English 100 on Line
4 April 2010
Chapter 56 summary
I chose chapter 56 for a couple of reasons. First off, it is what most of our teachers want us to write in. the second is I never really heard of it until I started going back to college, and yes I decided to start at the age of forty five. Actually everything is pretty much fascanating for me right now. My tag line that I have borrowed from the incredible Tom Matano is “always inspired” and I do believe that I truly am always inspired. But enough about that. Back to M.L.A.
M.L.A. stands for Modern Language Association. Its most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. M.L.A. is an excellent set of guidelines to follow when writing a paper. It provides a very clear way to write a paper that in turn allows the reader to get through your information provided with a clear and consistent path.
You should always start with a good quality 8 ½” x 11” sheet of white paper. And although M.L.A. does not require a title page, your instructor might so make sure you know what your teacher requires. On the upper left of your first paper you will need to put your mane, followed by your teachers’ name, the class and then the date, all on their own separate lines. If there are more than one page, you will need to place your name in the upper right corner of each page along with the page no. margins of one inch on all sides with left align text. Then double space your lines. The layout is as simple as that.
One of M.L.A.’s greatest values is that of giving credit where credit is due. When properly used, writers can build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material. Along with this, it also helps writers defeat accusations of plagiarism for those who go on to write research papers. Chapter 56b has an excellent example of a well written paper to follow, written by Anna Orlov. Be sure to read the side notes as they give key points of much interest.
I enjoy using M.L.A. writing because it is an easy set of rules to follow. I will continue to use this style as my teachers call for it and hope they continue to do so.