Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DEVELOPING IDEAS
Important Conventions
Give your essay an interesting and meaningful title.
Comparative Paragraph
vs.
The American Dream: Dismantling Preconceived
Notions of Success
Important Conventions
Double space the essay. Leave a 1-inch margin on all sides.
Type in 12pt font, Times New Roman.
Include your last name and page number in a header at the
Teacher Name
Date
Important Conventions
Hand in prewriting and process work.
Important Conventions
Be aware of your reader, who cannot
Important Conventions
Write your essay using objective tone and formal
Important Conventions
Use present tense verbs when discussing works of
literature.
Important Conventions
Use transitions (words and phrases) to guide your
Important Conventions
Use in-text citations for ALL references, paraphrases,
Style Considerations
is trying/ is demonstrating => weak progressive
inferences.
Speculation suggests a different way the text could have
turned:
Using quotations
Quote phrases (two to three words) not sentences.
are the sign posts to where you found the authors words.
(2) If you are working with a single text, include the author's
name the first time you cite a work, but there is no need to
repeat the name later in your paperas long as your context
makes clear what work you are citing.
(3) Do not change the size, style, or font of the quotation to
make it stand out on the page.
(4) Choose quotations carefully and sparingly.
(5) Use the smallest number of words possible in each
quotation. Remember that in a critical literary analysis, you
are supporting interpretations based on a writers diction,
style, patterns of imagery, elements of contrast. Long
quotations obscure the significant words.
http://library.concordia.ca/help/howto/mla.php?gui
d=website
Another resource: The MLA Handbook for Writers
of Research Papers