RULES FOR WRITINGMLA

Numbers

SPELL OUT all numbers of one or two words or those that begin a sentence. It’s been eight years since I visited Peru. I own twenty-eight acres. One hundred fifty children in our

program need dental treatment. USE FIGURES for numbers that

require more than two words to spell out. I counted 176 DVDs on the shelf.

How to Name the Author

When referring to the author, introduce him/her using both first and last names, but from then on, refer to the author by last name only! First name implies familiarity on a

personal level, and unless you are personal friends with the author, don’t use first names!

Discard Words

If you can say what you need to say without some words in your sentence (usually “that” and “which,” but sometimes “had”), take them out. (On the subject of “that” versus “which,” usually, you’ll use “that” far more often.)

“She knew that the referee would arrive shortly.”

Number Agreement

Your noun-pronoun numbers must agree. If you speak of “someone,” you cannot then refer to that one person as “they” in the next phrase. It must be “he/she/one.” Singular. If you want your pronoun to be “they”, you must first refer to them as “people.” “This really forces people to register

these words in their heads and will make them think of the message whenever they think of progressing with their own lives.”

“This” When stating something in one

sentence, then referring to it as “this” in the subsequent sentence, you must identify what “this” is. In this article, Johnson tries to convey that

both reading and video games can prove beneficial activities for everyone. He shows us this by giving the virtues. . . . We need to see, “He shows us this message

by. . . .” Think of the period between the two sentences as a wall that you cannot see over. We need to know what you’re talking about.

Titles

Book. Anthology. Movie. Television Show. Musical Album.

“Short Story.” “Work within.” “Episode title.” “Song.” “Poem.”

Contractions

DON’T USE THEM!!!! Doesn’t – Does not Don’t – Do not Wouldn’t – Would not Couldn’t – Could not Etc. . .

Punctuation and Quotes

End punctuation always goes inside the quotations marks “Several doctors put up $255,000 for the

program.” (punctuation inside quotes) The exception is citing a source

immediately after the quote, in which case, the end punctuation goes after the citation. “Reading is the foundation on which all

learning will grow” (Singleton 10). (punctuation outside quotes because of citation)