From the MLA Style Center, these sample papers were written by MLA staff members who are experienced college teachers.
First-year course in expository writing
This paper, on assisted reproductive technology and the family, includes an example of using ellipses when omitting words from a quoted source. For more on ellipses, see the MLA Handbook (1.3.5).
Second-year course in African American studies
This paper, on Jacob Lawrence’s Migration series, shows you how to incorporate figures into your text, style a block quotation, and cite a variety of sources. Read about block quotations in the MLA Handbook (1.3.2–3, 1.3.7).
Fourth-year course in English literature
This paper, on Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park and the courtship novel, features examples of how to use notes in MLA style, cite a dictionary definition, and more.
Offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page. Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).
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