Reading maketh a full man . . . . . Speaking maketh a ready man . . . . . Writing maketh an exact man.

~~Sir Francis Bacon

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Titles in MLA Format --Due Friday, March 28, 2014 (5P Saint FI14)

I am looking forward to reading your 5P Saint Essays!
And . . . . I have great info to share.  Check-out this wonderful resource! 


DEALING WITH TITLES IN MLA FORMAT
by Dr. Harold William Halbert


The conventions of properly marking a title in MLA style can seem confusing, but the basic issues deal with 1) capitalization and 2) marking the title.

Capitalization:
The standard conventions for capitalizing a title in MLA style are straightforward:

  • The first letter of every word is capitalized except for articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions.
  • Articles ("a," "an," and "the"), coordinating conjunctions ("for," "and," "nor," "but," "or," "yet," and "so"), and prepositions (words such as "on," "above," "below," "to," "throughout," etc.) are NOT capitalized.
  • The first word is always capitalized, regardless of if it is an article or preposition.
Note that sometimes writers encounter titles that do not follow these conventions while conducting research. Databases often capitalize the entire title of an article or book, while other types of "styles" (like the AP style or the APA style) only capitalize the first word. You must change the capitalization of the title to MLA style if you reference the title of a work in your paper.

Marking the Title:
 There are three possible ways to mark a title: the use of underlining/italics, quotation marks, or no mark at all. The following general rules of thumb may help writers conceptualize the difference between the three demarcations:

  • Underline or italicize large works or works that contain other works.
  • Use quotation marks on shorter works.
  • Do not mark sacred texts or political documents such as laws, acts, treaties, or declarations.
The following chart offers specific types of texts and their demarcations:

Underline/Italic Quotation Marks No Marks
Novels, books, anthologies Short stories, essays, and chapter titles. Religious texts
Magazines, newspapers, and journals Individual articles
Films, TV shows, radio programs Individual episodes of shows or programs
Web sites Individual web pages
Epic poems Regular poems
Pamphlets or sermons

Albums, named symphonies, ballets Individual songs Numbered musical compositions
Painting, sculptures

Names of specific ships, spacecraft, or aircraft
Type of ship, spacecraft, or aircraft

Lectures
Supreme Court Cases
Legal documents, treaties, acts, and declarations

Note that underlining and italics signify the same type of mark. 

Many traditional professors prefer underling because when the 
 MLA guidelines were first established, italics was not available on typewriters.  

Never use BOTH italics and underlining.

Your Own Title:
Your own title for papers and other writings should follow the MLA rules on capitalization. Do not use italics, underlining, or quotation marks on it. Instead, it should appear centered one single-spaced line below the identification information and one single-spaced line above the first line of the paper. Do not increase the font size.

Titles in Titles:
If a title contains another title within it, confusion can occur. Follow the following rules to avoid confusion:

  • An underlined title in an underlined title requires that the line be removed from internal title (example: Understanding The Sun Also Rises).
  • A quoted title inside a quoted title requires the use of single quotation marks around the internal title (example: "The Dandy in Cather's 'Paul's Case'").


http://faculty.mc3.edu/hhalbert/shared/titles_MLA_style.html
Owned by Dr. Harold William Halbert
Based on MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th Edition)
Others are welcome to use this document provided credit is given to me.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Due Friday, March 21, 2014 (3PSaint & FI#13)

Vocabulary Test next week! 


For our future reference:


CHILDREN'S SUBMISSIONS:
http://www.cricketmag.com/14-Submission-Guidelines--Childrens-%28Students%29-Writing-and-Art
Partial info from website:
Listed below are publications that do publish student work. If you wish to contact them, be sure to enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Stone Soup
Children’s Art Foundation
Box 83
Santa Cruz, CA 95063
www.stonesoup.com


Creative Kids
P.O. Box 8813
Waco, TX 76714-8813
www.ckmagazine.org


See more listings at the NewPages.com Young Authors Guide.
Visit with your school librarian or a librarian at your local public library for information on contests or publications in your area or other magazines that publish student work.




Cricket Magazine Article Submission 
Must be 14. Until then, you may submit work for contests.

More than 1 Magazine:
CRICKET is interested in realistic contemporary fiction, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy, folk tales, myths and legends, and humor. No matter what genre, the author should first and foremost tell a good story that is well plotted, character-driven, and has a satisfying conclusion.

CRICKET magazine seeks to publish the highest quality fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction to engage our audience of enthusiastic young readers. Editors consider unsolicited submissions from writers of every level of experience. Since its founding in 1973, CRICKET has published some of the most respected writers of children's literature. It is also a wonderful opportunity for promising new writers to showcase their best work.

Saturday, March 8, 2014