Documentation
Path
or
MLA Format for
Sources
MLA
Documentation
Rules . . .
just like traffic
signs
have specific
functions!
So many signs. . . . What type of
sign should you use?
• Right before you insert a direct quotation
from the text, you need a sign. . . .
A sign that tells the
reader to slow down,
to read carefully!
Valuable source
material is going to be
revealed.
Source Material
ahead!
Our
Sign is called a
Source
Material
ahead!
• The signal tag is a phrase or a complete
sentence introduction to the source material.
• The source material NEVER stands alone.
• Just as the traffic signs provide information
about the roads, the signal tag provides
information about the source material.
The Ending Citation
• 2 Easy Steps:
– 1. Ending your quote.
• DO NOT put any commas, periods, colons, semicolons,
or dashes inside your quotation marks at the end of a
quotation.
• WRONG: Joseph Berger says, “The term Holocaust
refers to the mass murder of millions of Jews in Europe
by German dictator Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party.”
(16).
• RIGHT: Joseph Berger says, “The term Holocaust refers
to the mass murder of millions of Jews in Europe by
German dictator Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party” (16).
Let’s Take A Closer Look
• WRONG: Joseph Berger says, “The term Holocaust
refers to the mass murder of millions of Jews in Europe
.
by German dictator Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party ”
(16).
• RIGHT: Joseph Berger says, “The term Holocaust refers
to the mass murder of millions of Jews in Europe by
German dictator Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party” (16).
The Exception
• Exclamation Points and Question Marks DO
stay inside the quotation marks.
• Bruno says, “He’s not a doctor, is he?” (136).
Step 2: Add the Citation
• Add a Page Number:
– 1. Parenthesis: ( )
– 2. Page number: (216)
• DO NOT add Pg., Page, #, or anything else besides the
number.
– 3. Punctuate the ending: (216). OR (216),
– Example: Joseph Berger says, “The term Holocaust
refers to the mass murder of millions of Jews in
Europe by German dictator Adolf Hitler and his
Nazi Party” (16).
Types of Signal Tags
for Direct Quotations
• Name + “says” +
comma
• Bruno says,
Types of Signal Tags
for Direct Quotations
• In his “Author’s Note” at the end of the novel,
John Boyne says, “I believed that the only
respectful way for me to deal with this subject
was through the eyes of a child” (217).
• According to Boyne,
“only the victims and
survivors can truly
comprehend the
awfulness of that
time and place”
(218).
• Uses the word “that” to
introduce a quote
• Does not use a comma.
• Boyne states that “it’s
the responsibility of
the writer to uncover
as much emotional
truth…as he possibly
can” (217).
• Full sentence + colon:
Boyne explains that
writing about the
Holocaust can be
controversial: “The issue
of writing about the
Holocaust is, of course, a
contentious matter”
(217).
After the source material, first
comes the
...
• The ending citation lets us
know 1. the quote is over and
2. where the quote came from.
• Put the page number in
parenthesis: (218)
• Then add a period: (218).
So to sum up. . . .
1.Signal Tag
2.Source Material (quotation)
3.Ending Citation
4.Tie it in to your argument!
USE YOUR SIGNS!
Documentation Exercise #1
1. Choose 4 quotes from the novel. 3 of these
quotes should be from 3 different characters.
At least one quote should be just from the
narration.
2. Cite each of the four quotes with a different
Signal Tag (Dialogue, Phrasal, Embedded, and
Full Sentence)