The Lovett School
Upper School
Writing Guide
Prepared by the Upper School English Department
The Lovett School
4075 Paces Ferry Road, N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30327-3099
Telephone 404-262-3032
Revised January, 2017
Table of Contents:
Upper School Writing Philosophy
Page 3
Questions To Ask about the Writing Process
for Analytical Essays
Page 4
The SEQUOIA Method of Incorporating
Textual Support
Page 5
Rules for Formatting Quotations
Pages 6-8
Rules for Documenting Sources
Pages 9-10
Sample MLA Title Page
Page 10
Annotated Bibliographies
Page 11
Tips on Revising
Page 13
Guide to Revision Symbols
Pages 14-19
Citations
Pages 20-27
2
Upper School Writing Philosophy
The Lovett Upper School English Department aims to teach all students how to be
more effective writers through the writing process, which includes drafting, editing
and revising many major papers throughout their upper school experience.
Students write analytical, personal (including college essays and memoir), creative
(including fiction and poetry), narrative, persuasive and descriptive essays. English
teachers employ various techniques and evaluative rubrics to assist with the writing
process. Our ultimate shared goals include helping students develop ideas, clarify
expression and organization, improve accuracy in language and structure, expand
diction, discover and incorporate voice through written communication.
Please see the Upper School English Curriculum Guidelines for information
regarding expectations and benchmark skills for specific grade levels.
3
Questions To Ask about the Writing Process for Analytical Essays
Introduction:
• Is there a “hook”? Does the Introduction have any “pizzazz”?
• Is there a purpose to the “hooking” or “pizzazz-y”?
• Does my introduction actually “introduce” the titles and authors of all of the texts discussed?
• Does my introduction provide social, historical, or cultural contexts that give the reader some
perspective about the relevance of the topic?
• Is my thesis clearly stated?
• Does my introduction give a sense of where the essay is headed?
Body Paragraphs:
• Does each (body) paragraph have a topic sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph?
• Do I introduce the quotation by establishing the context from which it comes (who said it, when, what it
is about)?
• Do I use the text to support and illustrate my ideas? Have I chosen my evidence carefully? Have I drawn
my supporting evidence from a variety of places in the text to show connections and patterns?
- Does my supporting evidence come in various forms as appropriate: summary, paraphrase,
direct quotations?
- Do I cite correctly?
- Do I tell the reader why my quotation is significant and/or relevant to my claim?
• Do I use appropriate guiding language to show my reader the relationship between ideas?
• Does the last sentence effectively round off the paragraph?
Closing Paragraph:
• Does my closing avoid redundancy and a simple restating of the introduction?
• Does the closing offer new insight or place my topic in a new context, which will be interesting and
engaging for the reader (or do I connect ideas in a more clarified manner)?
• Have I considered the implications of my arguments/ideas? In other words, have I left my reader with an
understanding of what I’ve learned and why my ideas matter?
• Does the ending carry as much weight as the beginning?
The Big Picture:
• Do I take a risk in my paper?
• Does my paper capture something about me- the individual writer?
• Is there something different or original about my paper?
• Is my authorial “voice” apparent? Is the paper stamped with my style? Is my paper “juicy”?
• Do I make a point in my paper?
• Does my paper have an effect on the reader? Does my reader believe that he/she has learned something?
4
I. The SEQUOIA Method of Incorporating Textual Support
Our argument can only be as persuasive as the evidence we use to support it. In order to develop and
sustain an argument, we must provide textual examples. Effectively incorporating textual support shows
not only our knowledge of the literature but our ability to analyze it with sophistication and insight. The
SEQUOIA method provides a model for integrating textual support in a persuasive manner.
SE​: SEt-up the quotation
Provide the reader with a brief introduction to the quotation. Give the author’s name, the title,
date, and some general context for the work. Use signal phrases like, “According to X,” or “As X
says,” or “X makes the point that...”
Example:
According to Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur, author of Letters From an American Farmer (1782),
Americans are unlike any men found elsewhere in the world.
QUO​: Paraphrase the QUOtation accurately or, if possible, include direct quotation.
Example:
According to Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur, author of Letters From an American Farmer (1782),
Americans are unlike any men found elsewhere in the world. A French aristocrat who traveled
extensively throughout America in the years leading up to the Revolution, Crevecoeur claims that
an American is “either a European or the descendent of a European” (154).
IA​: Offer Intelligent Analysis of the quotation that connects the quotation to your own ideas.
Example:
According to Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur, author of Letters From an American Farmer (1782),
Americans are unlike any men found elsewhere in the world. A French aristocrat who traveled
extensively throughout America in the years leading up to the Revolution, Crevecoeur claims that
an American is “either a European or the descendent of a European” (154). Crevecoeur celebrates
the apparent diversity of America but inadvertently reveals that native people and African slaves
are not considered American. Consequently, his melting pot is missing a couple of essential
ingredients.
Think of SEQUOIA as a three-step process that typically requires at least three sentences—one sentence
for each step.
Now it’s your turn. Try the SEQUOIA method for the following passage:
“Here every man may be master of his own labor and land...and if he have nothing but his hands, he may
set up his trade; and by industry quickly grow rich” (Smith 37).
5
II. Rules for Formatting Quotations (Quotation Survival)
Incorporating quotations into your writing effectively and accurately is an essential skill that will
dramatically improve the quality of your essays. Any essay offering discussion and analysis of a
literary work MUST incorporate specific examples from the text to support your ideas.
RULE # 1​: NEVER use a quotation as a complete sentence in an essay; this should be part of a
sentence you have written. You must COMBINE your words with the author’s words in order to
express a grammatically complete thought.
Example​:​ ​When Jim tells Huck about his two children, Huck realizes that he “cared just as
much for his people as white folks does for their’n” (170). Slowly, Huck learns to recognize
and acknowledge Jim’s humanity.
RULE # 2​: Do not PLOP quotations into your writing. You should introduce them (who is the
speaker? what is the context?) and incorporate them into the structure of your own ideas
(SEQUOIA). AVOID using phrases such as “this quote reveals” or “in the following quote.”
Example​: When Jim tells Huck about his two children, Huck realizes that he “cared just as
much for his people as white folks does for their’n” (170). Jim becomes more human to Huck.
Notice:
• ​The writer of this paper discusses characters and plot events in present tense—even
though the text was written in past tense. Literature lives in the present tense.
• ​The second sentence, which explains the quotation, doesn’t begin with “This quotation
says...” Instead, it simply reinforces the main idea.
RULE #3​: To eliminate less significant aspects of a quote, use ellipsis ( . . . ). There is no need to use
ellipsis at the beginning or the end of a quotation. Use it only if you are omitting words and ideas in
the middle of the quote.
Example​: In this town, Huck sees a darker side of human nature. He tells us, “There couldn’t
anything wake them up all over, and make them happy all over . . . unless it might be putting
turpentine on a stray dog and setting fire to him, or tying a tin pan to his tail and see him run
himself to death” (155). The town, void of any productive activity, centers around inflicting
torture and wasting life.
6
RULE #4​: USE BLOCK QUOTATION FORMAT if you are incorporating four or more typed
lines of prose OR 4 or more typed lines of poetry. Indent quotations ten spaces (two tabs). Do not
use quotation marks. The parenthetical reference should be at the end of the quotation,​ ​AFTER
the period. If line numbers are provided for your poem, use those in the parenthetical.
Otherwise, use the page number. ​Be sure the quotation doesn’t dominate your paragraph.
End the paragraph with your own analysis.
Example (prose):
Huck feels the need to escape from society. After witnessing the punishment of the King and the
Duke, he realizes:
It don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t
got no sense, and just goes for him anyway. If I had a yaller dog that didn’t know no
more than a person’s conscience does, I would poison him. It takes up more room than
all the rest of a person’s insides, and yet ain’t no good, nohow. (254)
Huck’s conscience plagues rather than guides his decisions, and eventually, he rejects a moral voice
altogether.
Example (poetry):
In her poem “Sources,” Adrienne Rich explores the roles of women in shaping their world:
The faithful drudging child / the child at the oak desk whose penmanship, / hard work,
style will win her prizes / becomes the woman with a mission, not to win prizes / but to
change the laws of history. (23)
Rich argues that girls trained in “drudg[ery],” or those items that women are told that they must
tirelessly practice if they want to be feminine, may eventually resist being socially gendered. They
may grow in their desire “not to win prizes” for the perfection of their “penmanship, hard work, [or]
style,” but to change the world—even “history” itself—with the power of their voices.
7
Notice:
• ​The writer uses her own words to lead into the quotation.
• ​She indents ten spaces (two tabs).
•​ She does NOT use quotation marks.
•​ The period PRECEDES the citation.
• ​She ends the paragraph with her own analysis.
RULE # 5​: Unless you have a block quotation (see RULE #3), periods go AFTER the
parentheses.
Example​: Although he dislikes the beatings, Huck finds life with Pap “lazy and jolly, laying off
comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, and no books nor study” (Twain 27).
RULE # 6​: As you mature as a writer, it is important that you attempt to use some select
words and phrases from a quotation and integrate them into a sentence of your own.
Example​: On a raft, Huck can exchange the “cramped and smothery” life of the land for the
“free and easy and comfortable” life of the river (128).
RULE # 7​: If you are using quotations from poetry or drama in verse (fewer than 4 lines),
then you must incorporate line-breaks and cite your source. For plays, note how the
citation includes the act number, the scene number, and the line numbers in that order.
Also, note how slashes are used to indicate the line-breaks. For long-quotations from plays,
use this method of citation as well, but follow the same formatting illustrated above for
block quotations from poetry in Rule #4.
Example​: Responding to the sad news he has just heard, Macbeth says, “Had I but died an hour
before this chance / I had lived a blessed time: for from this instant / There’s nothing serious in
morality” (2.3.93-95).
8
III. Rules for Documenting Sources
If you use another person’s ideas, you MUST give him/her credit. In any essay offering discussion
and analysis of a literary work, you MUST cite specific examples from the text to support your
ideas. Always use SEQUOIA to set up, quote, and analyze passages for support. You can either
quote them directly or you can paraphrase their ideas. Regardless of whether you use direct
quotations or paraphrasing, you should use parenthetical documentation at the end of the sentence.
RULE # 1​: ​If you paraphrase, you must put the idea into your own words AND cite the source
of the idea.
Original​: “You don’t have to call me by it if you don’t want to,” said Wangero (Glaspell 234).
Paraphrase​: The new and improved Dee has renamed herself Wangero, but she is not asking her
mother to use the new name (Glaspell 234).
RULE # 2​: MLA PARENTHETICAL DOCUMENTATION requires you to include the
author’s name in the sentence OR in the parentheses.
Example 1​: Critic Jane Smiley concludes, “There is more to be learned about the American
character from the novel’s canonization than through its canonization” (62).
Notice​: The correct format is 1) close quotation marks; 2) open parentheses; 3) insert page number; 4)
close parentheses; 5) period.
Example 2​: Many critics concur that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is “an American
classic” (Smiley 62).
Notice​: If your essay uses only one source, such as the original text, you only are required to include the
author’s name the first time you use a quotation. Each subsequent time, you can include only the page
number.
RULE # 3​: MLA PARENTHETICAL DOCUMENTATION requires that you use specific
citation formatting for poetry and dramatic texts written in verse:
Example 1 (Poetry): For a poem, the parenthetical citation should include the part number (if any)
and line numbers.
When Homer’s Odysseus comes to the hall of Circe, he find his men “mild / in her soft spell,
fed on her drug of evil” (10. 209-11).
9
Example 2 (Verse Drama): For a play in verse, the parenthetical citation should include the act,
scene, and line numbers separated by periods. Unless your teacher prefers roman numerals, you
may use Arabic numbers.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet defines the purpose of theater, “whose end, both at the first and now, /
was and is, to hold, as ‘twere, the mirror up to nature” (3.2.21-22).
IV. SAMPLE MLA FIRST PAGE
Per MLA formatting guidelines, there need not be an official title page on a paper—unless the teacher
requests it. In absence of that page, all first pages should include the following heading and margin
requirement.
Note that the header includes student name, teacher name, course name, and date with day, month, year
formatting.
All documents should be typed in 12-point, Times New Roman font and double-spaced.
↑
1”​
↕​
​​
½”
Williams 1
↓
Carson Williams
Mrs. Davis
English 12
12 August 2009
The Problem of Space in the Novel of Manners
​ ​
← 1” → ​ ​ It is said that the ‘Novel of Manners,’ particularly those by Jane Austen,
​
← 1” →
provide an untainted lens with which to view class rank and mores in the early
seventeenth century. Yet, …
10
Annotated Bibliographies
The purpose of an Annotated Bibliography is to provide a concise but specific overview of a source to
researchers investigating the same topic as you. An effective annotation gives researchers an idea of
whether a source will be useful to consult for their research purposes. Think of your annotation as a brief
summary that will allow a future researcher to judge quickly whether to investigate the full source.
Annotated Bibliographies consist of two parts: the citation and the annotation.
1. The citation is identical to what you provide on a Works Cited page. Follow the same format.
2. The annotation typically provides the following information:
a. A description of the author’s credentials. What makes this author qualified to write
about this topic? Why should we trust his or her perspective? b. A brief reference to the
intended audience. How does the audience influence the manner in which the information
is distributed?
c. A concise summary of the information contained in the source.
d. An analysis of how the information contained in this source compares with that of
other sources. Do not label a source “good” or “great” because quality often depends on a
researcher’s specific needs. A “good” source for you might be inappropriate for another
researcher.
Typically a solid annotation is at least a half-page long (double-spaced).
An example:
Phillips, Martin Jeffrey. ​Clyde Cutler: A Biography. New York: Ballantine Books,
1989.
Written by a noted historian who has contributed to some of the most respected academic
journals in America and published a number of book-length texts investigating various
aspects of Cutler’s life, this work is a detailed biography of the famous African-American
poet, singer, actor, and political activist. Phillips’ research is extensive, and he bases his
analysis of Cutler’s life on family papers, interviews with Cutler’s family and associates, and
FBI files. Scholarly in tone but accessible to a general audience, this biography pays equal
attention to his artistic career, his private life, and his political radicalism, which enabled me
to gain insight on just how complex a figure Cutler was. This source provides a detailed
11
chronological narrative of Cutler’s life, but also a more in-depth analysis of his poetry than is
typically available in biographies. Readers interested in Cutler’s use of various literary
devices will be especially intrigued by Phillips’ comprehensive discussion of the poet’s later
works.
12
Tips on Revising
If possible, let the piece sit for a few days, or more. Remember that the root of the word “revise” means to
“re-see.” Thus, try to approach revising as an exercise in “re-seeing,” as if you were evaluating the piece
for the first time.
1. Begin with the big structural aspects, as if you were “looking at the paper from 10,000 feet.”
Does the piece make a point?
What is the structure of the piece? Does it make sense?
Does each paragraph matter?
Does each paragraph develop an idea? Does one paragraph lead to the next?
Does the end of the piece leave the reader with a sense that what you’ve written matters? Does it leave the
reader with a sense that he/she has actually learned something?
2. Once you are satisfied with the overall structure, look at each paragraph. Consider that you are
“zooming in” at this point. For specifics about individual paragraphs in analytical essays, see page 4 of
this guide. No matter what kind of writing you’re doing, remember that each sentence should logically
lead to the next, as if you’re leading your reader step by step. (In narrative writing, this often means
sticking to events in the way they chronologically happened.) Often writers will make the mistake of
repeating the same idea without advancing to a new thought. Just as often, writers skip from one idea to
another without a transition that shows how the two are connected. (Instead of A>B>C, writers make the
mistake of going directly from “A” to “C.”)
3. The final step is to really “zoom in” on editing. How do your actual sentences sound? The best way to
find out is to actually read your work aloud. You will find many structural problems this way. You may
also notice a need for more variety. When you’re done, read aloud again. Where did you naturally pause?
(There should be some kind of punctuation at every pause.) When you’re done with this step, read it one
more time to check for verb tense consistency.
13
Upper School English Department
Revision Symbols
Your teachers will use the following symbols to mark errors in your writing. Corresponding to each
symbol/abbreviation is a description of the error followed by an example of how to correct it.
Additionally, when appropriate, the specific Harbrace section for each rule is included.
AGREEMENT
pn agr
pronoun antecedent agreement error
Harbrace 6b
Example: If any one of the sisters need a ride, they can call Helen. If any one of the sisters
need a ride, they can call Helen.
BETTER: If any one of the sisters needs a ride, she can call Helen. If any of the sisters
need a ride, they can call Helen.
sv agr
subject-verb agreement error
Harbrace 6a
Example: Every one of you are invited to the panel discussion.
BETTER: Every one of you is invited to the panel discussion
AWKWARD
awk
combination of errors obscures clarity
Example: The Hall of Fame chooses baseball players to enter the all-time greatest players.
BETTER: The Baseball Writers' Association chooses baseball players to join the all-time
greatest players in the Hall of Fame.
CASE
case
pronoun case is incorrect
Harbrace 5
Example: It is true that the Staffords eat more fried foods than us; no wonder we are thinner
than them.
BETTER: It is true that the Staffords eat more fried foods than we; no wonder we are thinner
than they.
14
CLICHÈ
cliché
overuse or improper use of a cliché
Harbrace 20c
Example of a cliché: bite the dust
COORDINATION/SUBORDINATION
fc
faulty coordination
Harbrace 24b
Example: That was the only way in which Evelyn could have known that Mary concealed
a secret, and, if revealed, would cost her the elective office she desperately wanted.
BETTER: That was the only way Evelyn could have known that Mary concealed a secret which,
I\if revealed, would cost Mary the elective office she desperately wanted.
fs
faulty subordination
Harbrace 24c
Example: I have never before known a man like Ernie, who is ready to help anybody who is in
trouble that involves finances.
BETTER: I have never before known a man like Ernie, who is ready to help anybody in financial
trouble.
DOCUMENTATION
MLA
documentation
Harbrace 40 a/b
Example: The tendency to come to terms with difficult experiences is referred to as a
"purification process" whereby "threatening or painful dissonances are warded off to preserve
intact a clear and articulated image of oneself and one’s place in the world (Sennett 11).”
BETTER: The tendency to come to terms with difficult experiences is referred to as a
"purification process" whereby "threatening or painful dissonances are warded off to preserve
intact a clear and articulated image of oneself and one’s place in the world" (Sennett 11).
heading
Example:
Harbrace 40b
Ima Student
Mrs. Morgan
English 10H-2
29 August 2009
15
MODIFIERS
dm
dangling modifier
Harbrace 25b
Example: Driving through the mountains, three bears were seen.
BETTER: Driving through the mountains, we saw three bears.
BETTER: We saw three bears while we were driving through the mountains.
mm
misplaced modifier
Harbrace 25a
Example: He bought a horse from a stranger with a lame hind leg.
BETTER: He bought a horse with a lame hind leg from a stranger.
PARALLELISM
//
parallelism
Harbrace 26
Example: To define flora is defining climate.
BETTER: To define flora is to define climate.
Example: We are not so much what we eat as the thoughts we think.
BETTER: We are not so much what we eat as what we think.
Example: Either they obey the manager or get fired.
BETTER: Either they obey the manager or they get fired.
PASSIVE
pass
ineffective passive tense
Harbrace 29d
Example: It was voted by the faculty that all students should be required to take science.
BETTER: The faculty voted to require science.
POSSESSIVE
poss
possession error
Harbrace 15a
Example: You are invited to Kim’s and John’s house for a birthday party.
BETTER: You are invited to Kim and John’s house for a birthday party.
16
PROOFREADING ERRORS
Capitalize
^
Insert
lc
Lower case
¶
New paragraph
/ or
Omit
Too many spaces/close the gap
tr or
Transpose
PUNCTUATION
[]
brackets
Harbrace 17g
:
colon
Harbrace 17d
,
comma
misplaced comma
comma usage
Harbrace 12a-e
Harbrace 13
-
dask
Harbrace 17e
...
ellipsis
Harbrace 17h
!
Exclamation point
Harbrace 17c
ital
italics
Harbrace 10
()
parentheses
Harbrace 17f
.
period
Harbrace 17a
?
question mark
Harbrace 17b
““
quotation marks
Harbrace 16
;
semicolon
Harbrace 14
/
slash
Harbrace 17i
17
REFERENCE
ref
reference (usually pronoun-antecedent)
Harbrace 6b
Example: When the witness asked for police protection, two of them were assigned to guard him.
BETTER: When the witness asked for police protection, two police officers were assigned to guard
him.
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
CS
comma splice
Harbrace 3
Example: I was unwilling to testify, I was afraid of the defendant.
FRAG
fragment
Harbrace 2
Example: Unwilling to testify and afraid of the defendant.
R-O
run-on
Harbrace 3
Example: I was unwilling to testify I was afraid of the defendant.
BETTER: I was unwilling to testify, for I was afraid of the defendant.
BETTER: I was unwilling to testify; I was afraid of the defendant.
BETTER: Because I was unwilling to testify, I was afraid of the defendant.
BETTER: I was unwilling to testify. I was afraid of the defendant.
SLANG
sl
inappropriate mixture of slang and standard language
Harbrace 19c
Example: I finally told him that he should do his thing and I’d do mine.
BETTER: I finally told him that he should follow his dreams and I’d follow mine.
SPELLING
sp
Harbrace 18a-e
Example: She had a lot to loose when she wore her ring with lose stones.
BETTER: She had a lot to lose when she wore her ring with loose stones.
18
TENSE
t
tense error
Harbrace 7b
Example: In Dickens’ novel David Copperfield, David’s harsh stepfather sent him to London
where every day David worked in a warehouse pasting labels on bottles.
BETTER: In Dickens’ novel David Copperfield, David’s harsh stepfather sends him to London
where every day David works in a warehouse pasting labels on bottles.
TS
tense shift
Harbrace 27a
Example: In the first chapter, Sally accepts her first job, but in the third chapter she resigned it.
BETTER: In the first chapter, Sally accepts her first job, but in the third chapter she resigns it.
TRANSITION
trans
transitional word or phrase between or within paragraphs
Examples: also
for example
in conclusion
however
in fact
therefore
first, second, third
consequently
accordingly
additionally
on the other hand
Harbrace 31b
meanwhile
finally
likewise
WORD CHOICE/DICTION
wc
word choice/diction error
Harbrace 19/20
Example: The campus police opinionated that the burglary attempters had entranced through
The library roof.
BETTER: The campus police stated that the burglars had entered through the library roof.
Example (usage): I am lonely at dark.
BETTER: I am lonely in the dark.
19
Creating an MLA-Style Works Cited List
At the end of your paper, you will need to provide information about the sources you used. You should
double space your citations. The list will be organized alphabetically by the author’s last name (or title, if
there is no author) as you cited the source in your text. You will include as much information as possible;
not all elements of the citation may be available. You are expected to do your best to find the required
information and not give up too quickly.
A second option for your paper is a bibliography. The difference is that a bibliography is a list of all of the
works you used in your research, not just the ones you cited in the text.
The following examples are based on the MLA Handbook, Eighth Edition. They represent the types of
sources you will most frequently be using in your work.
Periodical Articles
▪ Journal or Magazine Article in Print
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of the article.” ​Title of the journal, volume, issue no., Date, page
numbers.
Abbott, Carl. “The Documentary as Public History: Atlanta’s Last Half Century on Film.” T
​ he Georgia
Historical Quarterly, vol. 78, no. 1, Spring 1994, pp. 115-123.
▪ Journal or Magazine Article from a Database
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of the article.” ​Title of the journal, volume, issue no., Date, page
numbers. Name of database, URL.
Abbott, Carl. “The Documentary as Public History: Atlanta’s Last Half Century on Film.” T
​ he Georgia
Historical Quarterly, vol. 78, no. 1, Spring 1994, pp. 115-123. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/40582987.
▪ Journal or Magazine Article from a Website
Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of the article.” ​Title of the website, Date, URL. Date of access.
Bodeen, Christopher. “50th Anniversary of the Cultural Revolution Met With Silence
in China.” ​Time, 16 May, 2016, time.com/4336658/china-cultural-revolution-50-
20
anniversary-mao/?xid=homepage. Accessed 16 May 16, 2016.
▪ Newspaper Article in Print
Author’s last name, First name. “Title of article.” ​Title of newspaper [include the city, if it’s not a national
paper or if the city is already in title.], Date, Edition (if any): Section (if any), page numbers
(include section letters).
Abrams, Rachel. “Bargain-Hunting Frenzy Threatens Traditional Department Stores.” ​New York Times,
14 May, 2016, National Edition: Business, B3.
▪ Newspaper Article from a Database
Author’s last name, First name. “Title of article.” ​Title of newspaper [include the city, if it’s not a national
paper or if the city is already in title.], Date, Edition (if any): Section (if any), page numbers
(include section letters). Database, URL.
Abrams, Rachel. “Bargain-Hunting Frenzy Threatens Traditional Department Stores.” ​New York Times,
14 May, 2016, National Edition, B3. ProQuest Newsstand,
search.proquest.com/docview/1788611320?accountid=6393.
▪ Newspaper Article from a Website
Author’s last name, First name. “Title of article.” ​Title of newspaper [include the city, if it’s not a national
paper or if the city is already in title.], Date, Edition (if any): Section (if any), page numbers
(include section letters). Website, URL. Date of access
Abrams, Rachel. “Bargain-Hunting Frenzy Threatens Traditional Department Stores.” ​New York Times,
13 May, 2016. ​www.nytimes.com/2016/05/14/business/bargain-hunting-frenzythreatens-traditional-department-stores.html?partner=bloomberg. Accessed 16 May 2016.
21
Online Sources
▪ An Entire Website
Author (may be a corporate author). ​Title of website. Publisher of website (Omit if same as title of
website), Date of publication or posting, URL. Date of access.
Starbucks. 2016, www.starbucks.com. Accessed 16 May 2016.
▪ Article from a Webpage
Author name. “Title of Article.” ​Title of Webpage. Publisher of website, Date of publication or posting,
URL. Date of access.
“Starbucks Strengthens Commitment in China.” ​Starbucks News, Starbucks, 12 Jan. 2016,
news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-strengthens-commitment-in-china2016. Accessed 16 May 2016.
▪ Blog Post
Author’s name. “Title of Post.” ​Title of Webpage, Publisher, Date of publication or posting, Time of
posting, URL. Date of access.
Revkin, Andrew. “Humanity’s Future – Fragile or Hyperconnected, or Both?” ​Dot Earth, New York
Times Company, 17 April, 2016, 8:30 a.m.,
dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/humanitys-future-planned-aroundconnections-rather-than-borders/#more-57382. Accessed 17 May 2016.
▪ Online Video
Contributor, “Title of video.” ​Website, Date, URL. Date of access.
Maza, Rob. “Atlanta Braves New SunTrust Stadium Under Construction - April 2016.” ​YouTube, 18
April, 2016, ​www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PTsOfDVhIw​. Accessed 16 May 2016.
▪ Encyclopedia Articles
22
Author of Entry (Last name, First name) if known. “Title of Entry.” ​Title of encyclopedia, Publisher,
Date, URL (if online). Date of access (if online).
“Three Gorges Dam.” ​Britannica School, High School ed., Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016,
school.eb.com/levels/high/article/443699. Accessed 16 May 16, 2016.
▪ Images
Artist/Creator. “Title of Image (or description if not titled).” ​Title of website or database, Publisher of
website or database, Date, URL. Date of access.
Hart-Davis, Adam. “Drowned Trees.” ​Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016,
quest.eb.com/search/three-gorges-dam/3/132_1242412/Drowned-trees. Accessed 16 May 2016.
▪ Music
Artist. “Title of song.” ​Title of album, Publisher, Date, URL (if online).
Keith, Toby. “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American).” ​Unleashed, Dreamworks
Nashville, 2002, itunes.apple.com/us/album/unleashed/id3446089.
▪ Films and Television
Below are the basic forms of citation for movies and tv. Depending on what your focus is, there may be a
more exact format. Be sure to check with your teacher for more information.
Film
When discussing the film or show in general, start with the title. Include the name of the director, the film
studio or distributor, and the release year. If relevant, list performer names after the director's name.
Title. Director, (performances, if included), Studio or distributor, Release year.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Directed by Nicholas Meyer,​ performances by William Shatner,
Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban, DeForest Kelley and James Doohan, Paramount, 1982.
To emphasize specific performers or directors, begin the citation with the name of the desired performer
or director, followed by the appropriate title for that person.
Last name, First name, contribution. ​Title. Studio/distributor, Release year.
23
Abrams, J. J., director. ​Star Trek. Paramount, 2009.
Television
Single episodes:
“Episode Title.” Series Title, Contributors, Studio/Distributor, Release date.
"Space Seed." ​Star Trek, written by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilber, directed by Marc Daniels, Desilu,
1967.
An entire series:
Last Name, First Name of creator. ​Title. Studio/Distributor, Date.
Roddenberry, Gene, creator. ​Star Trek. Desilu Studios and Paramount Television, 1966.
▪ Twitter
Author. “Entire tweet.” ​Website, Date, Time, URL.
@darrenrovell. “Atlanta Falcons promise low food & drink prices in new stadium—$2 hot dog, $2
unlimited soda, $3 fries & $5 beer.” ​Twitter, 16 May 2016, 7:01 a.m.,
twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/732209300408438784.
▪ Books
Basic Citation
Author’s Last name, First name, ​Title of book. Publisher, Date of publication.
Goldschneider, Gary. ​The Secret Language of Birthdays: Personology Profiles for Each Day of the Year.
Avery, 1994.
A Work Prepared by an Editor
Author’s Last name, First name, ​Title of book. Edited by, Publisher, Date of Publication.
Bronte, Charlotte. ​Jane Eyre. Edited by Margaret Smith, Oxford UP, 1998.
24
Anthologies
▪ A Piece from an Anthology in Print
The first step is to find out as much as you can about the original publication of the piece you are citing.
Was it previously published in a book, a magazine or journal, a newspaper or is it original to this
anthology? When and where was it published? Can you find the page numbers? You will also need the
publishing information about the anthology you are using. You will need to separate the anthology from
the original information by using the phrase in bold below. You will not use bold for it, though!
Remember, you probably won’t find everything but you are expected to make a real effort.
Author of piece reprinted in the anthology (Last name, First name Middle name). “Title in anthology” (if
different than original). ​Title of Anthology,​ Contributor/Creator to anthology (editor, compiler, author,
translator), Edition, Place of publication, Publisher of Anthology, Date of publication, Page(s) in
anthology, Series name. Originally published as “Title of piece” in Name of original source [Publication
city], edition (if applicable), Date of publication, page(s).
Note: In this example not all information was available:
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Raven." ​American Poetry: The Nineteenth Century, Vol 1, edited by John
Hollander, New York, Library of America, 1993, pp. 535-39. Originally published in New York
Evening Mirror, 1845.
Class Handouts
▪ A handout quoting another source
Author of quoted source. “Title of work from a published collection (for example, a poem or article).”
Title of original publication. “Title of handout.” Handout. Title of course. (Name of Instructor.)
Name of school. Date of handout.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Raven.” ​The Complete Works of Poe. “19th Century Poetry.” Handout. American
Studies. (Mark May-Beaver.) The Lovett School. January 2016.
▪ An unpublished document
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Document." Description of document (e.g. flyer, leaflet, memo
or handout). Organization associated with document. City of production/distribution. Date of
25
document.
Morris, Nolan. "Notes on Unit 6." Study guide for fall exam. The Lovett School. Atlanta, Ga. November
2015.
Tips
▪ Follow the font style (note italics), punctuation and spacing given in the examples.
▪ You are expected to find all of the information needed for your citation. If you cannot, you may
omit the element you cannot find.
▪ If you don’t see a date for your online source at the top of the page, go to the bottom. Use the
copyright date, even if it is a range of years (2012-2016).
▪ If you don’t see a copyright date, go to the “About Us” page on the website. It may have a
different name, but you can figure it out.
▪ The date accessed is especially important if you are using a source that changes frequently. For
example, a news website, where articles might be updated. That’s why the time is important, too.
▪ If you are using a library database and the URL is impossibly long, you may cut it after the first
slash mark (eds.b.ebscohost.com/). If, however, it is a stable URL, like JStor, include the whole
thing.
▪ Note that you do not need the http:// part of the URL in your citation.
▪ If a source has more than one author, you will need to show that: First author (last name, first
name) and Second author (First name, last name): Johnson, Joe and Mary Smith.
26