MLA 8th Edition Formatting and Style GuidePurdue OWL Sta.docx

MLA 8th Edition Formatting and Style Guide
Purdue OWL Staff
Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing
Lab
Welcome to “MLA Formatting and Style Guide“. This Power
Point Presentation is designed to introduce your students to the
basics of MLA Formatting and Style. You might want to
supplement the presentation with more detailed information
available on the OWL’s “MLA Formatting and Style Guide“ at
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Designer: Ethan Sproat
Based on slide designs from the OWL “APA Formatting and
Style Guide “powerpoint by Jennifer Liethen Kunka and Elena
Lawrick.
Contributors: Tony Russell, Alllen Brizee, Jennifer Liethen
Kunka, Joe Barbato, Dave Neyhart, Erin E. Karper, Karl
Stolley, Kristen Seas, Tony Russell, and Elizabeth Angeli.
Revising Author: Arielle McKee, 2014
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MLA (Modern Language Association) Style formatting is often
used in various humanities disciplines.
In addition to the handbook, MLA also offers The MLA Style

Center, a website that provides additional instruction and
resources for writing and formatting academic papers.
https://style.mla.org/
What is MLA?
The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 8th ed.
supersedes both the 7th edition handbook and the MLA Style
Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd ed. The style of
documentation outlined in the 8th edition serves the needs of
students who are writing research papers, as well as scholars
who publish professionally. This presentation will mostly focus
on MLA formatting and style concerns that affect writing
research papers.
MLA style is often used in the following disciplines:
humanities, languages, literature, linguistics, philosophy,
communication, religion, and others.
MLA format provides writers with a uniform format for
document layout and documenting sources. Proper MLA style
shows that writers are conscientious of the standards of writing
in their respective disciplines. Properly documenting sources
also ensures that an author is not plagiarizing.
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MLA regulates:
document formatin-text citationsworks-cited list
What does MLA regulate?

This slide presents three basic areas regulated by MLA students
need to be aware of—document format, in-text citations, and
works cited. The following slides provide detailed explanations
regarding each area.
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The 8th edition handbook introduces a new way to cite sources.
Instead of a long list of rules, MLA guidelines are now based on
a set of principles that may be used to cite any type of source.
The three guiding principles:
Cite simple traits shared by most works.Remember that there is
more than one way to cite the same source.Make your
documentation useful to readers.
MLA Update 2016
Principle 1: In previous versions of the MLA Handbook, an
entry in the works-cited list was based on the source’s
publication format (book, periodical, Web article, etc.). The
issue with that system is that a work in a new type of medium
could not be properly cited until MLA created a format for it. In
the current system, sources are documented based on facts that
are common to all types of publications, such as author, title,
and year. Now, in order to cite a source, a writer now must
examine it and document it based on a set of universal
principles (more about that to come).
Principle 2: Two scholars may use the same source differently.
Therefore, a writer who is working on a specialized topic in a
particular field will include documentation information that a
writer who is using the source more generally will not.

Principle 3: As a writer, you document sources so that your
readers may locate them and learn more about your particular
argument or essay. Proper citation demonstrates your credibility
by showing that you’ve thoroughly researched your topic. Your
citations must be comprehensive and consistent so that readers
may find the sources consulted and come to their own opinions
on your topic.
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This presentation will cover:
How to format a paper in MLA style (8th ed.)General
guidelinesFirst page formatSection headings
In-text citationsFormatting quotations
Documenting sources in MLA style (8th ed.)Core elementsList
of works cited
Overview
This PPT will cover the 2016 updates to the 8th edition of the
MLA Handbook: how to format a paper, create in-text citations,
and document sources.
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Basic rule for any formatting style:
Always
Follow your instructor’s
guidelines

Your Instructor Knows Best
Many instructors who require their students to use MLA
formatting and citation style have small exceptions to different
MLA rules. Every bit of instruction and direction given in this
presentation comes with this recommendation: ALWAYS follow
the specific instructions given by your instructor.
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An MLA Style paper should: Be typed on white 8.5“ x 11“
paper Double-space everything Use 12 pt. Times New Roman
(or similar) font Leave only one space after punctuation Set all
margins to 1 inch on all sides Indent the first line of paragraphs
one half-inch
Format: General Guidelines
The entire document should be double-spaced, including the
heading, block quotations, footnotes/endnotes, and list of works
cited. There should be no extra space between paragraphs.Leave
only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless
otherwise instructed by your instructor).Set the margins of your
document to 1 inch on all sidesIndent the first line of
paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA
recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the
Space Bar five times.
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An MLA Style paper should:Have a header with page numbers
located in the upper right-hand cornerUse italics for titlesPlace

endnotes on a separate page before the list of works cited
Format: General Guidelines (cont.)
Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the
upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush
with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you
omit the number on your first page. Always follow your
instructor's guidelines.)
･ Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer
works
･ If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page
before your works-cited list. Title the section Notes (centered,
unformatted).
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The first page of an MLA Style paper will:Have no title
pageDouble space everythingList your name, your instructor's
name, the course, and date in the upper left-hand cornerCenter
the paper title (use standard caps but no underlining, italics,
quote marks, or bold typeface)Create a header in the upper right
corner at half inch from the top and one inch from the right of
the page (list your last name and page number here)
Formatting the 1st Page
･ Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically
requested
･ In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name,
your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure
to use double-spaced text.
･ Double space again and center the title.

Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation
marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not
in all capital letters.
･ Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other
works in your title, just as you would in your text: Fear and
Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in
“After Apple Picking“
･ Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
･ Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes
your last name, followed by a space with a page number;
number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3,
4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right
margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that
you omit last name/page number header on your first page.
Always follow instructor guidelines.)
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Sample 1st Page
･ Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically
requested
･ In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name,
your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure
to use double-spaced text.
･ Double space again and center the title.
Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation
marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not
in all capital letters.
･ Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other
works in your title, just as you would in your text: Fear and
Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in

“After Apple Picking“
･ Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
･ Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes
your last name, followed by a space with a page number;
number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3,
4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right
margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that
you omit last name/page number header on your first page.
Always follow instructor guidelines.)
*
Section Headings are generally optional:
Headings in an essay should usually be numberedHeadings
should be consistent in grammar and formatting but, otherwise,
are up to you
OR
Formatting Section Headings
Section Headings
Writers sometimes use Section Headings to improve a
document’s readability. These sections may include individual
chapters or other named parts of a book or essay.
Essays
MLA recommends that when you divide an essay into sections
that you number those sections with an Arabic number and a
period followed by a space and the section name.
Books
MLA does not have a prescribed system of headings for books.
If you are only using one level of headings, meaning that all of
the sections are distinct and parallel and have no additional

sections that fit within them, MLA recommends that these
sections resemble one another grammatically. For instance, if
your headings are typically short phrases, make all of the
headings short phrases (and not, for example, full sentences).
Otherwise, the formatting is up to you. It should, however, be
consistent throughout the document.
If you employ multiple levels of headings (some of your
sections have sections within sections), you may want to
provide a key of your chosen level headings and their
formatting to your instructor or editor.
*
Numbered (all flush left with no underlining, bold, or italics):
Example:
1. Soil Conservation
1.1 Erosion
1.2 Terracing
2. Water Conservation
3. Energy Conservation
Unnumbered (by level):
Example:
Level 1: bold, flush left
Level 2: italics, flush left
Level 3: centered, bold
Level 4: centered, italics
Level 5: underlined, flush left
Sample Section Headings
Sample Section Headings

The sample headings on this slide are meant to be used only as a
reference. You may employ whatever system of formatting that
works best for you as long as it remains consistent throughout
the document.
*
An in-text citation is a brief reference in your text that indicates
the source you consulted.
It should direct readers to the entry in your works-cited list for
that source.
It should be unobtrusive: provide the citation information
without interrupting your own text.
In general, the in-text citation will be the author’s last name (or
abbreviated title) with a page number, enclosed in parentheses.
In-Text Citations: the Basics
Basic In-Text Citation Rules
The source information in a parenthetical citation should direct
readers to the source’s entry in the works-cited list.
The in-text citation should be placed, if possible, where there is
a natural pause in your text. If the citation refers to a direct
quotation, it should be placed directly following the closing
quotation mark.
Any source information that you provide in-text must
correspond to the source information on the works-cited page.
More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide
to your readers in the text, must be the first thing that appears
on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry in the works-
cited list (so the author’s last name or the title, usually, with no
punctuation in between)
*

In-text Example:
Corresponding Works Cited Entry:
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. Oxford UP, 1967.
Author-Page Style
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a
“spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (263). Romantic
poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263). Wordsworth extensively
explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
In-Text Citations: Author-Page Style
MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation.
This means that the author's last name and the page number(s)
from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in
the text, and a complete reference should appear in your works-
cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence
itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase,
but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses,
not in the text of your sentence.
The both citations in the in-text examples on this slide, (263)
and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the
sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by the author,

William Wordsworth. If readers want more information about
this source, they can turn to the works-cited list, where, under
Wordsworth, they would find the information in the
corresponding entry also shown on this slide.
*
Print Source with Author
For the following print source
Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life,
Literature,
and Method. U of California P, 1966.
If the essay provides a signal word or phrase—usually the
author’s last name—the citation does not need to also include
that information.
Examples:
Humans have been described by Kenneth Burke as “symbol-
using animals” (3).
Humans have been described as “symbol-using animals” (Burke
3).
In-text Citations for Print Sources with Known Author
For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal
articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase
(usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you
provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need

to include it in the parenthetical citation. These examples must
correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the
first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry in
the works-cited list (as noted in the corresponding entry on this
slide). See comments from previous slide.
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How to cite a work with no known author:
We see so many global warming hotspots in North America
likely because this region has “more readily accessible climatic
data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study
environmental change…” (“Impact of Global Warming” 6).
With Unknown Author
In-text Citations for Print Sources with No Known Author
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the
work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation
marks if it's a short work (e.g. articles) or italicize it if it's a
longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire
websites) and provide a page number.
In this example, since the reader does not know the author of
the article, an abbreviated title of the article appears in the
parenthetical citation which corresponds to the full name of the
article which appears first at the left-hand margin of its
respective entry in the works-cited list. Thus, the writer
includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the
parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the
source on the works-cited page. See comments from previous
slide.
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Corresponding Entry in the List of Works Cited:
“The Impact of Global Warming in North America.” Global
Warming: Early Signs. 1999. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.
With Unknown Author
And this is how the works-cited listing should look. While this
entry is technically correct, it would help your readers more
readily access the source if you include the URL here (it would
go before the access date).
*
Works with Multiple Editions
In-text example:
Marx and Engels described human history as marked by class
struggles (79; ch. 1).
Authors with Same Last Names
In-text example:
Although some medical ethicists claim that cloning will lead to
designer
children (R. Miller 12), others note that the advantages for
medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46).
Other In-Text Citations 1
In parenthetical citations of a literary work available in multiple
editions, such as a commonly studied novel, it is often helpful
to provide division numbers in addition to page numbers so that
your readers can find your references in any edition of the

work.
Make sure that your in-text citations refer unambiguously to the
entry in your works-cited list. If you are citing from the works
of two different authors with the same last name, include the
author’s first initial in your reference).
*
Work by Multiple Authors
In-text Examples:
Smith et al. argues that tougher gun control is not needed in the
United States (76).
The authors state: “Tighter gun control in the United States
erodes Second Amendment rights” (Smith et al. 76).
A 2016 study suggests that stricter gun control in the United
States will significantly prevent accidental shootings (Strong
and Ellis 23).
Citing a Work by Multiple Authors
If the entry in the works-cited list begins with the names of two
authors, include both last names in the in-text citation,
connected by and.
If the source has three or more authors, the entry in the works-
cited list should begin with the first author’s name followed by
et al. The in-text citation should follow suit.
*

Multiple Works by the Same Author
In-text examples:
Lightenor has argued that computers are not useful tools for
small children (“Too Soon” 38), though he has acknowledged
elsewhere that early exposure to computer games does lead to
better small motor skill development in a child's second and
third year (“Hand-Eye Development” 17).
Visual studies, because it is such a new discipline, may be “too
easy” (Elkins, “Visual Studies” 63).
Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author
If you cite more than one work by a particular author, include a
shortened title for the particular work from which you are
quoting to distinguish it from the others. This is illustrated in
the first example on this slide. Additionally, if the author's
name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with
the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a
shortened title of the work, followed, when appropriate, by page
numbers. This is illustrated in the second example on this slide.
*
Citing Multivolume Works
In-text example:
… as Quintilian wrote in Institutio Oratoria (1: 14-17).
Citing the Bible
In-text example:
Ezekiel saw “what seemed to be four living creatures,” each

with the faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (New
Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1:5-10).
Citing Multivolume Works
If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work,
always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a
space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you
only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in
parentheses.) This is illustrated in the first example on this
slide.
Citing the Bible: In your first parenthetical citation, you want to
make clear which Bible you're using (italicize the title), as each
version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not
italicize), chapter and verse. Do not include page numbers. This
is illustrated in the second example on this slide. If future
references employ the same edition of the Bible youﾕ re using,
list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical
citation.
*
Citing Indirect Sources
In-text example:
Ravitch argues that high schools are pressured to act as “social
service centers, and they don't do that well” (qtd. in Weisman
259).
Multiple Citations
In-text example:

Romeo and Juliet presents an opposition between two worlds:
“the world of the everyday… and the world of romance.”
Although the two lovers are part of the world of romance, their
language of love nevertheless becomes “fully responsive to the
tang of actuality” (Zender 138, 141).
Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect
source is a source cited in another source. For such indirect
quotations, use “qtd. in“ to indicate the source you actually
consulted. This is illustrated in the first example on this slide.
Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt
to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.
Multiple Citations
If you borrow more than once from the same source within a
single paragraph and no other source intervenes, you may give a
single parenthetical reference after the last borrowing.
*
Works in time-based media
In-text example:
Buffy’s promise that “there’s not going to be any incidents like
at my old school” is obviously not one on which she can follow
through (“Buffy” 00:03:16-17).
Works-cited entry:
“Hush.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon,

performance
by Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 4, episode 10, Mutant
Enemy, 1999.
For works in time-based media, such as audio and video
recordings, cite the relevant time or range of times. Give the
numbers of the hours, minutes, and seconds as displayed in your
media player, separating the numbers with colons.
*
Sources without page numbers
In-text example:
Disability activism should work toward “creating a habitable
space for all beings” (Garland-Thomson).
Corresponding works-cited entry:
Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie. “Habitable Worlds.” Critical
Disability
Studies Symposium. Feb. 2016, Purdue University, Indiana.
Address.
When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part
number, no number should be given in a parenthetical citation.
Do not count unnumbered paragraphs, pauses, or other parts.
This is an example of how to cite a direct quotation from an oral
address.
*

Short prose quotations
In-text example:
According to some, dreams express “profound aspects of
personality” (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.
According to Foulkes's study, dreams may express “profound
aspects of personality” (184).
Is it possible that dreams may express “profound aspects of
personality” (Foulkes 184)?
Formatting Short Quotations (in Prose)
Short Quotations
If a prose quotation runs no more than four lines and requires
no special emphasis, put it in quotation marks and incorporate it
into the text.. Provide the author and specific page citation in
the text, and include a complete entry in the works-cited page.
Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons
should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks
and exclamation points should appear within the quotation
marks if they are a part of the quoted passage but after the
parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text.
*
Quoting four or more lines of prose
In-text example:
Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him
throughout her narration:
They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in
their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the

landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow.
By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr.
Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber.
Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to
confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity
was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
Formatting Long Quotations (in Prose)
In quotations that are four or more lines of text, start the
quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented half an
inch from the left margin; maintain double-spacing. Do not
indent the first line an extra amount or add quotation marks not
present in the original. Use a colon to introduce the quotation
(unless your introductory wording does not require
punctuation). Your parenthetical citation should come after the
closing punctuation mark. Note: If a new paragraph begins in
the middle of the quotation, indent its first line.
*
Quoting 1-3 lines of poetry
Examples:
Properzia Rossi tells the statue that it will be a container for her
feelings: “The bright work grows / Beneath my hand, unfolding,
as a rose” (lines 31-32).
In “The Thorn,” Wordsworth’s narrator locates feelings of
horror in the landscape: “The little babe was buried there, /
Beneath that hill of moss so fair. // I’ve heard the scarlet moss
is red” (stanzas xx-xxi).

Formatting Short Quotations in Poetry
If you quote part or all of a line of verse that does not require
special emphasis, put it in quotation marks within your text, just
as you would a line of prose. You may also incorporate two or
three lines this way, using a forward slash with a space on each
side ( / ) to indicate to your reader where the line breaks fall.
If a stanza break occurs in the quotation, mark it with two
forward slashes ( // ).
If the edition of your text provides line numbers, identify them
in your in-text citation. Do not count lines if numbers are not
provided. Instead, cite page numbers or another explicit
division numbering (such as stanzas, cantos, etc.).
*
Use block quotations for four or more lines of poetry.
If the poem is formatted in an unusual way, reproduce the
unique formatting as accurately as possible.
Formatting Long Quotations in Poetry
Adding/Omitting Words
In-text example for Adding Words:
Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states:
“some individuals [who retell urban legends] make a point of
learning every rumor or tale” (78).
In-text example for Omitting Words:
In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that

“some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor
or tale . . . and in a short time a lively exchange of details
occurs” (78).
Adding or Omitting Words In Quotations
If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put
brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of
the original text. This is illustrated in the first example on this
slide.
If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should
indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipsis marks,
which are three periods ( . . . ) preceded and followed by a
space. Please note that brackets are not needed around ellipses
unless adding brackets would clarify your use of ellipses. This
is illustrated in the second example on this slide.
*
Each entry in the list of works cited is made up of core elements
given in a specific order.
The core elements should be listed in the order in which they
appear here. Each element is followed by the punctuation mark
shown here.

Works Cited: The Basics
While earlier editions of the MLA Handbook showed writers
how to create a works-cited entry based on the source’s
publication format (book, periodical, film, etc.), the updated 8th
edition demonstrates that documentation should be created by
consulting the list of core elements. Rather than asking: “how
do I cite a book, DVD, or webpage,” the writer now creates an
entry by looking at the list of core elements– which are facts
common to most works– and assembling them in a specific
order.
These changes have been made to reflect the differences in how
we consult works. In the updated model, the writer should ask:
“who is the author?” and “what is the title?”, regardless of the
nature of the source. The following slides will explain each of
the core elements, and how they might differ from one medium
to another.
*
Author.
Begin the entry with the author’s last name, followed by a
comma and the rest of the name, as presented in the work. End
this element with a period.
Examples:

Baron, Naomi S. “Redefining Reading: The Impact of Digital
Communication Media.” PMLA, vol. 128, no. 1, Jan. 2013,
pp.
193-200.
Jacobs, Alan. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of
Distraction. Oxford
UP, 2011.
Works-cited List: Author
While these examples are in different mediums (the first one is
a periodical, the second is a printed book), they are both
formatted according to the list of key elements. Note: there are
other types of author situations, such as multiple authors,
translators, editors, corporate authors, performers, and
pseudonyms (such as online user names). Refer to the 8th
edition handbook or the MLA online Style Center
https://style.mla.org/ for more information.
*
Title of source.
Books and websites should be in italics:
Hollmichel, Stefanie. So Many Books. 2003-13,
somanybooksblog.com.
Linett, Maren Tova. Modernism, Feminism, and
Jewishness. Cambridge UP,
2007.
Periodicals (journal, magazine, newspaper article), television
episodes, and songs should be in quotation marks:

Beyoncé. “Pretty Hurts.” Beyoncé, Parkwood
Entertainment, 2013, www.beyonce
.com/album/beyonce/?media_view=songs.
Goldman, Anne. “Questions of Transport: Reading Primo
Levi Reading
Dante.” The Georgia Review, vol. 64, no. 1, 2010, pp.
69-88.
Works-cited List: Title of Source
The title of the source should follow the author’s name.
Depending upon the type of source, it should be listed in italics
or quotation marks.
*
Title of container,
Examples:
Bazin, Patrick. “Toward Metareading.” The Future of the Book,
edited by Geoffrey Nunberg, U of California P, 1996, pp. 153-
68.
Hollmichel, Stefanie. “The Reading Brain: Differences between
Digital and Print.” So Many Books, 25 Apr. 2013,
somanybooksblog.com/2013/04/25/the-reading-brain-
differences-between-digital-and-print/.
“Under the Gun.” Pretty Little Liars, season 4, episode 6, ABC
Family, 16 July 2013. Hulu, hulu.com/watch/511318.
Works-cited List: Title of Container

Containers are the larger wholes in which the source is located.
For example, if you want to cite a poem that is listed in a
collection of poems, the individual poem is the source, while
the larger collection is the container. The title of the container
is usually italicized and followed by a comma, since the
information that follows next describes the container.
In the first example, “Toward Metareading” is the title of an
essay, and The Future of the Book is the title of the edited
collection in which the essay appears.
The container may also be a website, which contains articles,
postings, and other works.
The container may also be a television series, which is made up
of episodes.
*
Other contributors,
Examples:
Chartier, Roger. The Order of Books: Readers, Authors, and
Libraries in Europe between the Fourteenth and Eighteenth
Centuries. Translated by Lydia G. Cochrane, Stanford UP, 1994.
performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 4, episode 10,
Mutant Enemy, 1999.
Woolf, Virginia. Jacob’s Room. Annotated and with an
introduction by Vara Neverow, Harcourt, Inc., 2008.

Works-cited List: Other Contributors
In addition to the author, there may be other contributors to the
source who should be credited, such as editors, illustrators,
performers, translators, etc. If their contributions are relevant to
your research, or necessary to identify the source, include their
names in your documentation.
Note: In the eighth edition, terms like editor, illustrator,
translator, etc., are no longer abbreviated.
*
Version,
If a source is listed as an edition or version of a work, include it
in your citation.
The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.
Newcomb, Horace, editor. Television: The Critical View. 7th
ed., Oxford
UP, 2007.
Scott, Ridley, director. Blade Runner. 1982. Performance by
Harrison
Ford, director’s cut, Warner Bros., 1992.
Works-cited List: Version
Books are commonly issued in versions called editions. A
revised edition of a book may be labeled revised edition, or be

numbered (second edition, etc.). A a film may be released in
different versions, such as expanded or director’s cut.
*
Number,
If a source is part of a numbered sequence, such as a multi-
volume book, or journal with both volume and issue numbers,
those numbers must be listed in your citation.
Baron, Naomi S. “Redefining Reading: The Impact of Digital
Communication Media.” PMLA, vol. 128, no. 1, Jan. 2013,
pp. 193-200.
performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 4, episode 10,
Mutant Enemy, 1999.
Wellek, René. A History of Modern Criticism, 1750-1950. Vol.
5, Yale UP, 1986.
Works-cited List: Number
If your source uses another numbering system, include the
number in your entry, preceded by a term that identifies the
kind of division the number refers to.
*
Publisher,

The publisher produces or distributes the source to the public. If
there is more than one publisher, and they are all are relevant to
your research, list them in your citation, separated by a forward
slash (/).
Examples:
Harris, Charles “Teenie.” Woman in a Paisley Shirt behind
Counter in
Record Store. Teenie Harris Archive, Carnegie Museum of
Art, Pittsburgh, teenie.cmoa.org/interactive/index.html#date08.
Jacobs, Alan. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of
Distraction. Oxford
UP, 2011.
Kuzui, Fran Rubel, director. Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Twentieth Century
Fox, 1992.
Works-cited List: Publisher
Note: the publisher’s name need not be included in the
following sources: periodicals, works published by their author
or editor, a Web cite whose title is the same name as its
publisher, a Web cite that makes works available but does not
actually publish them (such as YouTube, WordPress, or
JSTOR).
*
Publication date,

The same source may have been published on more than one
date, such as an online version of an original source. When the
source has more than one date, use the date that is most relevant
to your use of it.
Belton, John. “Painting by the Numbers: The Digital
Intermediate.” Film
Quarterly, vol. 61, no. 3, Spring 2008, pp. 58-65.
performance
by Sarah Michelle Gellar, season 4, Mutant Enemy, 1999.
Works-cited List: Publication Date
If you’re unsure about which date to use, go with the date of the
source’s original publication.
In the first example, the periodical’s publication schedule goes
by season. So document the volume (61), the issue number (3),
and the issue (Spring 2008).
In the second example, Mutant Enemy is the primary production
company, and “Hush” was released in 1999. This is the way to
create a general citation for a television episode.
*
Location,
Be as specific as possible in identifying a work’s location.
Examples:

Adiche, Chimamanda Ngozi. “On Monday of Last Week.” The
Thing
around Your Neck, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, pp. 74-94.
Deresiewicz, William. “The Death of the Artist—and the Birth
of the Creative Entrepreneur.” The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2014,
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/01/the-death-
of-the-
artist-and-the-birth-of-the-creative-entrepreneur/383497/.
Bearden, Romare. The Train. 1975, Museum of Modern Art,
New York.
Works-cited List: Location
First example: an essay in a book, or an article in journal should
include page numbers.
Second example: The location of an online work should include
a URL.
Third example: A physical object that you experienced firsthand
should identify the place of location.
*
Optional elements:
Date of original publication:

Franklin, Benjamin. “Emigration to America.” 1782. The
Faber Book of America, edited by Christopher
Ricks and William L. Vance, Faber and Faber, 1992, pp.
24-26.
City of publication:
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Conversations of Goethe
with Eckermann and Soret. Translated by John
Oxenford, new ed., London, 1875.
Works-cited List: Optional Elements
Date of original publication: If a source has been published on
more than one date, the writer may want to include both dates if
it will provide the reader with necessary or helpful information.
City of publication: this is only necessary in particular
instances, such as in a work published before 1900. Since pre-
1900 works were usually associated with the city in which they
were published, your documentation may substitute the city
name for the publisher’s name.
*
Optional elements:
URLs
DOIs (digital object identifier)

Chan, Evans. “Postmodernism and Hong Kong Cinema.”
Postmodern Culture, vol. 10, no. 3, May
2000. Project Muse, doi: 10.1353/pmc.2000.0021.
Date of access
“Under the Gun.” Pretty Little Liars, season 4, episode 6,
ABC Family, 16 July 2013. Hulu,
www.hulu.com/watch/511318. Accessed 23 July
2013.
Works-cited List: Optional Elements
URLs: use at your instructor’s discretion.
DOIs: a series of digits and letters that leads to the location of
an online source. Articles in journals are often assigned DOIs to
ensure that the source is locatable, even if the URL changes. If
your source is listed with a DOI, use that instead of a URL.
Date of access: When you cite an online source, always include
the date on which you accessed the material, since an online
work may change or move at any time.
*
Purdue University Writing Lab
Heavilon 226

Web: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Phone: (765) 494-3723
Email: [email protected]
Where to Go to Get More Help
Rationale: Purdue students are invited to meet with a tutor to
assist with writing challenges on an individual basis. Viewers
outside of Purdue may receive assistance through the OWL
(Online Writing Lab) and answers to quick questions through
the OWL email service.
*
The End
MLA 8th Edition Formatting Style Guide
Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing
Lab
MLA Documentation in-text. We can go over the basics and
look at examples.
Introduce your sources: the first time you use a source, give the
name of the article/book and the author’s first and last name.
After that, use just the last name.
Example: In “The Signifying Monkey,” Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
discusses various language manipulations common in the
writings of African Americans and what these usages of
language mean.
I do not need a citation at this point because I just vaguely
summarized Gates’ whole article.

If I use Gates’ work later, I refer to him by his last name and
include an in-text citation for the information and words from
his article. I do not need his name in the parenthetical
documentation as I mentioned it in the sentence.
Example: Gates’ notes that “The Monkey tales inscribe a
dictum about interpretation, whereas the language of Signifying
address the nature and application of rhetoric” (85).
Always capitalize the words in a title of an article, poem, or any
other work, as it is capitalized where you read it. Titles are
never in all lower case unless printed that way, like for an e.e.
cummings poem. His titles are purposely in lower case so we
match that when we write about his work.
Example: When comparing e.e. cummings’ poem “anyone lived
in a pretty how town” to Emily Dickinson’s “I’m Nobody! Who
are you?” we realize that the two works have little in common!
Quotes MUST, MUST, MUST be connected to a sentence in
some way. This can be as simple as a colon before a quote or
the quote may be integrated into the sentence.
We have a handout on MyPima, that I also gave in class, that
gives examples of how to connect quotes to sentences.
Reference: Quotation handout on MyPima, the regular one and
the poetry one. Look at these and take any questions on putting
quotations into an essay.
Citations and Plagiarism
Ways to avoid unintentional plagiarism:
1) maintain a working bibliography: keep record of all sources
you consult. This will help you keep up with all of your
information and help you avoid accidentally forgetting to credit
an author. It is very important to keep copies of Web sites in
particular as they can change from day to day and you need to

be able to say when exactly you found this information on a
particular site.
2) As you take notes, make sure not to use too much of the
language of your sources. Or if you do write things down word
for word, use quotation marks, even in notes. P310 Rules for
writers: how to avoid internet plagiarism.
3) Cite ALL quotations and borrowed ideas, such as summaries,
paraphrases, statistics, specific facts, and visuals, like art
works, cartoons, graphs, diagrams, etc. Even when you put it
into your own language, you must indicate where the
information came from.
4) Enclose borrowed language in quotation marks.
5) Put summaries and paraphrases in your own words. You
cannot half-copy the writer’s sentences, using part of their
language and sentence structure without using quotations.
“Three different acts are considered plagiarism: (1) failing to
cite quotations and borrowed ideas, (2) failing to enclose
borrowed language in quotation marks, and (3) failing to put
summaries and paraphrases in your own words” (Hacker 415).
Why should we care about plagiarism, even accidental misuse of
someone else’s ideas and language? Plagiarism can have
serious consequences academically, professionally, and even
legally. Colleges and Universities can retroactively revoke
credits and degrees, even if plagiarism or other academic
dishonesty is discovered years later.
For example, there has been legal precedent set that colleges
may revoke credits and degrees by the following cases:
University of Michigan, Crook vs. Baker (1987) and Walgia vs.
Board of Trustees (1986), among other cases.
Additionally, plagiarism robs authors of their work. It is
considered by some as a form of identity theft.

The New York Times reporter Jayson Blair had to resign in
2003 due to well documented plagiarism within his news
articles, including a number relating to injured war veterans.
Blair is no longer a reporter and no longer works in media
related industries.
The point is that it matters a great deal that you properly
acknowledge outside sources and ideas, not only to your future,
but also for the writers’ whose work you are using.
Works Cited
Hacker, Diane. The Bedford Handbook. 6th edition. New
York: Bedford/St. Martin, 2012.
Caves 1
Student Name
Course Name & Number
Date
What Belongs in an Essay
Introduction: The first sentence needs to be an “attention
grabber,” something to draw your audience into your discussion.
In the intro, you give information on your TOPIC, POINTS, and
possible BACKGROUND information on your TOPIC. Your
introduction builds up to your thesis statement and should have
at least 4 to 6 sentences before your THESIS STATEMENT.
What are you arguing and why is this important/how will do
what? Thesis statements give the "so what" (the "why" or the
"how") for your argument. A good thesis statement may be two
sentences long. A thesis has three main parts: Topic + Point
about the Topic + Why/How (So what?) THESIS
STATEMENTS must come at the end of your introductory
paragraph.
Body Paragraphs: Body paragraphs begin with a TOPIC
SENTENCE (topic + point about the topic). The Topic
Sentence is related to at least one aspect of your thesis

statement. In each body paragraph you need your POINT, your
ILLUSTRATIONS (examples), and your EXPLANTION. As
part of your discussion, you will need SUPPORT for your
POINT and this includes: Quotes, Statistics, and other
information from OUTSIDE SOURCES as well as your
EXPLANATION of the relevance of these sources to your
POINT. A body paragraph ends in one of two ways: 1) you
finish your discussion and it is time to move on to a new
paragraph, or 2) your paragraph has become long enough (8-10
sentences) and you need to break it up. A body paragraph ends
with a summing up statement which indicates your next point,
or the next aspect of the point that you plan to discuss. This is
also known as a TRANSITION. Body Paragraphs often begin
with a Topic Sentence that picks up from the last paragraph,
discussing another aspect of the topic as indicated in the thesis.
This is how the paragraphs are linked together as well as linked
back to the THESIS STATEMENT.
Conclusion: This paragraph sums up your discussion.
You might say “after all of this, we can see that A + B = C
(topic + points lead to = the why/how (so what))”. You may
also include further ideas for research on this topic. You are
not introducing new ideas, just saying where you have been,
why that was important, and where you may go in the future.
Do not just restate your thesis or intro.
Technical Checklist for Essays: Make sure you have ALL of
these items in your essay:
Title of your paper
Required information in the upper left hand corner
Page numbers with your last name in the upper right hand
corner
Titles and Authors for the works you are discussing and/or
using as sources
In-text citations at the ends of quotes and ends of
summaries of info, i.e. (Caves 2)
Works Cited Page: WORKS CITED PAGES ARE NEVER
OPTIONAL WHEN YOU HAVE OUTSIDE SOURCES,

EVEN IF IT IS ONLY ONE SOURCE.
THESIS STATEMENT: THIS IS ALSO NOT OPTIONAL.
Use 3rd person voice, not 1st person: this means you do
NOT USE “I.” You should NEVER use “I” in an academic
essay, unless an instructor explicitly says you may.
MLA quotations
If a quotation if 3 or fewer lines, you will need to introduce it
and include it in the sentence and regular margins of the page.
For example:
One way to understand the universe in Buddhist principles is to
look at the idea of Indra’s
Net. Matthew Bortolin, in his book The Dharma of Star Wars,
discusses how Indra’s Net “describes reality as stretching
infinitely in all directions, with a jewel in every node of the
net” (42).
In this example, the idea was introduced in a previous sentence
first. Since this is the first time we are using a quote from this
author and this book, we should use his name as well as the
name of his book. Quotation marks enclosed the quote and the
ending before the in-text citation, which comes before the
ending punctuation of the sentence. As I have given his name, I
have no need to include it in the in-text citation.
Other ways to do this: Put the quote in the sentence that
describes it. Here you put the author’s last name in the in-text
citation.
Net and how it “describes reality as stretching infinitely in all
directions, with a jewel in every node of the net” (Bortolin 42).

Yet another way: In this way, you give away little info on the
quote.
Indra’s Net “describes reality as stretching infinitely in all
directions, with a jewel in every node of the net” (Bortolin 42).
And yet, one more way, this time we are using a colon to off-set
the quote as it is not a regular part of the sentence.
In The Dharma of Star Wars, Matthew Bortolin illustrates how
similar the Jedi’s idea of the symbiont circle is to the Buddhist
idea of the Indra’s Net: “describes reality as stretching
infinitely in all directions, with a jewel in every node of the
net” (42).
Quotes do not stand alone. They must be introduced in some
way and connect to a sentence in some way. This must occur
even with long quotes.
If you wanted to use a quote longer than 3 lines of regular text
(in your essay, or in the original in the case of a poem), you
will have to off-set it from the text. Start on a new line and tab
over once, this is an inch from the margin. Maintain double
spacing throughout quote. You may use a colon if the quote is
more of a comment on the sentence than a part of it. You do
not have to use one if the quote ends up finishing the whole of
the sentence (subject, verb, etc.). No quotation marks, and
quote starts with capitalization.
In The Dharma of Star Wars, Matthew Bortolin illustrates how
similar the Jedi’s idea of
the symbiont circle is to the Buddhist idea of the Indra’s Net:
Describes reality as stretching infinitely in all directions, with a
jewel in every
node of the net. Each jewel reflects every other jewel, and

within each the reflections are compounded, creating reflection
upon reflection into infinity. Standing at any point on Indra’s
Net we and everything else are reflected limitlessly. The Net of
Indra reveals to us that when we look at R2D2 we are also
looking at proton torpedoes, imperial probe droids, moisture
farmers, economic embargoes, and the infinite number of things
that comprise the entire universe – including us. (Bortolin 42)
Long quotations can be part and parcel of the sentence. The
quote changes little, but this time you do not include a colon.
Net and how it
Describes reality as stretching infinitely in all directions, with
a jewel in every
node of the net. Each jewel reflects every other jewel, and
within each the reflections are compounded, creating reflection
upon reflection into infinity. Standing at any point on Indra’s
Net we and everything else are reflected limitlessly. The Net of
Indra reveals to us that when we look at R2D2 we are also
looking at proton torpedoes, imperial probe droids, moisture
farmers, economic embargoes, and the infinite number of things
that comprise the entire universe – including us. (Bortolin 42)
1
How It Feels to Be Colored Me
Zora Neale Hurston
I am colored but I offer nothing in the way of extenuating
circumstances except the fact
that I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather
on the mother's side was
not an Indian chief.

I remember the very day that I became colored. Up to my
thirteenth year I lived in the
little Negro town of Eatonville, Florida. It is exclusively a
colored town. The only white
people I knew passed through the town going to or coming from
Orlando. The native
whites rode dusty horses, the Northern tourists chugged down
the sandy village road in
automobiles. The town knew the Southerners and never stopped
cane chewing when they
passed. But the Northerners were something else again. They
were peered at cautiously
from behind curtains by the timid. The more venturesome would
come out on the porch
to watch them go past and got just as much pleasure out of the
tourists as the tourists got
out of the village.
The front porch might seem a daring place for the rest of the
town, but it was a gallery
seat to me. My favorite place was atop the gate-post.
Proscenium box for a born first-
nighter. Not only did I enjoy the show, but I didn't mind the
actors knowing that I liked it.
I usually spoke to them in passing. I'd wave at them and when
they returned my salute, I
would say something like this: "Howdy-do-well-I-thank-you-
where-you-goin'?" Usually
the automobile or the horse paused at this, and after a queer
exchange of compliments, I
would probably "go a piece of the way" with them, as we say in
farthest Florida. If one of
my family happened to come to the front in time to see me, of
course negotiations would
be rudely broken off. But even so, it is clear that I was the first

"welcome-to-our-state"
Floridian, and I hope the Miami Chamber of Commerce will
please take notice.
During this period, white people differed from colored to me
only in that they rode
through town and never lived there. They liked to hear me
"speak pieces" and sing and
wanted to see me dance the parse-me-la, and gave me
generously of their small silver for
doing these things, which seemed strange to me for I wanted to
do them so much that I
needed bribing to stop. Only they didn't know it. The colored
people gave no dimes. They
deplored any joyful tendencies in me, but I was their Zora
nevertheless. I belonged to
them, to the nearby hotels, to the county-- everybody's Zora.
But changes came in the family when I was thirteen, and I was
sent to school in
Jacksonville. I left Eatonville, the town of the oleanders, as
Zora. When I disembarked
from the river-boat at Jacksonville, she was no more. It seemed
that I had suffered a sea
change. I was not Zora of Orange County any more, I was now a
little colored girl. I
found it out in certain ways. In my heart as well as in the
mirror, I became a fast brown--
warranted not to rub nor run.
But I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow
dammed up in my soul, nor
lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all. I do not belong to
the sobbing school of

2
Negrohood who hold that nature somehow has given them a
lowdown dirty deal and
whose feelings are all hurt about it. Even in the helter-skelter
skirmish that is my life, I
have seen that the world is to the strong regardless of a little
pigmentation more or less.
No, I do not weep at the world--I am too busy sharpening my
oyster knife.
Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the
granddaughter of slaves. It
fails to register depression with me. Slavery is sixty years in the
past. The operation was
successful and the patient is doing well, thank you. The terrible
struggle that made me an
American out of a potential slave said "On the line!" The
Reconstruction said "Get set!";
and the generation before said "Go!" I am off to a flying start
and I must not halt in the
stretch to look behind and weep. Slavery is the price I paid for
civilization, and the choice
was not with me. It is a bully adventure and worth all that I
have paid through my
ancestors for it. No one on earth ever had a greater chance for
glory. The world to be won
and nothing to be lost. It is thrilling to think--to know that for
any act of mine, I shall get
twice as much praise or twice as much blame. It is quite
exciting to hold the center of the
national stage, with the spectators not knowing whether to laugh
or to weep.
The position of my white neighbor is much more difficult. No

brown specter pulls up a
chair beside me when I sit down to eat. No dark ghost thrusts its
leg against mine in bed.
The game of keeping what one has is never so exciting as the
game of getting.
I do not always feel colored. Even now I often achieve the
unconscious Zora of
Eatonville before the Hegira 1. I feel most colored when I am
thrown against a sharp
white background.
For instance at Barnard.2 "Beside the waters of the Hudson" I
feel my race. Among the
thousand white persons, I am a dark rock surged upon,
overswept by a creamy sea. I am
surged upon and overswept, but through it all, I remain myself.
When covered by the
waters, I am; and the ebb but reveals me again.
Sometimes it is the other way around. A white person is set
down in our midst, but the
contrast is just as sharp for me. For instance, when I sit in the
drafty basement that is The
New World Cabaret with a white person, my color comes. We
enter chatting about any
little nothing that we have in common and are seated by the jazz
waiters. In the abrupt
way that jazz orchestras have, this one plunges into a number. It
loses no time in
circumlocutions, but gets right down to business. It constricts
the thorax and splits the
heart with its tempo and narcotic harmonies. This orchestra
grows rambunctious, rears on
its hind legs and attacks the tonal veil with primitive fury,
rending it, clawing it until it

breaks through the jungle beyond. I follow those heathen--
follow them exultingly. I
1 Exodus or pilgrimage: Hurston refers here to the migration of
millions of African Americans from the
South to the North in the early 20th century. (All notes from
Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings
unless otherwise cited)
2 Barnard: Barnard College in New York City, where Hurston
received her BA in 1927.
3
dance wildly inside myself; I yell within, I whoop; I shake my
assegai3 above my head, I
hurl it true to the mark yeeeooww! I am in the jungle and living
in the jungle way. My
face is painted red and yellow and my body is painted blue. My
pulse is throbbing like a
war drum. I want to slaughter something--give pain, give death
to what, I do not know.
But the piece ends. The men of the orchestra wipe their lips and
rest their fingers. I creep
back slowly to the veneer we call civilization with the last tone
and find the white friend
sitting motionless in his seat, smoking calmly.
"Good music they have here," he remarks, drumming the table
with his fingertips.
Music! The great blobs of purple and red emotion have not
touched him. He has only

heard what I felt. He is far away and I see him but dimly across
the ocean and the
continent that have fallen between us. He is so pale with his
whiteness then and I am so
colored.
At certain times I have no race, I am me. When I set my hat at a
certain angle and saunter
down Seventh Avenue, Harlem City, feeling as snooty as the
lions in front of the Forty-
Second Street Library, for instance. So far as my feelings are
concerned, Peggy Hopkins
Joyce4 on the Boule Mich with her gorgeous raiment, stately
carriage, knees knocking
together in a most aristocratic manner, has nothing on me. The
cosmic Zora emerges. I
belong to no race nor time. I am the eternal feminine with its
string of beads.
I have no separate feeling about being an American citizen and
colored. It merely
astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my
company! It's beyond
me.
But in the main, I feel like a brown bag of miscellany propped
against a wall. Against a
wall in company with other bags, white, red and yellow. Pour
out the contents, and there
is discovered a jumble of small things priceless and worthless.
A first-water diamond5, an
empty spool, bits of broken glass, lengths of string, a key to a
door long since crumbled
away, a rusty knifeblade, old shoes saved for a road that never
was and never will be, a
nail bent under the weight of things too heavy for any nail, a

dried flower or two, still a
little fragrant. In your hand is the brown bag. On the ground
before you is the jumble it
held--so much like the jumble in the bags, could they be
emptied, that all might be
dumped in a single heap and the bags refilled without altering
the content of any greatly.
A bit of colored glass more or less would not matter. Perhaps
that is how the Great
Stuffer of Bags filled them in the first place--who knows?
3 Assegai: a weapon for throwing or hurling, usually a light
spear or javelin made of wood and pointed with
iron. (Wikipedia)
4 American actress and celebrity (1893-1957). Boule Mich:
Boulevard St. Michel, a street on the left bank
of Paris.
5 A diamond of the highest quality (Answers.com)

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