MLA Lead-In Exercises

DIRECTIONS: Working with the given information, create proper lead-in devices and parenthetical references for each entry. Assume that this is the first time you have utilized each source. Also, you may directly quote the “material,” or you may paraphrase or summarize it—but do not lose the meaning of the original quote.

3 typical structures:

  • According to Author, appositive regarding credentials, “Direct Quote” (citation).
  • In + source, Author (w/credentials) + intro verb, + “Direct Quote” (citation).
  • Author, appositive regarding credentials, intro verb, + “Direct Quote” (citation).

CITATIONS:

  • Remember, when the author’s name is included in the lead-in, you needn’t repeat it in the citation.
  • You’re given multiple pages for the entire article, so use in the citation only a single page for the quotation.

______

1) Author=Barbara Tuchman. Book=The Fall of Vietnam. Page=3. Material=Vietnam has a history somewhat like ancient Troy.

3 typical structures =
  • According to Barbara Tuchman, the author of The Fall of Vietnam, “Vietnam has a history somewhat like ancient Troy” (3).
  • In The Fall of Vietnam, Barbara Tuchman argues, “Vietnam has a history somewhat like ancient Troy” (3).
  • Barbara Tuchman, author of The Fall of Vietnam, asserts, “Vietnam has a history somewhat like ancient Troy” (3).
  • *notice the use of PRESENT TENSE for the intro verb (the literary present tense)
  • *notice the verb is NOT "says" b/c it wasn't spoken

2) Authors=Michael S. Hanna and James W. Gibson. Book Title=Public Speaking for Personal Success. Pages=295-297. Material=Credibility is believability and is affected by a speaker’s knowledge, personal appearance, and extent of audience agreement.

  • here & throughout, utilize one of the 3 structures above
  • choose only ONE of the three possible pages for a page number
  • (the quote couldn’t appear on ALL those pages, unless it’s a pop-up book!)
  • 2 pages at most (295-96) or (296-97), bottom of 1 page, top of the other

3) Author=Louis Sullivan. Magazine Article Title=A Stitch in Time. Pages=65-72. Material=Critics hostile to modern architecture have misinterpreted the slogan “a stitch in time saves nine.”

  • when you have aquote within a quote(the source you’ll quote has quotes in it), turn those inside the "double quotes" into 'single quotes'
  • (there's a double within a single, you have to go to 1st base before 2nd)
  • “...slogan ‘a stitch in time saves nine’” (70).

4) Authors=Lee H. Oswald and Jack Ruby. Magazine Article Title=Who Really Killed Kennedy? Pages=15-22. Material=Ruby refuted Oswald’s arguments of innocence by killing him.

  • Quotation Marks around “Article Titles”throughout
  • (forget that the article cannot, historically, make sense)

5) Author=Myron Cohen. Journal Article Title=Crack Babies. Pages=16-24. Material=Norplant is not the solution to this problem.