Understanding MLA Format and College-Level Essays

What is the primary purpose of the MLA format?

• To ensure essays are written in a casual tone

• To standardize the appearance and documentation of essays

• To make essays look colorful

• To allow for creative freedom in essay presentation

Which of the following is NOT included on the first page of an MLA essay?

• The course title

• The teacher's name

• The essay writer's name

• The essay's conclusion

How should the title of an essay be formatted on the first page in MLA style?

• Left-aligned and underlined

• Italicized and in a larger font

• Centered and capitalized appropriately

• Right-aligned and bold

What is the purpose of a 'Works Cited' page in an MLA essay?

• To list all the books the writer has read

• To provide a biography of the essay writer

• To alphabetically list all sources used in the essay

• To summarize the essay's main points

What distinguishes a college-level essay from a five-paragraph essay?

• It is always exactly five pages long

• It is written in a more casual tone

• It uses a larger font size

• It contains a variety of paragraph lengths

What is the main job of a college-level essay?

• To entertain the reader

• To summarize a book

• To support a thesis and counter an antithesis

• To provide a detailed biography of the author

Which of the following is NOT a type of source used to support a thesis?

• Personal anecdotes

• Random guesses

• Statistical data

• Expert opinions

What is the difference between quoting and paraphrasing?

• Quoting uses the author's exact words, while paraphrasing rewords the text

• Quoting is used for fiction, while paraphrasing is used for non-fiction

• Quoting is always longer than paraphrasing

• Paraphrasing uses the author's exact words, while quoting rewords the text

Why are parenthetical citations important in an essay?

• They make the essay look more professional

• They are used to add humor to the essay

• They help avoid plagiarism by crediting sources

• They are required for essays longer than five pages

What can result from failing to use proper attribution in an essay?

• A higher grade

• More creative freedom

• Plagiarism accusations

• A longer essay