Overview
Task 4: Evaluation of format/style features
up to a page --single-spaced/short answers
Use the sample MLA sample or essay as your focus for this exercise MLA - starts on page 40 Links to an external site.
MLA sample pg. 40 of our text https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uf1umkdgzt85j4ejfud8g/OER-Eng.-103-Text-Werry-with-Missakian-enhancements.docx.pdf?rlkey=5ahieuswbawd5f8qfy99bwgft&st=auxunib9&dl=0
Short answers—write in complete sentences. This exercise is about noticing what is quite obvious, but it is meant to make you aware of some expectations in writing that, while tedious to deal with, we want you to use in expressing your academic voice.
- What elements are on the first page? What kind of spacing? Rate your reaction to the title, 1-10, for how it represents the essay. Would you change the title? If so, how?
- Comment on the intro and what you find effective or ineffective about it and why.
- Comment on the body paragraphs in terms of what you observe about length and “occupation of space” on a page, how many references (parentheticals) are made/how often a person/corporation name appears, how statistics/numbers look, whether any .com or URL appears in the body (not counting the Works Cited/References page). How many of these techniques are you familiar with? How many seem unfamiliar? (note: this is a model of the kind of writing that you will do, so carefully look at these.
- In the Works Cited/References, what do you notice about the entries? How do they begin? How do they finish? What happens after the first line reaches the end margin? How is the whole list arranged?
- What do you think you’ll be able to deal with most comfortably in MLA or APA (be clear that you are choosing one style for the semester that is most relevant to your academic discipline). What do you think will be more of a challenge to deal with in the style that you are choosing?
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