MLA Formatting Pretest Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key rules, layout specifications, and citation guidelines for MLA formatting based on the pretest notes.

Modern Language Association (MLA)

An academic organization whose documentation style standardizes writing and formatting to help students avoid plagiarism.

MLA Paper Margins

Standard margins required on an MLA-formatted paper, measuring exactly 1" all around.

MLA Paper Specifications

Standard paper requirements specifying text must be typed on 8.5 x 11-inch paper in 12 pt. type, with double-spaced body text and only one space after punctuation marks.

MLA Heading

An identifying block placed in the top left corner of the first page that lists Student Name, Teacher Name, Class Name, and Date.

MLA Heading Date Format

The required date sequence written as day, month, and year with no internal commas (e.g., 14 November 2026).

MLA Header

A running identifier located in the top right corner of the page that contains the writer's last name followed by the page number.

MLA Title Formatting

The title of an assignment placed centered below the heading near the top of the page; it is not bolded, underlined, or written in all capital letters.

Paragraph Indentation (MLA)

The formatting requirement to indent the beginning of each paragraph in an MLA-style paper.

MLA Thesis Statement Placement

The location where the main claim of a paper is most often situated: the last sentence of the first paragraph.

Book Title Formatting (MLA)

The styling convention requiring the title of a book to be italicized or underlined consistently throughout a paper.

Quotation Marks Rule

The punctuation rule requiring quotation marks to be placed around the exact words borrowed from another source.

Citation Rule for Information

The academic standard requiring any information that is not considered common knowledge to be cited.

Quote Integration

The technique of introducing borrowed evidence with well-integrated or embedded context rather than dropping a quotation into a paragraph without introduction.

Parenthetical In-Text Citation

A reference placed after quotation marks and before the ending period, containing the author's last name and page number without a comma (e.g., (Smith 10) or (Wordsworth 263)).

Wikipedia and A.I. Sources

Tools and reference platforms that are not considered reliable and legitimate sources for an academic research essay.