Academic Writing, Referencing, and the MLA Writing Style

IMPORTANT: You must answer ALL questions for credit.
1. What is the difference between an informative and a directive process analysis essay?
2. What is the difference between a classic and a keyhole comparison-contrast essay?
3. What are the two ways to organize body paragraphs in a comparison-contrast essay?
4. How does an in-text citation differ from an entry on a Works Cited page? What is the purpose of having both in a research paper?
5. What does an MLA in-text citation include in the parenthesis when the source is quoted directly and the author's name is not mentioned in the text?
6. What does an MLA in-text citation include in the parenthesis when the source is quoted directly and the author's name is mentioned in the text?
7. Which of the following is cited correctly in MLA style? A, B, C, or D?
A. Smith and Brown stressed that "the importance of African independence in [the] current cultural context" cannot be underestimated (1991, p 270).
B. Smith and Brown stressed that "the importance of African independence in [the] current cultural context" cannot be underestimated (271).
C. Smith and Brown (1996) stress that "the importance of African independence in [the] current cultural context" cannot be underestimated (p. 271).
D. Smith and Brown stressed that "the importance of African independence in [the] current cultural context" (271) cannot be underestimated.
8. Paraphrasing another person's ideas or words does not require an in-citation. True or false?
9. Which quote and citation are properly formatted? A, B, C, or D? The information for the cited quote is: He was stone dead. Edgar Allen Poe page 85
A. "He was stone dead. (85 Poe)"
B. "He was stone dead." (Poe, 85)
C. "He was stone dead" (Poe 85).
D. "He was stone dead" (Poe, 85).
10. The references in your list of Works Cited should appear (A, B, C, or D):
A. in alphabetical order by author's surname or by title (if there is no author), regardless of the type of reference (book, film journal article, website, etc.).
B. under separate subheadings according to the type of source.
C. first under those with authors, than those without.
D. numbered in the order in which they appear
11. If a reference is listed in your Works Cited, it must be cited in the body of your paper. True or false?
12. Do the following exercises based on the "Introducing a Quotation" and "Formatting and Punctuating Quotations" sections of Quoting and Paraphrasing:
A) Work with the following excerpt. It is from The Washington Post newspaper:
Caines spent much of his life stockpiling his paychecks of up to $700 a week to buy a home. Now, the 72-year-old worries that the Category 5 storms that took his roof also blew him and an entire generation of Virgin Islanders out of the middle class.
Quote the excerpt using a signal phrase.
Quote the excerpt by introducing it with a brief explanation. Use your imagination since you haven't read the whole article. Make up an explanation that sounds suitable.
Quote the excerpt with a formal introduction.
B) Work with the following excerpt from the same Washington Post article:
"I'm now going to die in debt," said Cains, who expects repairs to his home will cost $100,000, far exceeding his savings or expected insurance payout. "It feels like hell," he said. "I didn't get the help I needed, and now I'm out here suffering."
Introduce the excerpt with a signal phrase, then quote it. Keep in mind that this is a quote-within-a-quote scenario.
Quote the excerpt with an omission, and indicate that omission with an ellipsis mark.
Quote the excerpt and use brackets to either clarify meaning, change verb tense, or explain a word.
C) Quote the following excerpt as a two-paragraph block quotation.
On St. John, where million-dollar villas cling to hillsides overlooking teal ocean waters and coral reefs, business owners estimated that overall revenue is down as much as 70 percent this winter. But second-home owners are returning to high-end restaurants for lobster dinners and $100 bottles of wine. For Livio Leoni, who owns Da Livio Italian restaurant in Cruz Bay on St. John, the major lingering post-storm inconvenience is that the island's U.S. Customs and Border Protection office has not reopened. Without it, he said, he cannot import the cheese, cured meats, and bottles of wine bearing his family name directly from Italy. He instead would have to take a 25-minute ferry ride to St. Thomas to pick up those goods. Meanwhile, 25 miles away in Coral Bay, roofs and walls remain crumbled alongside roads. Some residents in this port town, known for sailors and bohemian culture, sleep in tents on their front porch or in vehicles. A few hundred yards from the bay, Pearlette Lawrence was sweeping the front porch of the house where she had lived with her husband. The house has no roof, and the couple has been living in a shelter, but they return each day to cook meals and hand-wash clothes. Before the hurricanes, Lawrence had worked as a live-in maid and health-care aid for an elderly woman who owned the house, earning $900 a month. The homeowner died shortly after the storm, the couple said.
13. Write 5 sentences using gender-specific language. Rewrite those sentences using gender-neutral language.
14. Write 5 sentences in the passive voice. Rewrite those sentences using the active voice.
Pay attention: For this week's peer response, if your classmates' responses help you to get a better understanding of quotations or any other concept(s), let them know. If you see an opportunity to help your classmates better understand the materials, go ahead and help them out. Remember, skimpy peer response will not count, and peer response will impact your final grade. Aim to write at least 250 words in each response; you don't have to meet the 250 words every time, but it's a good goal that will ensure that you provide in-depth feedback to your peers.