B. First Page if a Title Page is Not Required

Single space the heading in the upper left-hand corner of the page, then skip a line before the first paragraph.

    Student Name

      Teacher

      Course

      Due Date

      Assignment

      Start writing here.

      C. Pages following title page

     Print on one side of white, 8 ½ x 11-inch paper.

    Do not restate information from the title page.

    Double space the body of text (use format, then paragraph for MS Word).  

    Indent 1 tab (or 5 spaces) for a new paragraph.

    Use a standard font (like Arial or Times), size 12.

    Use standard, one-inch margins, default setting on most word processors.

Number all pages starting with page two, in the lower right-hand corner (Use insert, page numbers in MS Word).

  D. Order of Paper

     Title Page

    Table of Contents/Outline

    The Composition:

            Introduction,

            Body,

            Conclusion

    Works Cited and/or Bibliography

    Appendix (include graphs and charts that are not inserted in the body of the report).

2. Handwritten Papers

     Follow formatting rules for word-processed papers when possible.

    Use a full sheet of white, 8 ½  x 11-inch paper without spiral notebook edges.

    Write in blue or black ink.

    Write on one side of the paper only.

    Write or print legibly.

Guidelines for the Writing Process

PREWRITING

      Select a topic that interests you.

      Narrow the topic until it can be thoroughly developed in a specified length according to your teacher's instructions.

      Determine your purpose and audience.

      Gather and list details to develop your topic.

      Evaluate and organize the list of details.

      Delete unrelated ideas.

DRAFTING

      Begin to write, keeping your audience and purpose in mind.

      Let your thoughts flow freely. Modify your initial plans for content and organization, if necessary.

      Remember that this is an experimental stage. Do not be too concerned with grammar and mechanics at this point

CONFERENCING

      Share with your parents, peers, and teacher for feedback.

REVISING

      Ask yourself the following:

    Did you stick to the topic?
    Did you include everything you wanted?
    Are there any unnecessary or unrelated details?
    Is each main idea clearly expressed and thoroughly developed?

    Do your ideas flow smoothly with the use of transitions?
    Is your writing organized logically, with a beginning, a middle, and an end?

    Are the ideas presented in an order that makes sense?
    Is your writing interesting and lively?
    Is there variety in the type and structure of your sentences?

    Is each key word vivid or precise?

    Do the language and content suit your audience?
    Have you accomplished your purpose?

      Revise accordingly.

EDITING             Note: spell check will not catch all grammatical and usage errors!

      Ask yourself the following:

         Grammar and Usage

                Are there any sentence fragments or run-ons?

                Have you used the correct form of each pronoun?

                Have you used verb tenses correctly?

                Do all verbs agree with their subjects?

                Are compound and complex sentences written and punctuated correctly?
        Capitalization

                Did you capitalize first words and all proper nouns and adjectives?
                Are titles capitalized correctly?
        Punctuation

                Does each sentence have the proper end mark?
                Are colons, semicolons, apostrophes, hyphens and quotation marks used correctly?
        Spelling

Did you check all unfamiliar words in the dictionary?
                Are plural and possessive forms spelled correctly?
                Did you check commonly misused words (their, they're, there, etc.)?

      Have another person read the report aloud.

      Edit according to responses.

PUBLISHING

      Go public with the paper.

      Submit the paper for teacher evaluation.

      Consider other audiences (Mia Steiner Awards, Catskill Review, School Newspaper, etc…)

      Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and future goals.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when you use someone else’s words or ideas as your own.  Plagiarism is cheating.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated at Margaretville Central School.

Common types of plagiarism are:

        Directly copying material without acknowledging the source

        Using an original idea without crediting the source of the idea

        Inadvertently plagiarizing because of sloppy research or writing technique

Consequences for Plagiarism

          The teacher who discovers a student cheating or plagiarizing will report the incident to the principal.  The work in question will receive a zero.  1^st offense: Student receives a zero and parents are notified. 2^nd offense: Student is suspended from school and parents are notified.  Any subsequent offense may lead to dismissal.  The full version of this policy can be found in the Main Office’s copy of the Code of Conduct.

Guidelines for Acknowledging all Information Gained from Outside Sources

You must clearly credit all information gained from outside sources when writing a paper. Generally three types of information must be declared to avoid plagiarism:

1. Direct quotations

2. Paraphrasing or summarizations

3. Author's ideas

The format used at MCS to credit other’s work is called Parenthetical citation (recommended by the Modern Language Association (M.L.A.)).  Many people agree that this format is easy to read and easy to type.  A parenthetical citation is used in the body of the text after quotations, summarizations and author’s ideas, to acknowledge where the information came from.  The information inside the parenthesis must correlate with a full bibliographic citation in a Works Cited or Bibliography page at the end of the paper. Examples of parenthetical citations are shown below.

Purdue University  OWL - Online Writing Lab. <http:/owl.English.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html>.

Use the following guidelines to use parenthetical citations to document sources in your papers.

1. Introduce the beginning of the borrowed material to distinguish it from your own writing. Typically this is done with a brief introduction of the author and some reference to his/her credentials.

        Lynette and Thomas Long, two of the foremost recog-
        nized experts on the trend of latchkey children define
        latchkey as"...children who are regularly left during
        some period of the day to supervise themselves...or for
        whom care arrangements are so loosely made they are
        virtually ineffective" (Long 17).

2. Works by one author. Give the author's last name in parentheses at the end of a sentence, followed by the page number(s).

(Jones 58).

3. Works by more than one author. List all the last names in parentheses, or give one last name followed by et al.

(Smith, Jones and Wilcox 87).

or
(Smith et al. 87).

4. Works with no author listed. When citing an article that does not identify the author, use the title of the work or a shortened version of it.

("Robotics” 398).

5.Two works by the same author. If you use more than one work by the same author, give the title, or a shortened version, after the author's last name.

(Jones, Robots 398).

Titles of books should always be underlined.  Titles of articles should be in parenthesis.  Additional examples and guidelines can be found in the book MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (available in the library or English department) or at Purdue University’s online writing lab at:

Purdue University  OWL - Online Writing Lab. <http:/owl.English.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html>

BIBLIOGRAPHY or WORKS CITED

(Based on Modern Language Association Format)

Paper copies of this format sheet and live, personal help with Works Cited Lists are available in the school library!

A Works Cited List, or a Bibliography, is a list of sources (books, encyclopedias, web sites, etc…) that a student uses to gain information for a written paper or project. It is usually found at the end of a research paper or essay and the sources are listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. A Works Cited List is a crucial part of giving credit for information borrowed from books, web sites or other sources.  The sources of direct quotations, paraphrased material, original ideas, and photographs should be included in a Works Cited List.  The format used to list sources in a Works Cited List is shown below.    

BASIC FORMAT FOR           Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book.  Place of Publication:

SOURCES IN PRINT :                    

                                                             Publisher, Year of Publication.

If no author is given for a book or article, start with and alphabetize by the title. Underlined titles may be italicized instead of underlined in word processed papers, but be consistent!

Specific Examples:

BASIC FORMAT FOR           Author(s) Name.  Name of Page.  Date of Posting/Revision.

SOURCES IN PRINT:

                                                                            Name of Organization Associated with the Site.  Date of

                                                            Access.  <electronic address> .

If no author is given for a web page or electronic source, start with and alphabetize by title. Whenever the information is available you should list both the date material was posted or revised and the date you accessed the information.

Specific examples: 

If your article does not include a piece of information shown on this format sheet (i.e. the author or posting date) you should go on to the next piece of information, using the same order shown above.

More information on writing a bibliography may be found online at this web site:

Stolley, Karl. “MLA Formating and Style Guide”  Online Writing Lab.  12 May 2006. Purdue University.

       18 May 2006.  < http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/>.

OR ask for help from the library staff!

Writing Assessment Rubric