MLA Quiz

1.

Your textbook contains the following passage: This is line 1. This is line 2. This is indented. Back to the margin: This is in Bold.

A.

Quote the entire passage and let the reader figure it out
B.

Paraphrase the idea in your own words without stating that the idea comes from Aquinas.
C.

Paraphrase the idea in your own words stating that the idea comes from Aquinas but without being specific about the source.
D.

Paraphrase the idea in your own words stating that the idea comes from Aquinas, showing the page number in parentheses, and providing the source.

Correct Answer
D. Paraphrase the idea in your own words stating that the idea comes from Aquinas, showing the page number in parentheses, and providing the source.

Explanation
This is a complicated passage. You can't expect the reader to understand the full meaning simply by quoting the passage. Explain the meaning by paraphrasing the idea and indicate the source.

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2.

In general, if you are using the exact words from a resouce, how many consecutive words in a row will require the use of quotation marks?

A.

1
B.

2
C.

3
D.

4

Correct Answer
C. 3

Explanation
The 3-word rule is a good one to follow. However, plagiarism is not a matter of how many words are copied from an uncited resource. Plagiarism is using sentences or phrases you did not write in order to create the false impression that you are the creator or author.

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3.

Which of the following is in correct MLA format? 1. According to Nietzsche, the next two centuries will be "the most terrible, most questionable, and perhaps also most hopeful of all spectacles". (Genealogy III 27) 2. According to Nietzsche, the next two centuries will be "the most terrible, most questionable, and perhaps also most hopeful of all spectacles" (Genealogy III 27). 3. According to Nietzsche, the next two centuries will be "the most terrible, most questionable, and perhaps also most hopeful of all spectacles". (Genealogy III 27).

A.

1
B.

2
C.

3

Correct Answer
B. 2

4.

As long as I don't have more than a few words in a row from any one source, it's OK to create a post in an online discussion by piecing together phases copied directly from the Internet.

A.

True
B.

False

Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
You can never misrepresent the authorship of anything you put into a paper or a discussion post. All work, all creative phrases, all sentences, must be your own. All the IDEAS discussed do not need to be your own. As long as it is clear which ideas are yours and which are paraphrases or quotations from other sources and you are not misrepresenting where the ideas come from, it is OK to include ideas from other sources.

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5.

The sentences below are from William James's "The Moral Equivalent of War" on page 55: The militarily-patriotic and the romantic-minded everywhere, and especially the professional military class, refuse to admit for a moment that war may be a transitory phenomenon in social evolution. The notion of a sheep's paradise like that revolts, they say, our higher imagination. Use the underlined words to complete the sentence below, showing that these are directly quoted from James's text on page 55. Use the EXACT punctuation required by MLA. In "The Moral Equivalent of War," James argues that military-minded people will refuse to admit that war might be temporary in _____________________________________

Correct Answer
"social evolution" (55).

Explanation
Very few people can answer this correctly. You need to pay attention to the exact order in punctuation.

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4