Theme+Guidelines

=THEME GUIDELINES=

Typing or Printing Use a clean type. Avoid typewriters or fonts with script or other fancy print. Type or print on one side of the paper; do not use the other side of the paper for any other purpose. No draft will be accepted that has a type setting greater then 12 pt. Every theme must be typed using Times New Roman. No rough draft or final draft will be accepted if it is hand written.

Paper Use only white 8 ½ by 11-inch paper.

Margins Except for the page numbers, leave one-inch margins at the top and bottom and on both sides of the text. Indent the first word of each new paragraph twelve spaces from the left margin (which is more than likely the default setting on your computer). Indent offset quotations (box-quotes) twenty-four spaces from the left margin.

Spacing Each theme must be double-spaced throughout, including quotations, notes, and the works cited.

Heading The MLA style heading is to include the title of the theme, your name, the course’s name, the instructor’s name, and the date all on separate lines. See sample theme ... index A

Page Numbers Number all pages consecutively throughout the manuscript in the upper right-hand corner, one half inch from the top. Type a running head (a running head is to include your last name) and the page number flush against the right margin and leave a double space between the head and the text of your paper. Your header does NOT go on the first page of the theme.

Works Cited The list of the works cited appears at the end of the paper. Begin the list on a new page and number that page as you have throughout the text of the paper. One example is that the last page of the text is page 3 then the works cited page would be page 4. Type the running head in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top, and center the title ‘Works Cited’ one inch from the top of the page. Double-space between the title and the first entry. Begin each entry flush with the left margin, and if it runs more than one line, indent the subsequent line or lines twelve spaces, both between and within entries. Continue the list on as many pages as necessary. Alphabetize all entries in the list of the works cited by the author’s last name, using the letter-by-letter system. If the author name is unknown, alphabetize by using the first word in the title other than A, An or The. See works cited page for proper notation of each entry.

index A:

Content Guidelines:
 * Themes must be written in 3rd person (unless otherwise stated).
 * Themes should NOT contain any contractions.
 * Omit needless words and qualifiers ... the following words should be avoided: "very;" "a lot;" "little;" pretty;"
 * Please remember that poems and other works of literature do not "talk" or "say" anything.
 * Avoid absolutisms and please do not adjudicated ... "Everyone believes that Frost is a great writer."
 * Put statements in positive form.
 * Stay in the same tense throughout the theme.
 * Avoid colloquialisms and exclamations.
 * Make sure to cite quotations using proper MLA format.
 * Please do not end a sentence with a preposition.
 * "Effect" is a noun ... "Affect" is a verb