STEP # 7:  COMPLETING THE FIRST DRAFT in MLA FORMAT

HOW TO PROPERLY CITE FROM YOUR SOURCES -- CLICK HERE

1.    Do the first page according to Step 6
2.    DOUBLE-SPACE all lines.
3.    Do not write the topics or subtopics as headings in your document—your topic/sentence outlines are only
        GUIDES!  
 
Other good ideas

GENERAL RESEARCH PAPER WRITING RULES:

1. Do not use 1st (I, my, me, we, our, us) or 2nd person (you, your). ONLY THIRD PERSON (he, she, they, etc.) is acceptable.

2. Do not use contractions, ie. can't = cannot; didn't = did not, etc.

I.    How to do the INTRODUCTION

A.    Start with a good “catchy” introduction—for example, a:

1.    QUESTION:  What kind of person commits plagiarism?  A desperate person?  A lazy person?  A greedy person?  Most people assume that someone who commits the crime of plagiarism has a motive...

2.    STARTLING CONCLUSION:  Many modern writers wish that they could write like Shakespeare, but if they did, they would probably end up in court for the rest of their lives, defending lawsuits for plagiarism.  Using the words of other writers was a common, accepted practice in Shakespeare’s time.  Today, however,...

3.    QUOTATION:  “I didn’t mean to do it” sound like a pretty lame excuse for any crime, especially for theft.  If you catch a thief red-handed, you’ve caught him.  The surprising thing about the crime of plagiarism is that it is not easy to pin the charge on a writer...

4.    PUZZLE:  Plagiarism is a crime that even psychologists have a difficult time explaining.  The gain is often minimal, and the evidence for the crime is always out there, waiting only for someone to make the connection between the original and the copy...

5.    STORY:  (I like this option!)  In June 1985, John Doe graduated with a degree in law, magna cum laude with highest honors, from Harvey University.  Ten years later, Doe is finally coming clean—he admits to copying most of his papers, even paying others to write them for him.  “I could hardly live with myself,” he states.  Unfortunately he is not alone...

B.    Begin with old, known information and background information so the reader understands where you’re coming from.  Do not introduce new information until later on in your paper.

I I.   How to do THE MIDDLE of your paper

A.    Arrange your note cards in the same order as the ideas on your outline.
B.    Use your outline and note cards as guides as you write the draft.

C. EVERY PARAGRAPH in the BODY of your paper (everything except the introduction and conclusion) MUST BEGIN with a TOPIC SENTENCE--a sentence that serves as an introduction to the WHOLE PARAGRAPH, which basically tells the reader what the the paragraph will be about.

D. After the topic sentence, write IN YOUR OWN WORDS an EXPLANATION/OUTLINE of the subject of that paragraph.

E. Afterwards, include some SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION (proof) from your SOURCES. You may quote directly (using quotation marks and citing source) or indirectly (citing source only). Use only 1 long quotation (2 at most) l in your paper.

F.    As you write, make sure the ideas presented in one sentence flow nicely into the next. 
G.    Use transitions to connect ideas when necessary (therefore, however, yet...).

HOW TO PROPERLY CITE FROM YOUR SOURCES -- CLICK HERE

III.    How to finish up in THE CONCLUSION

A.    When doing your concluding paragraph, avoid beginnings like:
Finally...  In conclusion... To summarize...
B.     Summarize in a short paragraph the main points of your paper and restate your thesis statement (in different words).