MLA Format
MLA Format Papers: Step-by-step Instructions for Writing Research Papers in MLA Style
Jerz > Writing > Academic >
0.1) If you’ve been asked to submit a paper in MLA format, your instructor is asking you to format the page and present the content in a specific way. Just as football referees dress a certain way, and Japanese chefs cook a certain way, writers in certain disciplines follow a certain set of conventions, known as MLA format or MLA style. This document will show you how to format an essay in MLA style.
0.2) If, instead of questions about putting the final formatting touches on your essay, you have questions about what to write, see instead my handouts on writing a short research paper, coming up with a good thesis statement, and using quotations in the body of your paper.
0.3) On this page:
1. Document Settings
(1 inch margins; double spaced; 12-point)
2. Page Header
(name and page number, upper right of every page)
3. Title Block
(assignment info and an informative title)
4. Citations
(no comma between the author and page number; commas and periods go outside of inline quotes)
5. Works Cited List
(lots of tricky details! sort alphabetically by author, not by the order the quotes appear in your paper)
For the most complete information, check your campus library or writing center for the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.
How to format the first page of an MLA style paper.
How to format the Works Cited page of an MLA style paper.
1. Document Settings
Your word processor comes with default settings (margin, line height, paragraph spacing, and typeface) that will likely need adjustment. For MLA style, you need:
1. 1-inch margins all around
2. 2.0 line height (double-spaced)
3. no extra spacing after paragraphs
4. 12-point typeface (usually Times New Roman)
(Jump directly to instructions for adjusting MS-Word settings in Windows or Mac; or, skip ahead to 2) Page Header.)
1.1 Adjusting Document Settings in
Jerz > Writing > Academic >
0.1) If you’ve been asked to submit a paper in MLA format, your instructor is asking you to format the page and present the content in a specific way. Just as football referees dress a certain way, and Japanese chefs cook a certain way, writers in certain disciplines follow a certain set of conventions, known as MLA format or MLA style. This document will show you how to format an essay in MLA style.
0.2) If, instead of questions about putting the final formatting touches on your essay, you have questions about what to write, see instead my handouts on writing a short research paper, coming up with a good thesis statement, and using quotations in the body of your paper.
0.3) On this page:
1. Document Settings
(1 inch margins; double spaced; 12-point)
2. Page Header
(name and page number, upper right of every page)
3. Title Block
(assignment info and an informative title)
4. Citations
(no comma between the author and page number; commas and periods go outside of inline quotes)
5. Works Cited List
(lots of tricky details! sort alphabetically by author, not by the order the quotes appear in your paper)
For the most complete information, check your campus library or writing center for the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed.
How to format the first page of an MLA style paper.
How to format the Works Cited page of an MLA style paper.
1. Document Settings
Your word processor comes with default settings (margin, line height, paragraph spacing, and typeface) that will likely need adjustment. For MLA style, you need:
1. 1-inch margins all around
2. 2.0 line height (double-spaced)
3. no extra spacing after paragraphs
4. 12-point typeface (usually Times New Roman)
(Jump directly to instructions for adjusting MS-Word settings in Windows or Mac; or, skip ahead to 2) Page Header.)
1.1 Adjusting Document Settings in