mla format for first page of essay

MLA Style Guide, 8th & 9th Editions: Formatting Your MLA Paper

Works Cited entries: What to Include
Title of source
Title of container
Contributors
Publication date
Supplemental Elements
Book with Personal Author(s)
Book with Organization as Author
Book with Editor(s)
Parts of Books
Government Publication
Journal Article
Magazine Article
Multivolume Works
Newspaper Article
Other Formats
Websites, Social Media, and Email
About In-text Citations
In-text Examples
How to Paraphrase and Quote
Citing Poetry
Formatting Your MLA Paper
Formatting Your Works Cited List
MLA Annotated Bibliography
MLA 9th Edition Quick Guide
Submit Your Paper for MLA Style Review

MLA recommends using 12-point Times New Roman font or another readable typeface (e.g. serif ).

Line Spacing & Margins

Use double-spacing throughout the entire paper.

Leave 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and each side.

Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch from the left margin.

Quotes longer than 4 lines should be written as a block of text a half an inch from the left margin.

Heading and Title

An MLA research paper does not need a title page, but your instructor may require one. If no instructions are given, follow the MLA guidelines below:

Type the following one inch from the top of the first page, flush with the left margin (double spacing throughout).

Your Instructor's Name

Course Number or Name

Center the title on the next line. Follow the rules for capitalization. Do not italicize, underline, or bold the title. An exception is when your title includes a title. Example: The Attitude toward Violence in A Clockwork Orange

Indent the next line and begin typing your text.

Include your last name and page numbers in the upper right-hand corner of every page. The page numbers will be one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. If your instructor prefers no page number on the first page, begin numbering from 2 on the second page.

Sample Papers from MLA

There are sample papers available in the MLA Style Center. Check them out to see the correct formatting.

Styling Headings and Subheadings

According to the MLA Style Center website, writers should avoid using headings in shorter papers. If you are writing a longer research paper, you may want to include headings and subheadings to help organize the sections of your paper. Advice from the MLA Style Center :

"Levels

The paper or chapter title is the first level of heading, and it must be the most prominent.

Headings should be styled in descending order of prominence. After the first level, the other headings are subheadings—that is, they are subordinate. Font styling and size are used to signal prominence. In general, a boldface, larger font indicates prominence; a smaller font, italics, and lack of bold can be used to signal subordination. For readability, don’t go overboard: avoid using all capital letters for headings (in some cases, small capitals may be acceptable):

Heading Level 1

Heading Level 2

Heading Level 3

Note that word-processing software often has built-in heading styles.

Consistency

Consistency in the styling of headings and subheadings is key to signaling to readers the structure of a research project. That is, each level 1 heading should appear in the same style and size, as should each level 2 heading, and so on. Generally, avoid numbers and letters to designate heads unless you are working in a discipline where doing so is conventional. Note that a heading labeled “1” requires a subsequent heading labeled “2,” and a heading labeled “a” requires a subsequent heading labeled “b.”

In a project that is not professionally designed and published, headings should be flush with the left margin, to avoid confusion with block quotations. (The exception is the paper or chapter title, which is centered in MLA style.)

For readability, it is helpful to include a line space above and below a heading, as shown in this post.

No internal heading level should have only one instance. For example, if you have one level 1 heading, you need to have a second level 1 heading. (The exceptions are the paper or chapter title and the headings for notes and the list of works cited.) You should also generally have text under each heading.

Capitalization

Capitalize headings like the titles of works, as explained in section 1.2 of the MLA Handbook.

The shorter, the better."

Modern Language Association. "How Do I Style Headings and Subheadings in a Research Paper?" MLA Style Center., 13 December 2018, style.mla.org/styling-headings-and-subheadings .

MLA Style Paper Template

MLA 9th Edition Paper Template This template was created and saved as a Word template for Microsoft Word 2016. The process for saving and using the template is the same for the instructions given above for 2013.

You can save a personal template in Microsoft Word (IRSC students, download Office for free, see a librarian if you need help). Above is a template you can use every time you need to set-up a research paper using MLA style format. Simply open the template and type your own information every time you need to write an MLA style paper. Microsoft Word will allow you to save personal templates. Once you have the template opened in Word

Click "Save as"

Give the file a name

Under "Save as type", select Word Template

Then when you open Word, you will be able to choose a template rather than a blank document. You might have to select Personal to find your template.

Sample MLA Paper

How to Use the MLA Style Template

Formatting Group Project Papers

For a research paper written collaboratively by several students, such as for a group project, create a title page instead of listing all authors in the header on page 1 of the essay. On the title page, list each student's full name, placing one name on each double-spaced line. After the final student name, enter the professor's name. After the professor's name, give the course name. The last line of the heading will be the date in 5 August 2021 format. Press Enter a few times to move down the page then give the paper title, centered.

MLA 9th Group Research Project Title Page Example

<< Previous: Citing Poetry
Next: Formatting Your Works Cited List >>
Last Updated: May 21, 2024 5:26 PM
URL: https://irsc.libguides.com/mla

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

MLA Sample Paper

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This resource contains a sample MLA paper that adheres to the 2016 updates. To download the MLA sample paper, click this link .

MLA 9th Edition Formatting

A Simple, Step-by-Step Guide + Free Template

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | July 2023

Formatting your paper in MLA style can feel like a pretty daunting task . In this post, we’ll show you exactly how to set up your paper for MLA (9th edition), as quickly and easily as possible. We’ll also share our popular free MLA template , to help you fast-track your writing.

Overview: MLA 9th Edition Formatting

Structure and layout
General page setup
The opening section
The main body
Works cited (reference list)
Free MLA 9 template

MLA Structure and Layout

Let’s start by looking at the overall structure of a typical student paper formatted for MLA 9th edition, before diving into the details of each section. For the most part, MLA papers follow a standardised structure, consisting of the following parts:

The opening section : While MLA doesn’t require a dedicated title page (unlike APA ), it does require an opening section that details some important information about yourself, your university and the paper itself.

The main body : The main body begins directly after the opening section on the first page. This is the “heart” of your paper and there are a very specific requirements regarding how you present and format this content.

The appendix (or appendices): While using an appendix in a student paper is relatively uncommon, you’ll place this section directly after the main body section, if required by your university.

The “Works Cited” list : This section is equivalent to what we’d usually call a references page and it’s where you’ll detail all the reference information corresponding to the in-text citations in the main body of your paper.

These four sections form the standard structure and order of a student paper using MLA 9th edition. As we mentioned, not all sections are always required , so be sure to double check what your university expects from you before submitting. Also, it’s always a good idea to ask your university if they have any style requirements in addition to the standard MLA specification.

Now that we’ve got a big-picture view of the typical paper structure, let’s look at the specific formatting requirements for each of these sections.

Generic Page Setup

Before you jump into writing up your paper, you’ll first need to set up your document to align with MLA’s generic page requirements. Alternatively, you can download our MLA paper template (which comes fully preformatted).

MLA 9th edition requires a 1-inch margin on all sides , for all pages. That said, if you’re writing a dissertation, thesis or any document that will ultimately be printed and bound, your university will likely require a larger left margin to accommodate for physical binding.

Fonts & sizing

MLA does not require that you use any specific font, but we do recommend sticking to the tried and tested , well-accepted fonts. For example, you might consider using one of the following:

Sans serif fonts : Calibri (11), Arial (11), or Lucida Sans Unicode (10)
Serif fonts : Times New Roman (12), Georgia (11), or Computer Modern (10)

Whichever font you opt for, be sure to use it consistently throughout your paper . Don’t chop and change, or use different fonts for different parts of the document (e.g., different fonts for the body text and the headings). Also, keep in mind that while MLA does not have a specific font requirement, your university may have its own preference or requirement. So, be sure to check with them beforehand regarding any additional specifications they may have.

In general, all text throughout your document needs to be left-aligned and should not be justified (i.e., leave an uneven right edge). You might consider using a different alignment for section headings, but in general, it’s best to keep things simple .

Line spacing

MLA 9th edition requires double line spacing throughout the document . There should also be no extra space before and after paragraphs . This applies to all sections of the paper, including the “Works Cited” page (more on this later).

Page header

Last but not least, you’ll need to set up a running header for your document. This should contain your last name, followed by the page number. Both of these should be positioned in the top right corner of all pages (even the first page). On a related note, there’s no need for you to include any footer content unless your university specifically requests it.

Now that we’ve looked at the generic formatting considerations, let’s dive into the specific requirements for each section of your paper.

The Opening Section

While MLA-formatted papers typically don’t require a title page, there are very specific requirements regarding the opening section of the first page .

Here’s how you can set your first page up for MLA 9th edition.

On the first line, write your full name (flush left)
On a new line, write your professor or instructor’s full name
On a new line, write the course code and course name
On a new line, write the full date spelt out (e.g., 15 June 2023)
On a new line, write the full title of your paper , centre-aligned and using title case (consider using a title case converter if you’re not familiar with this)
On a new line, begin your body content

All of the above should be in plain, unformatted font – in other words, you don’t need to apply any boldfacing, underlining , etc. That said, you should use italics whenever you’re writing out the titles of other works (for example, titles of books or articles).

To make it all a little more tangible, below is an example of a first page formatted according to the MLA specifications that we just covered.

An example of the opening section of a paper formatted for MLA 9

The Main Body

While the formatting requirements for the body section are relatively light for MLA (at least when compared to APA ), there are still quite a few important things to pay attention to. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

Each of your paragraphs needs to start on a new line , and the first sentence of each paragraph requires a half-inch indent (while the rest of the paragraph is flush left aligned). Note that each paragraph simply starts on a new line and doesn’t require an additional blank line.

MLA 9th edition is fairly flexible in terms of heading formatting. There is no specified formatting, so you can decide what works best for you. However, there are still a few basic rules you need to follow:

All your headings should be written in title case – never use all caps
There should be no period following a heading
Each heading level needs to be uniquely formatted and easily distinguishable from other levels (for example, a distinct difference in terms of boldfacing, underlining or italicisation)
You can have as many heading levels as you need, but each level must have at least two instances

Abbreviations

When using abbreviations, you’ll need to make sure that you’re using the MLA version of the abbreviation . Below we’ve listed a few common ones you should be aware of:

Appendix: app.
Circa: c. or ca.
Chapter: ch.
Column: col.
Definition: def.
Department: dept.
Example: e.g.
Edition: ed.
Figure: fig.
Foreword: fwd.
That is: i.e.
Journal: jour.
Library: lib.
Manuscript(s): MS
Number: no.
Quoted in: qtd. in
Revised: rev.
Section: sec. or sect.
Series: ser.
Translation: trans.
Version: vers.
Variant: var.
Volume: vol.

If you’re interested, you can find a more comprehensive list here . Alternatively, if you have access to the MLA 9th edition handbook, you can find the full list in the first appendix.

In-text citations

MLA 9 has a very specific set of requirements regarding how to cite your sources within the body of your paper. Here are some of the most important things to help you get started with MLA citations.

Author-page number system: in-text citations consist of (at a minimum) the lead author’s last name, followed by the page number of the paragraph you are citing. There is no comma between the two components (only a space).

Types of citations: MLA allows two types of in-text citations: parenthetical and narrative . Parenthetical citations feature the author and page number in parentheses (brackets) at the end of the respective sentence. Here’s an example:

MLA 9th edition is easy to grasp if you visit the Grad Coach blog (Jansen 13).

Narrative citations, on the other hand, weave the author’s name into the flow of the sentence and then present the publication date in parentheses at the end of the sentence. Here’s an example:

Jansen states that MLA 9th edition is easy for students to grasp if they visit the Grad Coach blog (13).

In general, it’s a good idea to utilise a mix of both in your writing. Narrative citations are particularly useful when you want to highlight or contrast authors or their viewpoints, while parenthetical citations are useful when you want to strengthen your own academic voice. In other words, both formats have their respective strengths and weaknesses, so try to use citation format strategically in your writing.

Quotations: when quoting text verbatim from a source, there is no need to do anything differently in terms of the citation itself, but do remember to wrap the verbatim text in quotation marks. Here’s an example:

Jansen proposes that MLA 9th edition is “easy to grasp if you visit the Grad Coach blog” (13).

Multiple authors: when citing resources that were authored by three or more people, you only need to list the lead author, followed by “et al.”. Here’s an example:

MLA 9th edition is easy to grasp if you visit the Grad Coach blog (Jansen et al. 13).

Below are a few more examples from our free MLA template .

Please keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list of all the MLA 9th edition citation-related requirements – just a shortlist of the most commonly relevant ones. If you’d like to learn more, consult the MLA handbook .

The Works Cited (Reference List)

The final section that you’ll need to pay close attention to is the “Works Cited” page, which should contain a list of reference information for all the sources cited in the body of the paper. Again, MLA has a quite a meaty set of specifications regarding the content and formatting of this list, but we’ll cover the basics here to get your started on the right foot.

Basic setup

Your reference list needs to start on a new page and should be titled “Works Cited”. The title should be unformatted and centred . The reference list should then start on the next line. As with the rest of your document, you should use double line spacing throughout.

When it comes to the reference list itself, you’ll need to keep the following in mind:

All the sources that you cited in the body of your document should feature in the reference list. Make sure that every citation is accounted for .
The references should be ordered alphabetically , according to the lead author’s last name .
The exact information required within each entry depends on the type of content being referenced (e.g., a journal article, web page, etc.)
Components that may need to feature (other than the author) include the title of the source, the title of the container, other contributors, the article version or number, the publisher, the publication date, and the location.
All references should be left-aligned and should use a hanging indent – i.e., the second line of any given reference (if it has one) should be indented a half inch.

We have to stress that these are just the basics. MLA 9th edition requires that your references be structured and formatted in a very specific way , depending on the type of resource. If you plan to draft your reference list manually, it’s important to consult your university’s style guide or the MLA manual itself. This leads us to our next point…

In general, it’s a bad idea to write your reference list manually . Given the incredibly high level of intricacy involved, it’s highly likely that you’ll make mistakes if you try to craft this section yourself. A better solution is to use (free) reference management software such as Mendeley or Zotero . Either of these will take care of the formatting and content for you, and they’ll do a much more accurate job of it too.

If you’re not familiar with any sort of reference management software, be sure to check out our easy-to-follow Mendeley explainer video below.

Wrapping Up

In this post, we’ve provided a primer covering how to format your paper according to MLA 9th edition. To recap, we’ve looked at the following:

The structure and layout
The general page setup
The “Works Cited” page (reference list)

Remember to always check your university’s style guide to familiarise yourself with any additional requirements they may. Also, if your university has specified anything that contrasts what we’ve discussed here, please do follow their guidance .

If you need any help formatting your paper for MLA 9, take a look at our “done for you” language editing and proofreading service . Simply send us your document and we’ll take care of all the MLA formatting intracies on your behalf.

You Might Also Like:

APA 7th Edition Formatting: Full Tutorial

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MLA Format Guide - 9th edition

Essay Formatting

How to Create a Header

To add your header, either double-click in the top inch of the page or select the "Insert" tab in Microsoft Word, navigate to the "Header & Footer" section, select "Header," and click the first option titled "Blank."
When editing your header, navigate to the "Design" tab and check the box beside "Different First Page" as every heading after your first page should only include the page number.
Still in the design tab under the "Header & Footer" section, select "Page Number." In the drop-down box, select the first option, labeled "Top of Page," then select the third option labeled "Plain Number 3." Add your last name in front of the page number, and change the font settings to match that of the rest of your paper.
On the next line, set the text alignment to align your text to the left side of the page (under the "Paragraph" section of the "Home" tab) and on four different lines type your first and last name, your instructor's name, the course the assignment is for, and the date in the format DD Month YYYY.
On the next line, center the text (under the "Paragraph" section of the "Home" tab) and type the title of your paper.

An example of an MLA formatted header is included below.

How to Create a Works Cited Page

You can create your Works Cited page before, during, or after you write your essay. If you do not create it before, be sure to document the sources you used, including any website links, so you can go back and create your citations later. Citation format will be discussed in a later section, but this section will detail how to create a Works Cited Page.

At the end of your essay, insert a page break (found under the "Insert" tab) and center the words "Works Cited" at the top of your page (not in the header). If there is only one source being cited, type "Work Cited".
Insert your citations in alphabetical order in the subsequent lines. Make sure they are left aligned.
If your citation is more than one line, apply the hanging indent feature to everything after the first line for each individual entry. You can do this by selecting the second line of the entry, navigating to the "Home" tab in Microsoft Word, selecting the arrow at the bottom right in the "Paragraph" section to open up the "Paragraph Settings" box, and under the "Indentation" section, select the drop-down box labeled "Special," and choose "Hanging". This will move everything but the first line of your citation slightly to the right.

Other essay formatting notes

When formatting your essay, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Use the correct font as listed under the "Home" tab of this guide. Double-space your text, use 12 pt font, and use a legible font style, such as Times New Roman, Ariel, Calibri, etc., ensuring that the regular and italic font styles are distinct.
After the first page, only include your last name and the page number in the top right corner of the header.
Change the paragraph options to remove space before and after all paragraphs. Select the entire essay (you can use the Ctrl + A feature), and in the "Paragraph" section of the "Home" tab, select the drop-down arrow where you can adjust the line spacing and make sure both selections at the bottom of the drop-down box read "Add Space Before Paragraph" and "Add Space After Paragraph". If they say "Remove Space Before Paragraph" and/or "Remove Space After Paragraph," click to remove the space.
On the last page, include a Works Cited page with your citations listed in alphabetical order.
Last Updated: Jun 12, 2024 7:50 AM
URL: https://uaccm.libguides.com/what_is_MLA_style

How To - Use the MLA Style Guide: Formatting Your MLA Paper

Title of source
Title of container
Other contributors
Publication date
Optional Elements
Book with Personal Author(s)
Book with Editor(s)
Book with Organization as Author
Parts of Books
Government Publication
Journal Article
Magazine Article
Multivolume Works
Newspaper Article
Other Formats
Websites, Social Media, and Email
Works Cited Practice
About In-text Citations
In-text Examples
How to Paraphrase and Quote
Formatting Your MLA Paper
Formatting Your Works Cited List
MLA Annotated Bibliography
Using Zotero This link opens in a new window
Using Mendeley This link opens in a new window
Citation Styles This link opens in a new window

MLA recommends using 12-point Times New Roman font or another readable typeface (e.g. serif ).

Use double-spacing throughout the entire paper.

Leave 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and each side.

Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch from the left margin.

Quotes longer than 4 lines should be written as a block of text a half an inch from the left margin.

Heading and Title

An MLA research paper does not need a title page, but your instructor may require one. If no instructions are given, follow the MLA guidelines below:

Type the following one inch from the top of the first page, flush with the left margin (double spacing throughout).

Your Instructor's Name

Course Number or Name

Indent the next line and begin typing your text.

Formatting first page MLA MS Word using a MAC

Formatting first page mla goggle.dox, formatting first page mla ms word using pc, mla format setup in word 2013.

The links below provide step by step instructions on setting up your paper using MLA Style guidelines.

Formatting Your Paper using MS Word - PC
Formatting Your Paper using MS Word - MAC

Sample MLA Paper

MLA Research Paper Template Properly formatted MLA Style research paper. Download and save to your computer so that you will always have the correct format for writing.

There are three sample papers available in the MLA Style Center. Check them out to see the correct formatting.

<< Previous: How to Paraphrase and Quote
Next: Formatting Your Works Cited List >>
Last Updated: Jan 18, 2024 8:33 AM
URL: https://libguides.shepherd.edu/Style_GuidesMLA

Jerz's Literacy Weblog (est. 1999)

Mla format papers: step-by-step tips for formatting research essays in mla style.

(View a Google Doc template for an MLA Style paper .)

0.1) If you’ve been asked to submit a paper in MLA style, 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. 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 .

Document Settings (1 inch margins; double spaced; 12-point)
Page Header (name and page number, upper right of every page)
Title Block (assignment info and an informative title)
Citations (no comma between the author and page number; commas and periods go outside of inline quotes)
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 , 8th ed.

Use a header with your last name and the page number, a title block, and an informative title. (See http://jerz.setonhill.edu/mla for details.)

MLA Style Format (First Page)

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:

	all around (double-space the whole paper, including title block and Works Cited list) after the title, between paragraphs, or between bibliography items typeface (usually )
(Jump directly to instructions for adjusting MS-Word settings in or ; or, skip ahead to .)

1.1 Adjusting Document Settings in MS-Word (Windows)

My copy of Microsoft Word for Windows defaults to

1-inch margins all around
1.15 line height
10pt spacing between paragraphs
Calibri 11-point typeface.

Changing to MLA Style (Windows)

The default margins in my test run were fine, but if you need to change them: Page Layout -> Margins -> Normal (1-inch all around)
The default line height is too low. Change it to 2.0. Home -> Line Spacing -> 2.0. (You could try fudging it to 1.9 or 2.1 to meet a page count, but any more than that and your instructor may notice.)
The MS-Word default adds extra space after paragraphs.(MLA Style instead requires you to signal paragraph breaks by indenting the first line.) CTRL-A (select all your text) Home -> Line Spacing -> Remove Space After Paragraph
Change the typeface to Times New Roman 12-point. Home -> Font Face Selector (change to Times New Roman) Home -> Font Size Selector (change to 12)

1.2 Adjusting Document Settings in MS-Word (Mac)

My copy of microsoft word for mac defaults to.

1.25 inch left and right margins, 1 inch top and bottom
1.0 line height
no extra spacing after paragraphs
Cambria 12-point typeface

Changing to MLA style (Mac)

In my test run, the left and right margins are too big. To change them: Layout -> Margins -> Normal (1-inch all around)
The default line height is too low. Change it to 2.0. Home -> Line Spacing -> 2.0
My Mac copy of MS-Word does not add extra spaces after paragraphs. If yours does: Home -> Line Spacing -> Line Spacing Options… (a new window will pop up) Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style (check this box) -> OK
The 12-point Cambria will probably be fine, but to change the typeface: Home -> Font Face Selector (change to Times New Roman) Home -> Font Size Selector (change to 12)

2. Page Header

In the top right of every page, use your word processor’s “Page Header” function add an automatic page number and your surname.

2.1 Adding the Page Header in MS-Word (Windows)

Insert -> Page Number -> Top of Page -> (choose the right-justified “Plain Number” option)
The cursor will jump automatically to the right place for you to t ype your surname .
Click anywhere in the body of the paper to exit the header area.

2.2 Adding the Page Header in MS-Word (Mac)

Insert (in the top menu) -> Page Numbers… -> (Set “Position” to “Top of Page (header)” and “Alignment” to “Right”)
Click just to the left of the new page number, and type your surname .
On my test document, my name was too far over to the left; grab the triangular tab adjuster just above your name, and drag it a notch to the right .

3. Title Block

In the upper left corner, type your name, your instructor’s name, the course number and section, and today’s date. Centered on the next line, type an informative title that actually informs the reader of your main point (not just “English Paper” or “A Comparison between Hamlet and Macbeth”).

Like all the other text in an MLA style paper, the title block is double-spaced .
The title is in the same font as the rest of the paper — it is not boldface, or enlarged.
There is no extra space above or below the title.
A truly informative title will include the general topic, and your precise opinion on that topic. (So, if you pan to compare Hamlet and Macbeth, your title should state the unique point you want to make about Hamlet and Macbeth. Reuse part of your thesis statement.)

4. Citations

This handout presumes you already know why you should cite your sources (to establish your authority, to introduce persuasive evidence, to avoid plagiarism , etc.).

To fully cite a source requires two stages. The first happens in the body of your paper (the “in-text citation”) and the second happens on a separate page at the end of your paper (see “Works Cited List,” below.)

4.1 Citing a Block Quote (more than three lines)

Long quotes can start to look like filler. Only use a block quote if you have a very good reason to include the whole passage. (You can usually make your point with a shorter quote.)

Place the parenthetical citation (the author’s name and the page number) after the period . (This is different from inline quotes, below.)
There is no comma between the author’s name and the page number.
If the quotation runs across more than one page: (Wordsworth-Fuller 20-21) or (Wordsworth-Fuller 420-21).
Skip wordy introductions such as, “In his informative guide The Amazing Writing Book , published by Elizabeth Mount College in 2010, the noted composition expert Maxwell Wordsworth-Fuller describes the importance of citations in MLA style papers.” Cutting the filler leaves more room to develop your own original ideas. (See “ Integrating Quotations .”)

4.2 Citing an Inline Quotation

When the passage you want to quote is less than three lines long, use inline style. Here we have two brief passages, taken from the same page of the same source, so we can handle both with a single parenthetical citation.

The parenthetical citation appears outside the quoted material.
The period that ends the sentence comes after the close parenthesis . (This is different from block quotes, above.)
In this example, we have changed the first word a little, lowercasing it in order to fit it into our own sentence. To let the reader know what we changed, we put [] around it.
Again, note the absence of a full sentence that explains who Wordsworth-Fuller is and where the quote comes from. All that info will be in the Works Cited list, so we leave it out of the body of the paper.

4.3 Citing a Paraphrase

Let’s imagine we want to reference Wordsworth-Fuller’s general idea about citation as a way to establish credibility, but we don’t need to include any of the technical details. We can save space, and make it much easier on our reader, if we paraphrase:

Use paraphrasing for variety, or to make a passing reference without taking up much space.
If we use an author’s idea, rephrased in our own words, we must still cite the idea.

Tips for avoiding common errors in MLA citations.

5. Works Cited List

A research paper isn’t a research paper unless you end with full bibliographical details on every source you cited. This part can be tedious and tricky; leave yourself plenty of time to do it.

How to format the “Works Cited” list of an MLA style paper.

MS-Word Wind: Insert -> Page Break -> New Page.
MS-Word Mac: Document Elements -> Break -> Page.
Title your new page: Works Cited MLA style calls for no extra spaces above or below the page title; no special formatting.

5.1. How to Create an Individual Works Cited Entry

Exactly what goes into each item in your bibliography depends on what kind of item it is. The general format is as follows:

Author. Title of Source. Container, contributors, version, volume and issue, publisher, date, location.

Exactly how that basic format gets turned into a Works Cited entry depends on the source.

Here’s the basic format for any book:

Gibaldi, Joseph, and George Spelvin.
Gibaldi, Joseph, Alan Smithee, and George Spelvin.
GIbaldi, Joseph et al.
The italicized phrase “ et al. ” is an abbreviation for the Latin “et alia,” meaning “and others.”
The “ al. ” is short for a longer word, so we mark the abbreviation with a period.
The “ et” is not an abbreviation, so it doesn’t get a period.
Place periods after the author’s name, after the title of the book, and at the end of the entry.
The title of the book is italicized .
The publisher is the name of the organization responsible for publishing the book. In this example it’s the Modern Language Association. It might instead be Project Gutenberg, the US Department of Agriculture, or the World Health Organization,

Basic Format for Any Academic Article

Author. “Title of Article in Quotation Marks.” Title of Journal in Italics, volume #, issue #, YEAR, pp. [pages of article]. Italicized Name of Database.

Let’s break that example down.

The author Margaret Kantz wrote the article “Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively.” That article doesn’t exist on its own floating in space; it was published by a journal called College English, in the 52nd year of publication, in the first issue of its 52nd volume, in the year 1990, the article started on page 74 and ran through page 91. The student found this article while searching the database Academic Search Elite .

Every academic article has a specific title, and is published in a journal with a different title. (Online citation generators often get this wrong, and will often repeat the same title twice.)

What is this “volume 52, number 1”?

If College English were a TV series, then “volume” would be which season, and “number” would be the episode number. The title of the article would be the equivalent of a scene within that episode.

The title of the database, Academic Search Elite , is like the title of the streaming service you’d need to sign into. If you were talking about your favorite TV show and you told me it was on Netflix, or Disney+, I could find it. But if you told me “It’s on my MacBook” or “It’s on my Samsung phone,” that wouldn’t help me to find it.

It’s not the name of a database; it’s a tool researchers use to access databases, but different schools can access different databases through different subscription plans

If you tell me that I can find your favorite TV show “on a MacBook,” that’s too vague.

Just because I own a MacBook doesn’t automatically grant me access to all the streaming services you access on your MacBook.

In a similar way, telling me you found a source on “ ” is too vague.

	“ ” or “
This is like telling me your favorite TV show is on Netflix or Disney+. It tells me the specific name of the database I need to access in order to find the article you found.

Basic Format for Any Web Page

In the above example, reporter Camila Domonoske filed a news story called “Students Have ‘Dismaying’ Inability To Tell Fake News From Real, Study Finds,” that aired on a news program called The Two-Way , which is published by National Public Radio, and the story aired Nov 23, 2016.

In MLS Style, the full URL is optional. Really long URLs with long strings of numbers in them are often generated for specific users, so someone else who visits that same URL will often get an error message.

You might shorten the URL to “npr.org,” because it would be a simple matter to use a search engine to find the actual story.

Other Citation Examples

What if your source doesn’t fit any of my examples?

You might be trying to cite something that doesn’t fit the above pattern, like a social media post, a video game, a work of art, an email from a relative, a billboard, or something else. It’s just not practical for me to try to include an example of every single thing it’s possible to cite.

The MLA citation format is designed to be flexible, so that it works for forms of media that haven’t been invented yet.

See Purdue OWL’s handouts for how to create a bibliography entry for a book , an article in a periodical (such as a journal or newspaper), or an electronic source (such as an email, web page or a YouTube clip). See also this list of other common sources (such as a personal interview or a movie).

5.2. How to Organize Your Works Cited list

Sort the entries alphabetically by the author ‘s last name.

If the author is an organization (such as a government agency or non-profit foundation), alphabetize according to the name of the organization .
If you are citing a painting, or a composer, then obviously “author” has to be interpreted a little loosely.
Unless your instructor ask you to organize your Works Cited list differently, everything should be alphabetized together, in a single list. MLA does not require that you separate works of different kinds, or that you cite works in the order that they appeared in your paper, or that you write annotations to go along with each item.
Use double-spaced line height. (in my copy of Word, I select the text and choose Format -> Paragraph -> Line spacing -> Double -> OK.)
Use hanging indent paragraph format. (In my copy of word, I select the text then choose Format -> Paragraph -> Indentation -> Special -> Hanging Indent.)

29 May 2011 — new document posted, replacing outdated handout written in 1999. 06 Jun 2011 — expanded section on organizing the Works Cited list, since several readers asked for clarification. 07 Jun 2011 — reorganized for emphasis 19 Apr 2012 — added numbers to more subheads 24 Mar 2014 — added details on Works Cited paragraph formatting. 02 Oct 2016 — updated with MLA 8th Edition details. 30 Nov 2016 — added annotated Works Cited sample image. 07 Sep 2020 — updated section 5.1

If your college instructor wants you to cite every fact or opinion you find in an outside source, how do you make room for your own opinion? Paraphrase, quote selectively, and avoid summary. –Dennis G. Jerz (Jerz’s Literacy Weblog)
Choose a form, fill it out, and push the button… you will get an individual entry for a “Works Cited” page, which you may then copy and paste into your word processor. My “BibBuilder” is more like a guide than a full-fledged utility, but you may nevertheless find it helpful.
Find everything you need to know about formatting a paper, name, number, quotations, works cited, and more in MLA format!

571 thoughts on “ MLA Format Papers: Step-by-step Tips for Formatting Research Essays in MLA Style ”

This guide to formatting MLA style papers is incredibly detailed and helpful! It’s great to have step-by-step instructions for setting up everything from margins to citations correctly. Thanks for sharing—this will definitely make writing research papers in MLA format much easier!

The information was very helpful

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Thanks for sharing such an informative post with us.

fantastic information

Thanks for info!

hello i am nate sedmack i am here to kill all the furries for what they did to gavin born

I’m learning more writing a paper

it was very informational and helped me a lot

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Curious how you would Cite this webpage? haha…

awesome reminders

what about if when your using a quote and there is no name just anonomus

Honestly, I’d say find another way to make your point. An anonymous saying like “A stitch in time saves nine” won’t help you demonstrate your ability to write the kind of scholarly paper that MLA is designed for. Certainly investigate the quote to find out whether it maybe comes from Shakespeare or some other source that you can quote. I might identify the example I used as “English proverb,” but since I won’t be marking your paper, you really should check with your instructor.

This article..thing is the only reason I am passing my online college class. Especially the citation builder. Thank you!

I would Like You To Give Simple Instructions Not Complicated Ones , and Include also how much Papers Should be worked on.

Khalid, if there is any particular detail you are confused about, please let me know what question you have and perhaps I can help. There is no specific answer to how much a paper should be worked on. It depends on what grade you want to earn, how much time you have, whether your instructor is willing to meet with you before the due date, whether your instructor will give you the chance to revise your work, and many other factors.

hahahah xD me too same

How do I cite a photo that I found online?

Is it a historical photograph or a photograph published in a book that someone scanned and posted on line, is it a photograph of something like a sculpture? Is your paper focused on the work of the photographer, the makeup artist who prepared the model, the digital image enhancer who altered the image, the model? There is no single correct way to cite a photograph, because there are many different reasons to cite a photograph. Your instructor would be able to give you more specific advice. In general, though, the 8th edition of the MLA guide would say something like this:

Olsen, Jimmy. “Superman Rescues Boy Scouts from Lava Pit.” Photograph. The Daily Planet . July 22, 1956.

If you found the picture on a blog or a Flickr gallery, adjust the citation accordingly. If you found the image as the result of a Google search for something, you might very well end up finding a page that re-uses someone else’s picture without appropriately giving credit. There are many variables. Talk to your instructor, who will be the one grading your work, and will therefore be the right person to advise you on what to do.

is the text or what you wrote supposed to be centered in the page or to the left margin

Left margin.

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cool it was helpful

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I think you should include online resource citation instructions

Click on “Citing” at the top of the page. One of the options on the other end of that link is how to cite a web page.

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which writing style (MLA, APA) have more importance for students of social sciences, media sciences and business?

It depends on the instructor or editor who’s calling the shots. http://subjectguides.library.american.edu/c.php?g=175008&p=1154150

Very informative. It helped introduce my tired old mind to the MLA format. So, I can better help coach and prepare my wife for her English course. Thank you very much.

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I’m using a book title and author as my paper heading. How is that formatted?

I would tell my own students that a book title and the name of an author is not a good paper title, and I would ask them to write a title that catches the reader’s attention, identifies the topic, and identifies what position the paper is going to take on the topic. But if you are not my student, then I’m not the person who will be evaluating your paper. MLA style puts the book title in italics. Other than that, I really don’t have any advice for you.

Thank you very much for this useful information. As a freshman in highschool, my biology teacher asked for me to write an essay in mLA format about evolution. I had no clue what mLA format was,so I searched it up and it brought me here. In middle school I never wrote an essay in this format before,but I feel very confident to type my first mLA essay and I’m excited to do so! (Right after I finish my draft >.<) thank you very much! （⌒▽⌒)✌

This wasn’t helpful at all

Shavez, what were you looking for? This page is about formatting a paper you have already written. The first section includes links to pages about how to write essays.

u a real nigga dennis

really dude my collies and I would prefer that you didn’t use any profane language due to younger children that may be reading this

thank u i got an A 97 percent

this was very helpful i got an A 95 percent

hi my name is Jessie i have to writ a 2 pages Essay about MLA can someone help me

Dennis, what lends itself to science in the APA system? And what lends itself to the Humanities with the MLA? TIA.

As compared to MLA papers, APA papers tend to be shorter, and divided up into sections. Authors who use APA style tend to publish more frequently, because their knowledge goes out of date more quickly; so the date is prominent in APA citations, and page numbers are rare.

By contrast, people who use MLA style tend to write longer essays that aren’t divided up into standard sections like “procedure” and “conclusions.” Humanities scholarship generally doesn’t go out of date quickly. Instead of conducting experiments, humanists read and write a lot of longer essays and books, re-interpreting and quoting passages from them. MLA style makes the page numbers prominent, so that other scholars can easily find and re-read those same passages for themselves, and further the work of scholarship as it is conducted in the humanities.

Thanks for the reply. What do you mean by ” MLA style tend to write longer essays that aren’t divided up into standard sections like “procedure” and “conclusions.”? Are we not suppose to use conclusions in MLA format? In my English class, we use MLA with conclusions, but what do you mean by “procedure” and “conclusions”? I understand each instructor is different but is it right to use conclusions in an MLA paper…or am I getting confused?

Typically papers written in MLA style DO have a conclusion, but it would not be set off in a separate section under the subheading “Conclusion.” MLA papers tend NOT to follow a standard, particular structure. Papers written in the sciences DO have a fairly rigid set of sections, with separate subheadings. But it’s best for you to talk to your teacher about the specifics of any asisgnment.

Ok, thanks. I just wanted to ask and clarify it. Also, doesn’t the word “humanist” means something else entirely? The Humanist term today implies ‘human’ and is often used for atheists, for example… or am I wrong?

I used the term “humanist” to mean “a person who studies the culture of humans,” without intending the more specific meaning you mention. At my school, the humanities division includes theologians.

seems easy enough

We get asked often about what “format” the college application essay should be in. Although not generally… http://t.co/v1TTNxtE4e

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When using MLA format, do you list the book title, the title of the article or both?

For guidance on citing individual sources, see the link in item 4, above. This page is about formatting the paper once you’ve already written it.

I wrote a paper and it looks just like your example. I followed everything to the “t” and my professor says that my header is indented and my paragraphs are double indented and the page numbers are in wrong format. What can I do?

Winston, I suggest you talk to your professor. I have been teaching from thiis handout for years, and when a student makes a formatting error on a rough draft, I just ask them to fix it for the revision. But your instructor is the one who designed the assignment and who evaluates your submissions, so he or she is the person to approach with questions.

I agree. .let me ask you this. Are your headers indented?

The screenshot was taken from a page that I created following the instructions for using MS-Word with a MacBook Pro. I followed the instructions that are on the page. But surely your instructor gave you guidelines, in a handout or an assigned textbook, which is why I encourage you to have this conversation with your instructor. Whether your instructor does or does not agree with the information on this page really doesn’t matter, since your instructor created the assignment and evaluates it according to his or her own criteria. I suggest you let your your teacher know you are confused about what you did wrong, and ask for an opportunity to make minor formatting changes to a paper that, we hope, met all the major criteria.

How do you add footnotes to an MLA style paper?

Most word processors will have an Insert -> Footnote or Insert -> Note (footnote or endnote) option. Most short college papers don’t need footnotes. (They aren’t for documenting sources — use an in-text citation and a Works Cited list instead.) I suggest you talk to your instructor about whether you really do need to use a footnote.

RT @DennisJerz: MLA Format Papers: Step-by-step Instructions for Writing Research Essays #mlastyle http://t.co/B6pGb3Pkeh

Thank you so much!! I love the Bib builder!!

I’m glad to hear you found it helpful!

Dear Dr. Jerz,

I am writing to request permission to link your webpage, “MLA Format Papers: Step-by-step Instructions for Writing Research Essays” to our website.

Marie Walcroft Librarian Lansdale School of Business

I am glad you found this page helpful. Yes, you are welcome to include a link and a brief extract.

Can you put what information is supposed to be in each paragraph???

Emma, I’m afraid I don’t understand the question. I feel like you’ve asked me what emotions are supposed to be in each verse of a song, or what colors are supposed to be in a painting. The many different kinds of songs or paintings are all created for different reasons; likewise, paragraphs are assigned, written, and read for a whole range of different reasons, so there’s no answer that covers all possible cases.

that was beautiful

I really find this useful (especially fudging the line spacing to 2.1). Good job!

Im in middle school and I have to do this. I have never heard of MLA Format and this helped ALOT. Thanks so much! Hopefully I get a good grade on this paper!

“@pretti_slimm: @Thyler_Jonzy http://t.co/QIf00vlgws try this site looks helpful”I just found a sample paper on Google

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Is the Table of Contents double spaced – MLA?

i think you should add an explanation about page header. that was what i was looking for

See item 2 from the table of contents: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/mla-style-papers/#page-header

when you say page numbers (Wordworth-Fuller 20), are you referring to the page number within the MLA document or the page number the text appears on within the authors works?

In this case, your paper would be referring to something you found on page 20 of the text by Wordsworth-Fuller.

With your delicate information about to write MLA format essay in right way will lead me to successful college year.

Thank you for useful information about how to write MLA format essay. Before my college year I didn’t know there were many different forms of essay. When my professor asked me to write MLA format I had no idea how to write it, but with your delicate information I think I will survive my college year. Thank you again.

I’m glad to know you found this page helpful. Most instructors will be happy to help if you stop by during their office hours, and if your prof is too busy for that most universities will have a writing center where you can get help at any stage of any assignment involving writing.

Thank you for valuable information. Before my college year in America I didn’t know what MLA Format was, but with this delicate information I will survive my college year.

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That means the quote is from page 20 of the book or article written by Wordsworth-Fuller.

Very good information, I really needed this incite on research paper formats. It has such thorough details and that make it so much easier to understand.

How do you in text cite a website? I didnt really see much about that.

I think you should add an explanation about page numbers. That was what I was looking for, but I couldn’t find the significant area.

Section 2 explains how to put page numbers in the header, and section 4 discusses page numbers in citations.

read it… it’s there.

MLA Format Heading

This page contains guidelines on how to properly format the headings of your research paper using the MLA format.

1. The Opening Page:

On the opening page or the first page, you would include the whole heading and your paper’s title. The whole heading would include the following information:

Your Instructor’s Name
Your Class Information
Your Paper’s Due Date
Font: choose an easy to read font such as Times New Roman.
Font Size: set the font size to be twelve (12) throughout your research paper, including your paper’s title. Never set the font site larger than 12.
Margins: 1-inch for top/bottom/right/left throughout your paper.
Double-space: double-space throughout your paper. Don’t add extra spaces (besides double-space) between your headings, your title and your paragraphs.

Sample of the Opening Page:

A sample of the first page of your paper.

2. The Inner Pages:

For the pages that follow the first page, set the heading like this: instead of the whole heading, you would use the header feature on your word processing program and including the following information: Your Last Name and the Page Number.

Sample of the Inner Page:

Example of the heading for inner pages.

3. The Works Cited Page:

Every research paper must include a works cited page.

The works cited list is placed at the end of your paper, on a new page.
The heading for your works cited pages should be the same as the heading for your inner pages, which include your name and the page number at the top.
Enter the title as “ Works Cited ” and place this title 1-inch from the top of the page, see more details in the example illustration picture below.

Sample of the Works Cited Page:

Example of the works cited page.

– MLA Handbook, 8th edition

If you find this website useful, please share with a friend:

This helped a lot thank you

Thank you so much 😀

Best website hands down. Got an A, thank you!

Thank you and God bless you! Jesus loves you!

I like how this site tells us the perfect way to write an essay on paper.

This page is helpful to a new student.

this is great!

Cool. But how many grade school students will look at this website to see how to set up their papers.

Wow, This site is amazing!

I have the following level 3 heading in my thesis:

Project management office and (pmo) metrics team.

Should the abbreviation pmo be in lower case as it is or should it be in upper case?

Please Advise. Thanks.

So for the works cited page, you don’t need the name, teacher, date, and period heading at all?

No. It should only be on the first page of the essay.

This is some good stuff to know.

I have to write a paper for an application and they want it to be in MLA format. I don’t know how to do the heading because it’s not going to one teacher in particular and it is not for one class.

I don’t think you need a heading besides the “Last name-1” on the inner pages.

Hey Shannon. You might try “To Whom it may concern” or something like that. Don’t trust me on this because I am not for sure on that and if you did do this you might get it wrong and whoever might not accept your application. I hope you figure out how to do it and do great on that application! 😀 – Christopher

Generate accurate MLA citations for free

Knowledge Base

Student's Guide to MLA Style (2021) | Citation & Format

To cite sources in MLA style, you need

In-text citations that give the author’s last name and a page number.
A list of Works Cited that gives full details of every source.

Make sure your paper also adheres to MLA format : one-inch margins, double spacing, and indented paragraphs, with an MLA style heading on the first page.

You can create citations automatically with our free MLA Citation Generator . Enter a URL, DOI , or ISBN, and the generator will retrieve the necessary information.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Mla works cited list, the nine core elements of mla citations, mla in-text citations, free lecture slides, frequently asked questions about mla style.

The Works Cited list is where you give full details of all sources you have cited in the text. Other citation styles sometimes call this the “reference list” or “bibliography.” An annotated bibliography is slightly different.

Author . “Source Title.” Container Title , Other contributors , Version , Number , Publisher , Publication date , Location .

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

Academic style
Vague sentences
Style consistency

See an example

Begin each source entry with the name of the author(s) or creator(s). The name of the first author is always inverted (Last name, First name).

When a source has two authors, the second author’s name is shown in the normal order (First name Last name).

For sources with three or more authors, state only the first author’s name, followed by “ et al. ”

1 author	Johnson, David.
2 authors	Johnson, David, and Valerie Smith
3+ authors	Johnson, David, et al.

The author of a source is not necessarily a person; it can also be an organization. If so, simply use the name of the organization.

However, if the organization is both the author and publisher , start with the title of the source instead.

MLA author element

Always include the full title of the source, including subtitles (separated by a colon and space).

Use title case —capitalize all words apart from conjunctions , prepositions , and articles . If there is no title, give a short description of the source, with normal sentence case capitalization.

The styling of the title depends on the type of source:

Italics when the source is self-contained (e.g. a whole book, movie or website).
Quotation marks when the source is part of a larger whole (e.g. a chapter of a book , a page on a website, or an article in a journal).
No styling when describing a source without a title.

3. Container

A container is the larger work that the source you’re citing appears in. For example, a chapter is part of a book, a page is part of a website, and an article is part of a journal.

If the source you’re citing is a self-contained whole (e.g. a whole book), leave out this element.

The container title is always italicized.

Containers in MLA
Source type	Source title	Container title
Journal article	“An Applied Service Marketing Theory.”
Short story	“The Clean Slate.”
TV episode	“Crawl Space.”
Online article	“Evolutionary History of Life.”

Elements 3 (container title) to 9 (location) all provide information about the container.

Sources with two containers

A source can also have two containers. If you watched an episode of a TV show on Netflix, the show title is the first container and Netflix is the second container. If you accessed a journal article through the database JSTOR, the journal name is the first container and JSTOR is the second container.

In most cases, only the title and location (often the URL or DOI ) of the second container are included in the source entry. This is because databases like JSTOR don’t have relevant contributors, versions, publishers, or publication dates.

Datta, Hannes, et al. “The Challenge of Retaining Customers Acquired with Free Trials”. Journal of Marketing Research , vol. 52, no. 2, Apr. 2015, pp. 217–234. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/43832354.

Pay attention to the punctuation. The author and source title elements each end with a period. Elements within a container are separated by commas, and a period is used to close the container.

4. Other contributors

Contributors are added right after the container title and always end with a comma. Use a description like “translated by,” “directed by,” or “illustrated by” to indicate the role of the contributor. For example:

Latour, Bruno. Politics of Nature: How to Bring the Sciences into Democracy . Translated by Catherine Porter, Harvard UP, 2004.

When a source has three or more contributors with the same role, include the name of the first contributor followed by “et al.”

If there are no other relevant contributors, leave out this element.

When there is more than one version of a source, you should include the version you used. For example, a second-edition book , an expanded version of a collection, or a director’s cut of a movie would require the version to be included:

Porter, Michael E. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors . 2nd ed. , Simon and Schuster, 1998.
Columbus, Chris, director. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets . director’s cut, Warner Bros., 2002.

Sources such as journal articles (“vol. 18”), magazines (“no. 25”) and TV shows (“season 3, episode 5”) are often numbered. If your source has numbered parts, include this in the source entry:

Wieseke, Jan, et al. “Willing to Pay More, Eager to Pay Less: The Role of Customer Loyalty in Price Negotiations.” Journal of Marketing , vol. 68, no. 6, 2014, pp. 17–37.

It is also possible for a source to have an edition, volume, and number. Just separate them using commas.

7. Publisher

Book and movie citations always include the publisher element. The publisher is the company responsible for producing and distributing the source—usually a book publisher (e.g. Macmillan or Oxford UP ) or a movie production company (e.g. Paramount Pictures or Warner Bros ).

Note that “University Press” is abbreviated to “UP” in a Works Cited entry. For example, the University of Minnesota Press becomes “U of Minnesota P”; Oxford University Press becomes “Oxford UP.”

When not to add a publisher Sometimes the publisher is already included elsewhere in the source entry, such as in the container title or author element. For example, the publisher of a website is often the same as the website name. In this case, omit the publisher element.

You generally don’t need to include a publisher for the following source types:

Newspapers and magazines
Platforms like YouTube, Netflix, or JSTOR

8. Publication date

When available, always include the publication year . If you also know the month, day, or even time of publication, you can include this if it helps the reader to locate the source. Date ranges are also possible. For example:

25 Jan. 2019
14 Aug. 2017, 4:45 p.m.
Jan. 2017–Apr. 2018

Multiple publication dates If there is more than one publication date, use the one that is most relevant to your research and take the date of the edition that you have used.

No date When a source does not state a publication date, add the date on which you accessed the information. For example: Accessed 22 Sep. 2018 .

9. Location

What you include in the location element depends on the type of source you are citing:

Book chapter : Page range of the chapter (e.g. pp. 164–180. )
Web page : URL, without “https://” (e.g. www.scribbr.com/mla-style/quick-guide/. )
Journal article : DOI , with “https://”—or stable URL, without: (e.g. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2018.1560449. or www.jstor.org/stable/43832354. )
Physical object or live event : Name of the location and city (e.g. Moscone Center, San Francisco. or The Museum of Modern Art, New York. )

MLA in-text citations are brief references in the body of your document which direct your reader to the full reference in the Works Cited list. You must include an in-text citation whenever you quote or paraphrase a source.

A standard MLA in-text citation includes the author’s last name and a page number in parentheses. The page number refers to the exact location of the quote or information that you are citing:

66% of voters disagree with the policy (Smith 13) .

If the author is already named in the sentence, you only need to include the page number in parentheses:

According to Smith , 66% of voters disagree with the policy (13) .

Multiple authors

For a source with two authors, include the last names of both authors. If a source has three or more authors, only include the last name of the first author, followed by “et al.” if in parentheses or “and colleagues” if in the text.

Smith and Morrison claim that “MLA is the second most popular citation style” (17) .
According to Reynolds and colleagues , social and demographic circumstances still have a major effect on job prospects (17–19) .

If a source does not state a specific author, the in-text citation should match the first word(s) of the Works Cited entry, whether that’s an organization name or the source title.

Format titles the same as they appear in the Works Cited, with italics or quotation marks. Use the full title if mentioned in the text itself, but an abbreviated title if included in parentheses.

The article “New Ways to Slow Down Global Warming” claims that . . . (4).
Reducing carbon emissions slows down climate change (“New Ways” 4) .

No page number

If a source has no page numbers, but is divided into numbered sections (e.g. chapters or numbered paragraphs), use these instead:

Morrison has shown that there is a great need for . . . (par. 38) .
Reynolds devotes a chapter to the rise of poverty in some states in the US (ch. 6) .

For audiovisual sources (such as YouTube videos ), use a timestamp:

In his recent video, Smith argues that climate change should be the main political priority of all governments today (03:15–05:21) .

If there is no numbering system in the original source, include only the author’s name in your citation.

Are you a teacher or professor looking to introduce your students to MLA style? Download our free introductory lecture slides, available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

MLA Style is the second most used citation style (after APA ). It is mainly used by students and researchers in humanities fields such as literature, languages, and philosophy.

The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition , published in 2021.

This quick guide to MLA style explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA.

A standard MLA Works Cited entry is structured as follows:

Only include information that is available for and relevant to your source.

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

If information about your source is not available, you can either leave it out of the MLA citation or replace it with something else, depending on the type of information.

No author : Start with the source title.
No title : Provide a description of the source.
No date : Provide an access date for online sources; omit for other sources.

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MLA format for academic papers and essays
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MLA Style: Sample First Page of a Paper in MLA Format

Using Source Material: In-Text Citations
Using Source Material: Quotations
Using Source Material: The Works Cited List
Sample Works Cited Entries
Writing in MLA Style

Sample First Page of a Paper in MLA Format

Sample Works Cited Page
Tables and Illustrations

MLA Style is the format used by the Modern Language Association. Most papers written for classes in the arts and humanities use MLA style; instructors in other disciplines may also prefer MLA format.

MLA Style Resources

For additional information on MLA Style, consult

MLA Handbook, 8th Edition
The MLA Style Center at https://style.mla.org/mla-format/
Learning Commons Homepage
Learning Commons Resources Page

Armstrong 1

Charlotte Armstrong

Professor Cutler

English 1010

24 April 2017

Do Pets Really Improve a Person’s Health?

Are you feeling stressed and depressed? Is your blood pressure up and your self-esteem down? Get a pet, and you’ll feel better

physically and mentally, according to conventional wisdom. But does pet ownership really have a significant effect on one’s health?

Recent studies have produced widely varying results, but it seems likely that the primary benefits of pet ownership are associated with the

increase in physical activity and social interaction that comes with taking care of dogs, and in some cases owning a pet can actually put

one’s health or happiness at risk.

"We do best medically and emotionally when we feel securely attached to another," says psychiatrist Greg Fricchione, director of

the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine (qtd. in “The Health Benefits” 3). Owning a pet can be an excellent way of achieving

this feeling, according to Fricchione, who states, “No matter what you do or say, your dog or cat accepts you and is attached to you” (qtd. in “the Health

Benefits” 3). This feeling of acceptance is essential to humans as social animals, but there is also a physiological element in the happiness

pet owners can derive from living with their animals. Simply gazing into a dog’s eyes, says Fricchione, can boost a person’s

oxytocin, a brain chemical associated with both bonding and a feeling of well-being (“The Health Benefits” 3).

Some support for this belief that pet ownership can improve one’s mental state has been provided by a recent study showing that

HIV positive men who own pets experience less depression than those without pets. However, pet ownership also involves risk; the loss of

a pet, especially if it was a close companion or was associated with a deceased loved one, can trigger severe depression. In fact, one

Australian study suggested that pet owners, especially women, experience more depression than non-pet owners (Arhant-Sudhir et al.

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Last Updated: Oct 25, 2023 7:14 PM
URL: https://libguides.lccc.wy.edu/MLA

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MLA Format: The Ultimate Guide to Correctly Formatting Your Paper

Hannah Yang

the ultimate guide to MLA headings cover

So you need to create an MLA heading? You’re not alone—MLA format is one of the most common styles you’ll be expected to use when you’re writing a humanities paper, whether you’re a high-school student or a PhD candidate.

Read on to learn what a correct MLA heading looks like and how to create one that works like magic.

What Is an MLA Heading?

How do you format an mla heading, what is an mla header, how do you format an mla header, headings are only the beginning, commonly asked questions about mla headers, final thoughts.

The term “MLA heading” refers to five lines of important information that appear at the top of the first page.

Here are two examples of what an MLA heading could look like:

Hermione Granger

Professor McGonagall

Transfiguration—6th period

18 October 1991

“How to Turn A Matchstick into a Needle”

Harry J. Potter

Prof. Remus Lupin

Defense Against the Dark Arts

4 March 1994

“Why I Think My Professor Is a Werewolf”

Why are these headings important? Well, your teacher probably collects hundreds of papers every year. If any identifying information is missing from these assignments, grading and organizing them becomes much more of a challenge.

MLA headings ensure that all key information is presented upfront. With just a glance at the first page, your teacher can easily figure out who wrote this paper, when it was submitted, and which class it was written for.

essay heading tip: save your heading as a template

What Are the Parts of an MLA Heading?

An MLA heading should include:

Your instructor’s name
The name of the class
The date the assignment is due
The title of your paper

Your instructor may give you specific guidelines about how much detail to include in each line. For example, some teachers may ask you to refer to them by their titles, while others may ask you to use their full names. If you haven’t been given any specific instructions, don’t sweat it—any option is fine as long as it’s clear and consistent.

Follow these formatting rules for your MLA heading:

Start each piece of information on a separate line
Don’t use any periods, commas, or other punctuation at the end of the line
Keep the heading double-spaced, in the same font as the rest of your paper
Left-align the first four lines (they should start at the 1-inch margin on the left side of your paper)
Center the title (it should appear in the middle of your paper)
Make sure your title is in title case

Title case means that major words should be capitalized and minor words should be lowercase. Major words include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and any word longer than four letters. Minor words include conjunctions, prepositions, and articles.

Tip: Remember that Hermione’s “Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare” shortens to S.P.E.W., not S.F.T.P.O.E.W—only the major words are capitalized!

graphic of the SPEW acronym highlighting major words

The MLA heading should only appear on the first page of your paper . But wait, you’re not done yet! In the rest of your paper, you need to include something called an MLA header at the top right corner of every page.

Think of the MLA header as a short, simple “You are here” marker that shows the reader where they are in the paper. By looking at the MLA headers, your instructor can easily understand where each page goes and which paper it belongs to.

What Are the Parts of an MLA Header?

The MLA header consists of your last name and page number.

For example, the second page of Hermione Granger’s essays would be labeled “Granger 2”, the third would be labeled “Granger 3”, and so on.

Creating MLA Headers in Microsoft Word

If you’re writing your paper in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

Click Insert
Scroll down to Page Numbers and click on it
Set the position to “Top of Page (Header)”
Set the alignment to “Right”
Make sure there’s no checkmark in the box for “Show number on first page”
Click on the page number and type your last name before the number
Set your font and font size to match the rest of your paper, if they don’t already

Creating MLA Headers in Google Docs

If you’re writing your paper in Google Docs, follow these steps:

Scroll down to Page Numbers and hover over it
Choose the option that sets your page number in the upper right corner
Set your font and type size to match the rest of your paper, if they don’t already

Tip: After you create your first MLA header, save a template document for yourself that you can re-use next time, so you don’t have to follow these steps every time you write a paper!

Once you've got your headings sorted, it's time to start writing your paper. While we can't help you edit the content of your essay , ProWritingAid is here to make sure your grammar, spelling, and style is on point.

As well as checking your grammar, ProWritingAid also shows you your progress towards key goals like varied sentence structure, active voice, readability, and more. The target scores are all based on averages for real essays, so you'll always know if you're on track.

screenshot of essay writing goals in prowritingaid software

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Whose last name should you use in your MLA header if you’re writing a group paper?

The MLA Style Guide has no specific guidelines for group projects. You should always include the names of all members of the group project in the first line of your heading, but you don’t necessarily need to do this for the header on every page.

If there are only two or three authors collaborating on your paper, you can include all of your last names in the MLA header, e.g., “Granger, Potter, and Weasley 2.”

If you’re part of a bigger group and it would take up too much space to include all of your last names, you can write the name that comes first in the alphabet and then add “ et al. ”, e.g., “Granger et al. 2.” (The term “et al.” is short for the Latin term “et alia”, which means “and others.” You’ll often see it used in academic papers with multiple authors.)

example of a heading for a larger group project

Should you include your class period in your MLA heading or just the class name?

There’s no MLA rule about this, but when in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of including too much information in your heading rather than not enough.

If your instructor teaches more than one version of the same course, they’ll probably find it helpful if you specify the class period you’re in. You can either include your class period after the class name, e.g., “History of Magic—2nd period”, or before the class name, e.g., “2nd Period History of Magic.”

What should you write in your MLA heading if you don’t have an instructor?

If you have no instructor, you can explain the situation in the line where you would normally put the instructor’s name, e.g., “Independent Study” or “No Instructor.”

What should you write in your MLA heading if you have multiple instructors?

If you have multiple instructors, you can include both of their names in the line where you would put the instructor’s name. If you’re in a college course where you have a professor and a TA, you should choose whose name to include in the header depending on who will ultimately be reading your paper.

Should you include the date you started writing the paper or the date the paper is due?

The MLA Style Guide has no specific guidelines about which date you need to put in the heading. In general, however, the best practice is to put the date the assignment is due.

This is because all the papers for the same assignment will have the same due date, even if different students begin writing their assignments on different days, so it’s easier for your instructor to use the due date to determine what assignment the paper is for.

Should you format the date as Day Month Year or Month Day Year?

In MLA format, you should write the date in the order of Day Month Year. Instead of writing May 31 2021, for example, you would write 31 May 2021.

What font should you use for your MLA heading and header?

Both the heading and the header should be in the same font as the rest of your paper. If you haven’t chosen a font for your paper yet, remember that the key thing to aim for is readability. If you choose a font where your teachers have to squint to read it, or one where your teachers can’t figure out the difference between what’s italicized and what isn’t, you should rethink your choice.

When in doubt, go with Times New Roman, 12 pt. It’s always a safe bet for MLA papers unless your instructor specifically tells you otherwise.

font comparison to show easier and more difficult-to-read fonts

Do you need to italicize or bold the title of your MLA paper?

No. There’s no need to use any special styling on the title of an MLA paper, such as bold or italics.

How do you format section titles in your MLA paper?

If you’re writing a paper with multiple sections, you may need to include a subtitle at the top of each section.

The MLA Style Guide gives you two options for using subtitles in a paper: one-level section titles or several-level subtitles (for papers with subsections within each section).

For one-level section titles, the formatting is simple. Every subtitle should look the same as the title (centered and double-spaced, with no special formatting).

The only difference is that instead of using title case, you should capitalize only the first word of each subtitle. For example, a title would be spelled “How to Turn a Matchstick into a Needle”, while a subtitle would be spelled “How to turn a matchstick into a needle.”

For several-level subtitles, you will need to format each level in a different way to show which level each section is at. You can use boldface, italics, and underlining to differentiate between levels. For example, subtitles at the highest level should be bolded, while subtitles at the next level down should be italicized.

See the chart below for MLA’s suggested formats.

three different formats to denote different subtitle levels

What is the difference between MLA format and APA format?

MLA and APA are two sets of guidelines for formatting papers and citing research.

MLA stands for the Modern Language Association. The MLA handbook is most often used in fields related to the humanities, such as literature, history, and philosophy.

APA stands for the American Psychological Association. The APA format is most often used in fields related to the social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and nursing.

The APA manual includes a heading format similar to the MLA heading format with a few key differences, such as using a separate cover page instead of simply including the heading at the top of the first page. Both heading formats ensure that all of your papers include all your key identifying information in a clear and consistent way.

consult the MLA handbook if you're unsure

Where can you learn more about MLA style?

If you have questions about how to format a specific assignment or paper, it’s always best to consult your instructor first. Your school may also have a writing center that can help you with formatting questions.

In addition, Purdue has fantastic resources for all kinds of formatting topics, from MLA headings to MLA citations and everything in between.

If you would like to find out more directly from the Modern Language Association, consult the MLA Style Center or the MLA Handbook (8th edition).

Now you’re ready to write an MLA paper with a fantastic heading. Make sure your essay does your heading justice by checking it over with ProWritingAid.

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Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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MLA Style Essay Made Easy: Walkthrough of MLA Formatting

Table of contents

1 Understanding MLA Format
2.1 Margins & Font
2.2 Title Page Requirements
2.3 Page Numbering & Headers
2.4 Proper Spacing & Indentation
3.1 General Guidelines for MLA Citations
3.2 The Author Page Citation Format Rule
3.3 Standard Citation Format For Print Sources
3.4 Citing a Work by Multiple Authors in MLA
3.5 MLA Guidelines for Print Sources With Unknown Authors
3.6 Citing Works With the Same Last Names
3.7 Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author in MLA
3.8 Citing Multivolume Works in MLA
3.9 Citing the Bible
3.10 Citing Indirect Sources
3.11 Citing Electronic Sources
4.1 Proper MLA Formatting of Quotations
4.2 Brief Quotations
4.3 Long Quotations
4.4 Adding or Omitting Words in Quotes
5.1 Works Cited Entries in MLA 9th Edition Style
5.2 Books and e-Books
5.3 Journal Articles
5.4 Websites & Online Sources
5.5 Films & Multimedia
5.6 Interviews & Personal Communication
6 Bibliographic & Content Notes
7.1 Specific MLA Abbreviations
8 Formatting Numbers in MLA
9 Lists in MLA
10 MLA Formatting Takeaway

The MLA format is the most common type of formatting used for academic papers. Every student in the US should become familiar with this format for the research papers and essays they submit. It should be referred to when citing sources and formatting papers in literature, language, and the arts. This format is crucial for understanding the guidelines of citation. It can also help students present their work in an organized and straightforward manner. Throughout this formatting guide, we’ll explore the key areas of how to write in MLA format effectively.

Understanding MLA Format

Every new high school student asks, “ What is MLA format? “. The Modern Language Association format provides guidelines for formatting styles and citations that students can use for academic writing. It’s mainly used for subjects in humanities and liberal arts. Students must use this type of formatting when writing research papers for languages, literacy studies, visual arts, media studies, and similar courses. Scientific research doesn’t require students to write a paper in MLA format.

The MLA format for papers has been introduced previously. A group of teachers and like-minded students founded the Modern Language Association in 1883. This group’s mission was to promote the studies of language and literature. They developed the original MLA formatting guide to provide a basic outline of how to cover research papers. These MLA paper formatting guidelines were used to help students create organized research papers.

Of course, things have changed a lot since 1883. The MLA Handbook has kept up with the times. It has undergone several revisions and updates throughout the years. The most recent update was in 2021, when the 9th edition of the handbook was released. The MLA 9 essay format edition included valuable information for the modern student, such as citing digital sources. Now, students can also access digital tools for formatting, like the MLA citation generator and other online resources.

Throughout the years, there has been consistency with the MLA Handbook. Its purpose is to provide guidelines for students who must properly format your papers in MLA format and credit sources. Using this format helps students ensure that the presentation of their work is accurate and consistent.

Basic MLA Formatting Guidelines

There are specific criteria every MLA format essay must include. This section will cover some essential MLA formatting rules that every student should become familiar with. These rules are set so that every MLA paper has a consistent layout. They ensure good readability and organization.

Margins & Font

A student should never submit a research paper covered in a font from the top corner to the bottom. Every paper must have a 1-inch margin. The margins for MLA writing format should be on every side of the paper ( one inch from the top, bottom, left, and right ).

Always follow your professor’s instructions for font style and size. If no instructions are stated, the general MLA format font size rule is to use Times New Roman 12-point. You may use a different professional-looking font if your professor has approved it.

Title Page Requirements

The correct MLA format doesn’t require students to craft a title page. Instead of a separate page, students should present the following information in the top left corner of the first page before the first MLA header:

Student’s name
Professor’s name
Course name

This information should always be stated above the paper’s title when writing in MLA format. The title must be entered on the following line. Always ensure the essay title is centered, uses title case-sized font, and double-spacing.

Page Numbering & Headers

The MLA formatting instructions also require students to use the ‘running head’ rule to number their pages. Each separate page of the essay in MLA format will be numbered. The page number will appear in the upper right-hand corner, with the student’s last name in front of it. The first page of the MLA paper should look similar to this:

Campbell- 1

Proper Spacing & Indentation

The MLA format paper should always be double-spaced. The double space leaves room for the professor to add notes. Students also need to use a 1/2-inch indent from the left margin for the first sentence of every paragraph.

In-Text Citations

With every research paper, students must cite their sources using in-text citations. This is how credit can be given to the original author. It’s also a good indicator of where the facts and research came from. The MLA format requirements state that students must use specific guidelines for citing sources.

General Guidelines for MLA Citations

A general citation can be used for print or digital. It will include the author’s last name and page numbers that contain the information. You will only need to reference the page number if you mention the author’s name in the sentence with your citing information.

The Author Page Citation Format Rule

The author page citation format is a simplified version of a general MLA citation. For this one, students only need to state the author’s last name and the page number where the information can be found. The author page citation will look like this:

Standard Citation Format For Print Sources

The MLA formatted paper guidelines are for citing sources from a book or print media. The in-text citation should include the author’s name and the page number with the information. It should also include the book title, edition (if specified), publisher, and year of publication. Here is an example of a standard citation for print.

Last Name, First Name, Book Title, Publisher, Year, Page (or page range)

Citing a Work by Multiple Authors in MLA

Sometimes, a student needs to cite sources that more than one author wrote. How you cite the source will depend on how many authors are included in the work. You can have both names and the page number if there are only two authors. Here is an example:

Barnes and Roth, 37

It’s essential to avoid using too many commas when citing sources. If three or more authors write the work being cited, you will only include some of their names. Instead, you will mention the first author’s last name followed by “et al”. It should look like this:

Barnes et al, 37

MLA Guidelines for Print Sources With Unknown Authors

There may be occasions where a student needs to cite sources that have unknown authors. For these situations, put the title of the work being referenced and the page number. The citation should look like this:

Title Work, 37

Citing Works With the Same Last Names

The MLA format has a very specific rule for citing text written by multiple authors with the same last name. With this type of work, mention the title and the edition number (if applicable) after the last name. Don’t forget to mention the page number as well. Here is an example of what it should look like:

Barnes, Title Work, 3rd ed., 37

Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author in MLA

Occasionally, students may need to reference multiple works from the same author. Each piece of work should have its citation. However, students can group them by using the word ‘and’. Here is an example:

(Barnes, Title Work 37) and (Barnes, Text Example 58)

Citing Multivolume Works in MLA

If an author has several volumes of a title piece, you must include the volume number in your citation. This is very easy to do. All that is required is to put the volume number between the author’s name and the page number. It should look like this:

Barnes vol 3 37

Citing the Bible

Citing a passage from the bible is slightly different than other pieces of work. In this citation, the student won’t give credit to an author. Instead, they will mention the verse, chapter, and page. For example:

Matthew 5:3-10

Citing Indirect Sources

According to the MLA Handbook, students should always use material from the source. But, sometimes, this isn’t possible. An indirect quote or indirect source is when you receive the information secondhand. For this type of citation, students should always use “qtd. in” along with the source they read. It should look similar to this:

qtd. in Roth 59

Citing Electronic Sources

When researching papers online, students must provide relevant information about the URL they used. An electronic source citing MLA format should include the following information:

Author’s name
Article title
Website’s name
Date of access

Here is an example of how to make a webpage citation when citing online sources for essays:

Barnes, Title Work, Webpage Name, 20 October 2023, www.examplesite.com/example123

Quoting and Paraphrasing

Quoting and paraphrasing are common in academic writing. Proper quoting citations with the MLA format is imperative because it helps students avoid plagiarism. If a student needs to reference another person’s idea, they should always use quotes, check PapersOwl if you have any doubts. Quotes can help students incorporate the outside information into their work. The MLA Handbook has specific guidelines for using quotes in academic papers.

Proper MLA Formatting of Quotations

Everyone must follow proper formatting rules to avoid plagiarism when writing a paper in MLA format. Luckily, these rules aren’t complicated. The quote should always have a parenthesis at the end that includes the author’s last name and the page number. Another way that’s acceptable to format a quote is if the author’s name and page number are used in the sentence before the quote. Here are two examples of quotation formatting that can be used:

“This is an example quote.” (Barnes, 37)
According to Barnes on page 37, this is how you use quotation marks. “Example quote placed here.”

Brief Quotations

A brief quote usually consists of less than three lines of text. The best way to format these quotes is to integrate the author’s name in the sentence leading up to the quote, followed by the exact quote in quotation marks. It should look similar to this sample MLA format:

According to Barnes, “There are many different quotes that can be acceptable to use in academic writing. Students should always use quotes to avoid plagiarism.”

Long Quotations

A long quote will contain three or more lines of text. The formatting for these quotes is different from a brief quote. Students will need to separate the quote from the rest of the paper. After a sentence leading up to the quote, it should begin on the following line (double-spaced). Always indent the quote one inch from the left margin.

Students can approach this quote with a parenthesis at the end of an introductory sentence. Always use the style that works best with the research paper being presented.

The long quotation should look similar to this:

“Every good research paper should include relevant quotes from an author or other professionals. This gives the reader more insight into the topic being discussed. It also helps the student avoid plagiarism when they want to share another person’s idea to support their research topic.”

(Barnes, 37)

Adding or Omitting Words in Quotes

Students may need to add or omit words in the quote for their MLA paper. Extra words may need to be added to a quote to help the reader better understand what the quote is referencing. When adding words to a quote, always add brackets to show that they are separate from the original statement. Here is an example of how and when to add words to a quote:

Original quote: “The new workspace should help them stay productive.”

Quote with added words: “The new workspace should help them [shop employees] stay productive.”

Omitting words could be necessary if the student needs to shorten the text for block quotations. They can keep the quote brief and to the point by omitting words. In this situation, nothing is done to show words have been removed. Quotes should be as original as possible. Only remove words if they add no value to the text. Here is an example of when it’s appropriate to remove words from a quote:

Original quote: “It’s easier to access online games using a mobile app on your smartphone.”

Quote with omitted words: “It’s easier to access games using an app on your smartphone.”

The example above shows that the quote’s message is read similarly to the omitted words. Removing the text doesn’t change the tone or message of the quote. Never omit words if the quote reads differently. For example, removing the phrase “mobile app” from the original quote above would completely change what’s being said.

MLA Works Cited Page Guidelines for Different Types of Sources

The works cited page is used as a reference list. Students will provide all the sources they used to get information for their MLA-style essay. This list aims to help readers locate the sources to verify the information. It proves the students didn’t make up any information shared in their essays.

A proper MLA format for the works cited page will include every resource used during the research process. This will include:

Newspaper articles
Magazine articles

Every MLA research paper should contain cited sources in a specific order. This will be further explained in the sections below.

Works Cited Entries in MLA 9th Edition Style

According to the most recent edition of the MLA format for an essay, the cited page should contain a list of sources alphabetically. All authors should be listed from A to Z. For sources with unknown authors, students can use the title to determine where it belongs.

The MLA format requires all sources listed on the cited page to be double-spaced. A hanging indent must be used for each new source added to the list.

Books and e-Books

A specific MLA citation format can be used for referencing information from books and e-books. Every book citation should include the following information in this order:

Author’s name (last name first- i.e., Barnes, Michael)
Publication Date
Book Format (print or e-book)

Here are a few citation examples for books and e-books:

Hill, Nathan. Wellness: A Novel. Bond Street Books. 2023. Print.
Sokunbi, Bola. Clever Girl Finance: Ditch Debt, Save Money, and Build Real Wealth. Wiley. 2019. E-Book.
Harris, Jillian and Wesszer, Tori. Fraiche Food, Fuller Hearts. Penguin Canada. 2023. Print.

Students can also simplify this process using a b ook citation generator or other online resources.

Journal Articles

Journal works are frequently referenced in students’ papers. All of the required information must be included when a journal or magazine article is mentioned on the cited list using the MLA research paper format. Every journal article reference should contain the following parenthetical citations in order:

Author’s last name and first initial ( i.e. Barnes, M )
Article title: Subtitle (if applicable) in quotation marks
Journal name
Volume & issue
DOI (digital object identifier) for online journals

The following examples show how journal articles should be mentioned on the cited page.

With subtitle: Jones, T. “The Importance of Citing Sources: A Beginner’s Guide To The Cited Page”. Teacher’s Journal Deluxe. Vol 12, no. 3. May, 2017. pp 30-33.

Without subtitle: Barnes, M. “How Professors Want You To Cite Sources”. Academic Journal. Vol 9, no. 11. Sept., 2020. pp 14-15.

Students can also use this format to cite a newspaper , magazines, and other print articles.

Websites & Online Sources

Students can now access more information online to help them research their essays. Sources online are acceptable as long as the web page is cited using the MLA paper format. When finding online resources, it’s common to come across recycled information. Always use the source to make your cited page as credible as possible. The best type of online sources to use are .gov and .org websites. Using .com/.ca/.co websites is acceptable if it’s a credible source or brand (i.e., www.nationalgeographic.com or www.forbes.com). Try to avoid citing blogs or social media posts unless you are directly quoting the person posting from the account.

According to the MLA format guidelines, the following information should be stated in order when you make web page citationa for every research paper:

Author’s Name (if available)
Source Title
Website Title

Here is an MLA format example of how an online source should be cited in the MLA footnotes.

Barnes, Michael. “How To Cite Sources”. Proper Formatting Online, 10 May 2023, www.examplesite.com/how-to-cite-sources .

Films & Multimedia

Since students should use the MLA essay format on art subjects, there may be times when they need to generate citations from Video . This is very common in media studies. When referencing film, always include the following information in order:

Director’s name
Production Company
Year of release
Format of the source used ( i.e., DVD, Blu-ray, digital )

Here are a couple of examples of how to reference a film on the cited page:

Craven, Wes, director. Scream. Miramax. 1996. DVD.
Gerwig, Greta, director. Barbie. Warners Bros. 2023. Google TV.

Students may also reference multimedia posted online, such as YouTube videos. The creator’s name may not be available when referencing an online video. In this situation, it’s acceptable to cite their username. The following information should be cited in order when referencing an online video.

Creator’s name or username
Video title (in quotation marks)
Platform or website name
Channel (if applicable)
The date the video was posted

Here is an example of how to generate citations from video through online multimedia:

Warner Bros Entertainment. “Singin’ in the Rain | Good Mornin'”. YouTube. 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyMU8O2B2Vs

A similar format can be used for works cited from podcasts, radio shows, and other online video and audio media.

Interviews & Personal Communication

Certain projects will require students to conduct personal interviews. It’s still necessary to cite sources when using information from interviews. A student can also directly quote their interview subject in the research paper. There are several ways that students can interview people for research. This includes:

Online chat

Personal interviews and communications are an efficient way to get valuable insight and real information on a topic. Citing these communications is also very easy. Mention the interviewee’s name (last name, first name) followed by the type of communication and the date of contact. Students can also add any other relevant information that could be useful to the reader ( i.e., business name, occupation, etc. ). Here is an example of how a personal interview can be cited:

Richards, Blake. Email Interview. 19 October, 2022.

Forte, Johan. Optometrist. Personal interview. 15 April 2023.

In the second example, the interviewee’s occupation was relevant to the communications. The student provides this information using the MLA format for the research paper to help the reader understand why the quote is relevant to the subject.

Bibliographic & Content Notes

An MLA paper should provide as much information as possible. Bibliographic and content notes are excellent tools. They are a great addition to academic papers because they provide more information on the sources that were used for research. The works cited page should contain basic information about the sources. However, the bibliographic and content notes allow students to provide detailed information on these sources. It’s common for the notes to contain more analyses, context, and commentaries on the topic.

Sometimes, a student wants to provide information about a source that isn’t directly related to the essay’s main topic. For example, they may have read an online article that inspired their idea for the research project. They can cite this source in the content notes and explain why it was important for their piece. They may also want to provide more context about their ideas or experiences that were useful to the research paper.

For example, a student may cite a chapter in a book that was directly related to information stated in their paper. However, much information was shared in the book that helped craft the essay. In the bibliographic notes, students can provide more context about the content. They can also include notes that will give the reader more insight into how the source relates to the essay’s main topic.

Overall, the main goal of using bibliographic and content notes is to ensure readers thoroughly understand the information. Students can provide their thoughts and crucial information when this section is used effectively. An excellent bibliographic page can also help students establish credibility with their research.

Common MLA Abbreviations

Using abbreviations in-text citations is common because it concisely presents the information. The MLA style cited page should be easy to read. Abbreviations help save space and list the information in a presentable format.

The abbreviations most commonly used in the MLA format are ‘et al.’, ‘vol’, and ‘p’.

“Et al.” is an abbreviation for et al Ia. This phrase is used to indicate that there were multiple authors credited to the source. Instead of naming each individual, only the first author’s name will be listed, followed by et al.
“Vol.” is an abbreviation for volume. This is about the volume number of the book, journal, magazine, or other source used.
“P.” is the abbreviation for page. When one page is listed, it will look like this: p. 12. If a page range is listed, then the abbreviation ‘pp’ will be used, such as pp. 12-18.

Specific MLA Abbreviations

There are MLA abbreviations that are used for specific citations. These are specialized abbreviations that should only be used for certain situations.

“Ibid” is an abbreviation for ibidem. Students may have to use this abbreviation to list multiple citations from the same source. For example, there could be various page numbers that a student needs to cite from one book. In this case, the citation should look like this:

First citation: Barnes 15

Second citation: Ibid 73

“N.d.” is another specific abbreviation. This one should only be used if a publication date is unavailable. Here is an example of how to use the n.d. abbreviation properly:

Barnes, Michael. Example Book. Example Publisher. N.d. Print.

Formatting Numbers in MLA

There are formatting rules for using numbers in research essays and in-text citations. All small numbers (one through nine) should be spelled out. Some examples include one chapter, two cups of sugar, or seven days late.

Once numbers reach the double digits, students should use the Arabic numeral format. Any number above 10 should be printed like this: 11, 12, 13, 14, etc.

The number should always be in Arabic numerals when it comes to measurements, ages, dates, and units. For example: 5 pounds, 15 minutes, 60%, 32 degrees, etc. The Arabic numeral format should also be used when there is a series of numbers, such as 4 children, 8 teenagers, 13 adults, 6 seniors.

Large numbers should be written out. This includes any number separated by commas, like fifty thousand, three million, or a billion.

Sentences that contain mixed numbers will use both numeral and print. It’s essential to remain consistent with how these sentences are worded. Here is a good example: 6 four-year-olds, 8 five-year-olds, 10 six-year-olds, and 4 seven-year-olds attended the birthday party.

Lists in MLA

Students must avoid cramming too much information in one section using the MLA format for paragraphs. MLA recommends lists as a practical way to organize information in essays. Students can use bullet lists or numbered lists. Specific guidelines should be followed to ensure the lists are being used accurately.

Bulleted lists present a list of items in no particular order on separate lines. The list states each item individually, making it easier to read. Here is an example of how a bulleted list could be used:

Recipe Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup softened butter

Numbered lists are used to present items or information in consecutive order when students write a paper in MLA format. They are commonly to use for directions to be followed. Here is an example of using a numbered list:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all wet ingredients together.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together.

MLA Formatting Takeaway

The MLA style paper is used for academic papers by students in the US. This format is an excellent way to ensure every written paper has been cited correctly. Students must use parenthetical citations to avoid plagiarism when presenting research. Using the MLA formatting for research papers correctly ensures that every essay submitted is presented in a clear and understandable writing style.

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June 15, 2024

How to do MLA format in Google Docs

Need to create a document using MLA format? We’ll explain this format’s specifications and how to create your paper using MLA in Google Docs.

Are you required to compose your school essay or assignment using MLA format? We’ll explain the requirements for this format, show how to use a built-in template, and walk through formatting the document yourself using an example.

We’ll also explain how to use Plus AI in Google Docs to make adjustments to your content when you’re struggling with it.

Requirements for the MLA format

MLA format has certain requirements including page setup, font style and size, and paragraph spacing. It’s important to follow these when writing an essay or paper using MLA format.

Use 8.5 by 11 inches paper size.
Set one-inch margins on all sides.
Use a 12-point font.
Choose a standard, legible font style such as Times New Roman.
Double-space the document.
Enter only one space after a period.
Indent the first line of each paragraph one half-inch (using the Tab key.)
Use quotation marks or italics for titles such as books and movies.
Insert a header placing the page numbers in the top right-hand corner aligned to the right margin.

First-page formatting

You should also format the first page of the document a particular way.

Do not include a title page unless requested.
Include your name, instructor’s name, course, and date on the upper left side of the page.
Double-space and center the title beneath.
Double-space and enter the first paragraph below the title.

For additional MLA format instructions such as citations, lists, abbreviations, or tables, check out Purdue Online Writing Lab on the web page for assistance.

Method 1: Use an AI tool

To save time creating content for an MLA format page, you can use Plus AI for Google Docs . For example, you can instruct Plus AI to add a page with a list of your references.

With your Google Doc open, select Extensions > Plus AI > Write with Plus AI .
Go to the Generate tab in the sidebar and enter your instructions in the What do you want to write? box.

As an example, we instruct Plus AI to create an MLA works cited page with our list of book titles.

Click Generate and you’ll see your Works Cited page in MLA format with all of the necessary book details including author, year, and publisher.

Not only does Plus AI provide you with a reference page, but it can also help do the research for you!

Method 2: Use the Google Docs MLA template

If you need additional formatting for your document, the simplest way to create a document using MLA format is to take advantage of the Google Docs MLA template. You can obtain the template for free directly in the Google Docs Template Gallery.

Visit Google Docs , sign in, and open the Template Gallery at the top.

Move down to the Education section and select the MLA Report template.

When the template opens, change the document name per your preference and then use the placeholders to insert your own details and content.

Method 3: Create a Google Doc in MLA format

If you don’t want to use the Google Docs template or already have a document with content that just needs formatting, you can do so easily. Let’s walk through how to format each of the MLA requirements above for the document you see below.

Set up the document

Selecting the page size and adjusting the margins is the best place to begin. When you access these settings, you may already have these options selected, so simply confirm.

Go to File > Page setup in the menu.
In the Apply to drop-down menu, choose Whole document .
Below Orientation , mark Portrait .
For Paper size , pick Letter (8.5” x 11”) .
Keep white as the page color unless specified otherwise.
In the four margin locations on the right, enter the number 1 for each.
Your settings should match the screenshot below. Select OK when you finish.

Adjust the font and spacing

Next, you can set the font style and size as well as double-space the document. If you already have text in your document, be sure to select it so that the changes apply to the existing content.

Select the Font drop-down menu in the top toolbar and choose Times New Roman .

In the Font size box to the right, enter or choose 12 .

Use the Line & paragraph spacing drop-down menu in the toolbar or Format > Line & paragraph spacing in the menu to choose Double .

Insert the document header and page numbers

Finally, insert a header and add the page numbers. If requested by your instructor, you can include your last name in front of the page number as explained below.

Go to Insert > Headers & Footers in the menu and pick Header .

When the header appears, open the Align drop-down menu in the top toolbar and pick Right align . This moves your cursor to the right margin where you’ll insert the page number.

Select Options and choose Page numbers .

In the Page Numbers pop-up window, choose Header for the Position, check the box for Show on first page , and confirm that Start At is set to 1 .

Click Apply and you’ll see your page numbers in the header of each page.

If you need to add your last name to the header, place your cursor in front of (to the left) of the page number and type your name with a space after. Your last name then appears in the header along with the page numbers in the entire document.

Note that if the font style isn’t set to Times New Roman in the header, simply select the text and use the Font drop-down menu in the top toolbar to change it.

Once you have your document set to the above MLA format , you’re ready to go. But be sure to keep the other requirements in mind as you create your content including indenting paragraphs, using quotes or italics for titles, and inserting only one space after each period.

Get help with changes using Plus AI

While there are arguments on both sides for whether or not students should be allowed to use AI in school, you may be in a situation where your instructor encourages it in some circumstances.

With Plus AI, you can get the help you need. You can take your existing content and use artificial intelligence to assist with the changes you want to make. For example, you might need to adjust the tone for a different audience or translate the text you’ve written.

Using Plus AI with Google Docs, you simply select your current content and choose a preset and/or provide instructions on how to change the text.

Along with assistance in Docs, you can use Plus AI for help with Google Slides presentations and Microsoft PowerPoint slideshows . By selecting an attractive template and entering a prompt, you can instruct Plus AI to build engaging and appealing presentations .

If you’re required to create an essay or other academic paper using MLA format, it’s easy to do in Google Docs. With the list of requirements, template, and example provided, you should be well on your way to a perfectly structured MLA formatted document.

For future projects, especially slideshows, remember that Plus AI can assist not only with content but presentation appearance as well!

How do I indent the MLA format in Google Docs?

With the MLA format, you should indent the first line of each paragraph one half-inch. Normally, you can simply press your Tab key which provides the correct space for the indent.

Alternatively, place your cursor at the start of the line and move the First Line Indent indicator (blue line) in the Google Docs Ruler to 0.5 inches .

How do I do a reference page in MLA?

In Google Docs, you can use the Citations feature to create a bibliography or works cited page. Go to Tools > Citations . In the sidebar that appears, select MLA for the format, add your citations, and click Insert Works Cited when you finish.

Do I skip a line between paragraphs in MLA?

The short answer is “no.” The entire document should be double-spaced including the spacing between paragraphs. Press Enter or Return only once to begin a new paragraph.

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TemplateLab

MLA Format Templates

38 free mla format templates (+mla essay format).

MLA stands for Modern Language Association. The MLA format is typically used when you need to cite liberal arts and humanities sources. You cite your resources when writing a paper.

There’s a specific style that you can follow while using the MLA format template. There are a lot of available resources online for you to use as a reference. Use these resources if you need to write a research paper template .

Table of Contents

1 MLA Format Templates
2 What is the MLA style?
3 MLA Format Papers
4 Parts and styling guide for making MLA format templates
5 Research Paper Templates
6.1 Some general guidelines
6.2 Formatting tips for the first page of your MLA style paper
6.3 Essays and books
7 MLA Style Papers
8 When to use the MLA format

Or you can even download an MLA template here. Usually, this format would contain footnotes, in-text citations, and more.

The MLA format has specific guidelines for presenting the paper. When you write using this style, you always have to use the English language. An MLA format paper would also give you, as a writer, a system for referencing all your sources.

If you use this style of writing correctly, it will help in building your credibility. It shows accountability in terms of the sources you use for your paper. Following this style can also protect you from charges of plagiarism.

If you need to write an MLA style paper, you need to consult with the most recent MLA Handbook . This is the best possible reference for you to use when writing a paper. In this article, we’ll provide you with some guides to help you out while writing.

What is the MLA style?

Before you start writing an MLA essay format, you should first learn about the MLA style. This is a system for documenting all the sources you’ve used in scholarly writing. This writing style has been around for more than half a century.

It’s widely used in the educational setting. It’s also used by scholars, journalists, and other types of writers all over the world. Nowadays, writers publish their works using different types of formats.

These formats are being constantly updated and the MLA style is no different. The MLA format was last updated in 2016. It needed an update in order to keep up with all the challenges that writers and researchers today have to face.

This style has a specific set of universal guidelines which the writers need to apply when they use it. Writers have to cite all their resources . This is the core concept which surrounds the MLA style of writing.

The works they cite in the text also come with short parenthetical citations. These brief citations are also very important. The best resources to use when you need to write an MLA format paper are:

The MLA Handbook This handbook is now in its 8th edition. It’s suitable for writers with different levels. But the writers designed the guidelines with teaching students in their minds. The handbook gives an explanation of the principles behind citing sources. It gives instructions of the system of the MLA style. It explains how to document sources correctly. It also includes guidelines for writing scholarly prose. Aside from this, the handbook also contains guidelines on academic dishonesty and plagiarism. You will also see tips for evaluating your sources and creating entries in your “works cited” list.
The MLA Style Center This is a companion to the MLA Handbook. It’s the official website dedicated to the MLA style of writing. On it, you can get the chance to submit questions of your own. You can share your insights about the MLA style. You can also view some sample research paper templates. Aside from this, you can also read the instructions on formatting MLA style papers. It has teaching resources and some tools to help you create entries for your “works cited” list.

MLA Format Papers

Parts and styling guide for making MLA format templates

If you need to follow an MLA essay format, you need to follow the guidelines for it. This writing style has a number of style rules which don’t change. To help you out, let’s take a look at the different parts of the format.

We will also go through some styling guides which will prove helpful as you write your paper:

Body text The body text should also be double-spaced. Align the body text to the left. Each time you have a new paragraph, you should start it with a half-an-inch indentation.
Header For the MLA style, the headers should contain your last name followed by the number of the page. You can find this header in the top-right corner of your pages. The placement of the header is half an inch from the top of the page.
Heading Remembering all the headings can be quite challenging. This is because they include 4 different parts in order. You have to include your name and the name of your instructor on the heading. Also, include the name of your course and the date. Even the date has a specific format – Day Month Year. Your heading should also be double-spaced. Also, align it to the left side of the very first page.
Margins When you use an MLA template, you should have 1-inch margins on all sides of your document. The paper size to use is the standard US letter size. Even if you’ll submit your paper online or digitally, you should still use this paper size.
Text When you type the text, you need to use 12pt font size and the Times New Roman font style. Your document should also be double-spaced.
Title You should place the title of your paper in the center of the page. You shouldn’t add any other formatting styles to the title.
Block quotes If your quotes exceed four lines, you have to block them. You should also double-space the block quotes but the indentation would be one inch. You don’t need to use quotation marks for block quotes. That is unless you’re quoting dialogue.

These are some basic styling guides for you. Remember, there are rules for when you write an MLA format template. Now let’s discuss some formatting guidelines. These can help you understand the writing style better.

Research Paper Templates

Formatting guidelines for making your MLA format template

Preparing an MLA format paper, you need to stick with the set formatting guidelines. If you don’t follow them, you won’t be able to come up with a correctly-constructed paper.

Aside from using the MLA Handbook, you can also download an MLA format template from here and work on it. But it’s still important to know the guidelines if you write the paper on your own.

Some general guidelines

Your paper size should be 8.5 x 11-inches, the standard US letter paper size. Set your margins to 1-inch on all the sides of the document. When you print it out, make sure to use white paper.
All the text on your paper should be double-spaced. You should also use the Times New Roman font or any legible font style. When choosing a font, make sure that when you use the regular and italics styles, you’ll be able to recognize them. But for the font size, you should only use 12pt.
Only leave a single space after any punctuation marks. That is unless your instructor says otherwise.
When starting a paragraph, indent the very first line a half-inch from the margin on the left. To do this, it’s easier to use the Tab key. Do this instead of placing 5 spaces between the margin and the first word of the paragraph.
On the upper right-hand corner of your pages, add a header. This header should number all the pages of your document consecutively. Place this header half-an-inch from the top of the page.
If there are any titles of longer works in your document, use the italics style. But you should only do this to provide emphasis, only if necessary.
Create a separate page for your endnotes if any and entitle it “Notes.” Place this page right before your Works Cited page.
Follow all these general guidelines unless your instructor says otherwise. This is especially true if you’re a student who needs to complete a paper for the course.

Formatting tips for the first page of your MLA style paper

Unless your instructor tells you to, you don’t need to make a title page.
Type the heading in the upper left-hand corner of your first page. Make sure your text is double-spaced.
Then type the title in the center of the page. Use standard capitalization for your title without any additional formatting styles. Also, don’t use all uppercase letters for your title.
When you’re referring to other works, use the italics style. Either that or use quotation marks to emphasize them.
Double space between your title and the very first line of your text.
Create your header in the upper right-hand corner of your pages. Also, include the page numbers using Arabic numerals.
To make your document more readable, you can use section headings. These sections may contain named parts of the essay or even individual chapters.

Essays and books

You can also include essays in your paper . But when you divide it into sections, you need to numbers them using Arabic numbers. Then you end the section with a period, a space, and then the name of the section.
When it comes to books, there’s no set system of headings. You can also format the text as you want. Just make sure to use a consistent formatting all throughout your document.

These are some general guidelines for you to follow. By now, you can start making your own template from scratch. But if you want to make things easier for you, you can simply download an MLA template from here.

MLA Style Papers

When to use the MLA format

The MLA style is typically used for works that apply to liberal arts or humanities. You may be a writer or a student who focuses on these 2 areas.

If so, you might have to write different papers using the MLA guidelines. Usually, these disciplines would require this type of format:

Literary criticism
Foreign language and literature
English studies in language and literature
Cultural studies
Comparative literary analysis

Of course, there are other areas and disciplines of writing which use MLA guidelines. Whether you’re a student or a professional writer, you may receive a task to write a paper with an MLA essay format.

In this case, you need to follow the MLA rules we discussed earlier.

There are specific types of papers which would involve research. In this case, you’d also have to document and cite all the resources you used. Here are the types of papers where you may need to use the MLA style:

Argumentative When you have to write an argumentative paper, you need to do research a lot. Because of this, you may have to get your information from different resources. After writing the paper, you also have to give credit to those sources to avoid any issues.
Cause and effect This is another type of paper which you can apply the MLA format too. When making a cause and effect paper, you should stick to believable facts. So you have to do research and again, you need to document and cite them all in your paper.
Expository When you write this type of paper, it would entail a lot of background information. In order to get all this information, you need to do research. Before wrapping up your paper, make sure you’ve included all your resources to give credit to them.
Literary A literary paper is another type of essay you can write using the MLA style. This type of paper also requires a lot of research. While you’re researching, you need to write down all your resources. Remember, you have to give credit to those who deserve it.
Persuasive When you make a persuasive essay using the MLA style, you’ll build your case to support one side of an argument. Also, you can present the viewpoint of the opposite side. This means that you need to present facts on both sides of the issue. To do this, you need to gather a lot of information. Again, you also need to cite your sources to follow the MLA style of writing.

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IMAGES

Mla Essay Style
How To Write Mla Format For An Essay
MLA Style Guide
MLA Document Formatting
💣 Mla style essay template. 30 Editable Research Paper Templates (MLA Formats). 2022-10-30
How to Format an Essay ⇒ MLA, APA, and Structure Tips

VIDEO

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How to Format an Essay in MLA Style in Microsoft Word 365
How to Set Up a Works Cited Page in Mla Format on Google Docs (2024)
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How to (MLA) Format a Document Using Microsoft Word (Spring 2014)
Avoid Common Mistakes in Your MLA Formatted Essay

COMMENTS

General Format
In the case of a group project, list all names of the contributors, giving each name its own line in the header, followed by the remaining MLA header requirements as described below. Format the remainder of the page as requested by the instructor. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the ...
MLA Format
Cite your MLA source. Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document: Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman. Set 1 inch page margins. Use double line spacing. Include a ½" indent for new paragraphs. Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page. Center the paper's title.
MLA Title Page
To create an MLA format title page, list the following on separate lines, left-aligned at the top of the page: Then leave a few blank lines and list the title of the paper, centered and in title case, halfway down the page. All text should be double-spaced and in the same font as the rest of the paper. Note: If you're using a title page ...
MLA Style Guide, 8th & 9th Editions: Formatting Your MLA Paper
For a research paper written collaboratively by several students, such as for a group project, create a title page instead of listing all authors in the header on page 1 of the essay. On the title page, list each student's full name, placing one name on each double-spaced line. After the final student name, enter the professor's name. After the ...
MLA Formatting and Style Guide
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (9th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
PDF Formatting a Research Paper
Do not use a period after your title or after any heading in the paper (e.g., Works Cited). Begin your text on a new, double-spaced line after the title, indenting the first line of the paragraph half an inch from the left margin. Fig. 1. The top of the first page of a research paper.
MLA Format and Style Guide
MLA formatting rules. 1 The sources page is referred to as the works cited page. It appears at the end of the paper, after any endnotes. 2 The entire paper is double-spaced, including block quotations and the references on the works cited page. 3 Use block quotes for quotations that are four lines or longer.
MLA Sample Paper
MLA General Format MLA Formatting and Style Guide; MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics; MLA Formatting Lists MLA Formatting Quotations; MLA Endnotes and Footnotes; MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format; MLA Works Cited Page: Books; MLA Works Cited Page: Periodicals; MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources (Web Publications) MLA Works Cited: Other Common ...
MLA 9 Formatting: Step-By-Step Guide + Free Template
Here's how you can set your first page up for MLA 9th edition. On the first line, write your full name (flush left) On a new line, write your professor or instructor's full name. On a new line, write the course code and course name. On a new line, write the full date spelt out (e.g., 15 June 2023)
MLA Format Cover Page
How to Format Your MLA Cover Page: This page is double spaced and the letters are centered. Font: Times New Roman; Font size: 12; The first letter of each word should be capitalized with the exception of very short words such as: the, and, of, or, a, an, in, to, for.
LibGuides: MLA Format Guide
Citation format will be discussed in a later section, but this section will detail how to create a Works Cited Page. At the end of your essay, insert a page break (found under the "Insert" tab) and center the words "Works Cited" at the top of your page (not in the header). If there is only one source being cited, type "Work Cited".
MLA Formatting
At the top left margin of the first page, type your name, your instructor's name, the course number, and the date. Type the title of your paper in the top, center of the first page following the standard rules for titles in MLA Style. Include your last name and page numbers, consecutively on all pages in the upper right-hand corner.
How To
Indent the next line and begin typing your text. Include your last name and page numbers in the upper right-hand corner of every page. The page numbers will be one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. If your instructor prefers no page number on the first page, begin numbering from 2 on the second page.
How to Make a Cover Page: APA and MLA Format
1 Place the page number (always 1) in the upper-right corner of the page, flush right with the one-inch page margin. This is part of the running head that goes on every page in APA format, although for student papers this header only includes the page number. 2 Three or four lines down (double-spaced) from the top page margin, write the paper ...
MLA Format Papers: Step-by-step Tips for Formatting Research Essays in
Like all the other text in an MLA style paper, the title block is double-spaced.; The title is in the same font as the rest of the paper — it is not boldface, or enlarged.; There is no extra space above or below the title.; A truly informative title will include the general topic, and your precise opinion on that topic. (So, if you pan to compare Hamlet and Macbeth, your title should state ...
Creating an MLA Header
Revised on March 5, 2024. The first page of your MLA format paper starts with a four-line left-aligned header containing: Your full name. Your instructor's name. The course name and number. The date of submission. After the header, the title of the paper is centred on a new line, in title case. The header and title do not take any special ...
PDF MLA Sample of First Page
TITLE PAGE: An MLA research paper does not need a title page. PAGE NUMBERING: Begin numbering on the header, type your last name, followed by a space, and insert auto-Everything should be right-aligned. 11" 1" 1" IN-TEXT CITATION: Because the reviewer's name is referenced in the sentence, the in-text citation contains only the page number.
MLA Format Heading
This page contains guidelines on how to properly format the headings of your research paper using the MLA format. 1. The Opening Page: On the opening page or the first page, you would include the whole heading and your paper's title. ... It should only be on the first page of the essay. Reply. Terry August 19, 2014, 10:52 am. This is some good ...
Student's Guide to MLA Style (2021)
The nine core elements of MLA citations. 1. Author. Begin each source entry with the name of the author (s) or creator (s). The name of the first author is always inverted (Last name, First name). When a source has two authors, the second author's name is shown in the normal order (First name Last name).
MLA Style: Sample First Page of a Paper in MLA Format
MLA Style is the format used by the Modern Language Association. Most papers written for classes in the arts and humanities use MLA style; instructors in other disciplines may also prefer MLA format. MLA Style Resources
MLA Format: Headings to Citations, the Full Guide
The APA manual includes a heading format similar to the MLA heading format with a few key differences, such as using a separate cover page instead of simply including the heading at the top of the first page. Both heading formats ensure that all of your papers include all your key identifying information in a clear and consistent way.
How to Format an Essay in MLA: Full Formatting Guide
The MLA formatting instructions also require students to use the 'running head' rule to number their pages. Each separate page of the essay in MLA format will be numbered. The page number will appear in the upper right-hand corner, with the student's last name in front of it. The first page of the MLA paper should look similar to this ...
Act Professionally
The following is the first page of a sample paper formatted in MLA Style. Before turning in your essay, compare your own first page to the image below to make sure that your paper is formatted correctly. Work Cited "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL, Purdue U Writing Lab. Accessed 10 Jan. 2022.
How to do MLA format in Google Docs
Indent the first line of each paragraph one half-inch (using the Tab key.) Use quotation marks or italics for titles such as books and movies. Insert a header placing the page numbers in the top right-hand corner aligned to the right margin. First-page formatting. You should also format the first page of the document a particular way.
38 Free MLA Format Templates (+MLA Essay Format)
6.2 Formatting tips for the first page of your MLA style paper; 6.3 Essays and books; 7 MLA Style Papers; 8 When to use the MLA format; Or you can even download an MLA template here. Usually, this format would contain footnotes, in-text citations, and more. ... If you need to follow an MLA essay format, you need to follow the guidelines for it ...
Free AI Paraphrasing Tool
The easiest, quickest way to create a paraphrase is to use a free paraphrase generator like the one at the top of this page. To use this paraphrasing tool, paste in your source text, then click the "Paraphrase it" button.If you'd like to write a paraphrase from scratch, first read the original text closely.

MLA Style Guide, 8th & 9th Editions: Formatting Your MLA Paper

Line Spacing & Margins

Heading and Title

Sample Papers from MLA

Styling Headings and Subheadings

MLA Style Paper Template

Sample MLA Paper

How to Use the MLA Style Template

Formatting Group Project Papers

MLA Sample Paper

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

MLA 9th Edition Formatting

Overview: MLA 9th Edition Formatting

MLA Structure and Layout

Generic Page Setup

The Opening Section

The Main Body

The Works Cited (Reference List)

Wrapping Up

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MLA Format Guide - 9th edition

How to Create a Header

How to Create a Works Cited Page

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How To - Use the MLA Style Guide: Formatting Your MLA Paper

Heading and Title

Formatting first page MLA MS Word using a MAC

Sample MLA Paper

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1. Document Settings

1.1 Adjusting Document Settings in MS-Word (Windows)

1.2 Adjusting Document Settings in MS-Word (Mac)

2. Page Header

3. Title Block

4. Citations

5. Works Cited List

5.1. How to Create an Individual Works Cited Entry

Basic Format for Any Web Page

Other Citation Examples

5.2. How to Organize Your Works Cited list

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MLA Format Heading

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MLA Style: Sample First Page of a Paper in MLA Format

Sample First Page of a Paper in MLA Format

MLA Style Resources

MLA Format: The Ultimate Guide to Correctly Formatting Your Paper

Hannah Yang

What Is an MLA Heading?

What Are the Parts of an MLA Heading?

What Are the Parts of an MLA Header?

Creating MLA Headers in Microsoft Word

Creating MLA Headers in Google Docs

Whose last name should you use in your MLA header if you’re writing a group paper?

Should you include your class period in your MLA heading or just the class name?

What should you write in your MLA heading if you don’t have an instructor?