MLA (Modern Language Association) style is a standard format for writing academic papers, particularly in the humanities and liberal arts. Here are some general guidelines for formatting an essay in MLA style:
- Use a standard font such as Times New Roman, size 12.
- Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
- Use double spacing throughout the essay, including the works cited page.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch from the left margin.
- Create a header in the upper right-hand corner of each page that includes your last name and the page number.
- On the first page, in the upper left-hand corner, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date.
- Place the title of your essay in the center of the page, about halfway down. Do not italicize, bold, or underline the title.
- If you are citing sources within your essay, use in-text citations and include a works cited page at the end of your essay. The works cited page should list all the sources you used in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Each source should be formatted according to the guidelines provided in the MLA Handbook.
Here is an example of an essay in MLA format:
Title of Essay
Your Name
Professor's Name
Course Number
Date
Introduction
Your introduction should provide context for your essay and introduce your main points. You may also include a thesis statement at the end of your introduction.
Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph should focus on a single main point, and each point should be supported by evidence from your sources. Be sure to use in-text citations to properly credit your sources.
Conclusion
Your conclusion should summarize your main points and restate your thesis. You may also include some final thoughts or implications of your research.
Works Cited
The works cited page should list all the sources you used in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Each source should be formatted according to the guidelines provided in the MLA Handbook.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your essay is properly formatted in MLA style.
How To Format An Essay In Mla Formatting Style
There is an error in settings in the Indentation Box in Paragraph. In some cases, professors may demand section headers, in order to enhance legibility. MLA also provides guidelines for presenting them. Be sure to use their proper title. Entries Begin the entries flush with the left margin. Note, do not put the title in quotation marks or italicize it. The seventh edition of the "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers" provides guidelines on how to cite sources within your essay and how to list these sources in your references.
Free MLA Citation Generator [Updated for 2023]
Therefore, your citation style is not as data-centric as other scientific formats such as APA. For them, getting the job done is a walk in the park! What is MLA format? Below are some basic guidelines for incorporating quotations into your paper. Can you imagine what it would be like to grade 150 papers, and every single one is formatted differently? For decimals or fractions use digits. To properly format your paper, place this information in the top-right of each page will suffice. Your title should be in the middle of your paper, and should clearly define what your essay is about.
FREE MLA Format Citation Generator
If possible, restate a sentence so that the number is placed elsewhere. These sections may include individual chapters or other named parts of a book or essay. Automating this process with a citation generator is easy, straightforward, and gives accurate results. The Fence and the River: Culture and Politics at the U. There are some situations when a citation might not be necessary.
General Format
It should, however, be consistent throughout the document. MLA Works Cited Format When writing academic papers, students conduct research and collect information from a variety of sources e. Format the remainder of the page as requested by the instructor. The font size should be 12 pt. Moreover, when writing an MLA style essay, you also need to add a title page and a bibliography section.
How should I format my college application essay?
The generator will take information such as document titles, author, and URLs as in input, and output fully formatted citations that can be inserted into the Works Cited page of an MLA-compliant academic paper. Subjects such as history, literature, and composition are commonplace to use this format. If you are only using one level of headings, meaning that all of the sections are distinct and parallel and have no additional sections that fit within them, MLA recommends that these sections resemble one another grammatically. When writing an MLA format essay or other paper, students are required to follow specific style requirements. The MLA format is generally simpler than other referencing styles as it was developed to emphasize brevity and clarity.
MLA Page Format
Next type the title of the book, in italics and title case, followed by a period. Publishing scholars and graduate students should also consult the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd edition. If the abbreviation is all capital letters and not a proper name, such as MLA state abbreviations, do not use any punctuation. The settings in the Paragraph dialogue box should be as follows to have proper double spacing. If it is not possible, spell out the number that stands at the beginning of the sentence. As a rule, if you can write out numbers in MLA in one or two words, type them out.
MLA Formatting Quotations
Here are just a few issues we found when looking at other templates: Refences:. In the main part of your text, MLA paragraph spacing will also be doubled. . Once again, these specific abbreviations can only be used on your Works Cited page. After the title, press ENTER once and insert your MLA references. However, MLA citation page numbers are always in numerical form. Ironically, MLA style is not actually used all that often beyond middle and high school, with APA American Psychological Association style being the favored style at colleges across the country.
