Insert Student’s Last Name Here (only use page numbers if you have more than one page) 1
Student’s First and Last Name
Instructor’s Name
Course and Section
Date
Assignment Name
Insert Title Here
This is a template for your homework and essay assignments. Delete the instructional
markers and replace them with the appropriate information. Some format changes may occur
when you download this file, so I will provide a brief reminder of the MLA guidelines for
academic writing.
Notice that my entire paper is double-spaced, and that there are no extra spaces between
paragraphs. All of my text uses a 12 point Times New Roman font. Do not use bold face for
titles or anything else in the essay. Always use page numbers if your work has more than one
page. Never use page numbers if your work has only one page. To use the page numbers in this
template, simply double-click in the grey area at the top of the page. Delete the instructions and
write your last name, with one space between your name and the page number; both of these
should be aligned to the top right.
Finally, be sure to use proper MLA in-text citations. Incorporate the author’s idea or
words into your sentence; then list the author’s last name and the page number where you found
your citation in parentheses. If you use the author’s name in the sentence, you do not have to use
it in your citation. The following examples are based on Lansing Lamont’s essay, “The Bomb,”
which can be found on page 165 of The Sundance Writer.
Insert Student’s Last Name Here (only use page numbers if you have more than one page) 2
1) Citing a source using MLA in-text citations: The first atomic bomb “engendered the
sort of fear that caused one scientist to break down” (Lamont 166).
2) Citing a source in a sentence in which you introduce the author: Lansing Lamont
writes that the first atomic bomb “engendered the sort of fear that caused one scientist
to break down” (166).
3) Citing an author’s ideas without using a direct quote: The terror of working in the
presence of such unprecedented destructive power prevented at least one scientist
from finishing his job. (Lamont 166)
There are many other ways of incorporating words and ideas into your work, but these three are
the most common.
Keep scrolling to the next page.
Insert Student’s Last Name Here (only use page numbers if you have more than one page) 3
Works Cited
Lamont, Lansing. “The Bomb.” The Sundance Writer, edited by Mark Connelly, Cengage
Learning, 2012, pp. 165-167.
Notice that the above citation uses hanging indentation and that there is no extra space between
the entry and the next line. Also, make sure your Works Cited page is its own page – do not
allow your edits to place the Works Cited page at the end of a previous page. Use the ‘insert page
break’ function to ensure your Works Cited page begins at the top of its own page. You must
include a Works Cited page to avoid plagiarism; you should not list sources in your Works Cited
page that you did not cite in your essay.