John Doe
Teacher
Class, Period
30 October 2013
MLA Formatting Guide
This is a sample of an essay written in MLA format. MLA format is the Modern
Language Association’s rules for setting up a piece of writing. Your high school papers will
be required to conform to this format. There are many steps to follow.
In MLA format, 12-point font is required. You must use a normal font (no bold,
italics, or cute fonts). Times New Roman is preferred. Also, you must double space. For
double-spacing, go to the "format" tab, then down to "line spacing," and then over to
"double."
The heading of your paper is very important. The heading goes in the upper left-hand
corner of the first page of your essay and has four parts. Each piece of information is on its
own line. The order of the heading is your name (first and last), your teacher’s name
(example: Mrs. Cowlin), the class title and period (example: English 8, Period 1), and the
date (day month year). (Follow the above example.) Remember to double-space the heading.
Also necessary in MLA format is the page number. The page number is located on the
upper right-hand corner of each page and must include the student’s last name and the page
number. The easiest way to insert page numbers automatically is to go to “insert” and then
click on “page number.” Next, click on “top of page.” Now type in your last name and a
space before the “1.” Now all of your papers will have your last name with the proper page
number automatically inserted.
When you include text evidence (quotes or passages from the book), you must include
the page number. First, you must introduce your quote with a sentence of your own and then
attach the quote to your sentence with a comma. As your English teacher will tell you,
“Using direct quotes from the text can add punch to your report” (387). When the quote is
finished, close the quotation marks, type the page number in parentheses, and insert a period.
If you are using quotes from different sources in your essay, you should also include the
author’s name before the page number. For example, a quote citation from My Brother Sam
is Dead would look like this: "Oh, I envied him," (Collier and Collier 2) and a quote from one
of the primary source documents would look like this: He sees being a Patriot as glorious, as
suggested by Thomas Paine in Common Sense when he says, "[W]e have pledged ourselves
never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight!"
(Document B).
This guide is intended to help you set up your paper in MLA format. Please use it as
a reference and read over the rules again when you have a question. Below are a few
reminders.
- 1-inch margins (These should be standard, so you shouldn't have to
adjust anything.)
- 12-point normal font (Times New Roman or Arial)
- Double space (even the heading)
- Proper heading (4 lines)
- Page number with student’s last name on each page
- Use parenthesis with page numbers after a quote: “ ____ " (98).