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Your Name
Ms. Jane McClain
English 1101-Your Section Number
22 August 2007 (day month year with no commas)
Guide for All Writing Assignments
Use this page as a guide or template to write all assignments in this class
including essays and in-class writing assignments. If you need to set up a template from
scratch, be sure to check these guidelines. If the default margins in your word document
are much more than one inch, you will need to change them. Under File, Page Setup,
change all margins to one inch. Under Format, Paragraph, under General make sure that
“left” appears in the alignment field, and under Indentation make sure that both fields
contain a “0.” Change Spacing Before and After to 0 inches and Line Spacing to
Double. Everything in this paper will be double spaced, including between paragraphs
and between title and body of paper. Do not add extra spaces between paragraphs or
between the title and the body. If your document automatically includes extra spaces at
any place, go back and check the above fields for accuracy. Notice that the title is not in
bold, nor is it underlined. See our handbook for detailed guidelines on pages 320-332 (or
in the older edition 230-242).
Add your last name and page number to each page by setting it up in the header.
Set up header as follows: Click on View and select Header and Footer. A box will pop
up for you to type your information. Tab twice to go to the right margin, then type in
your last name followed by a single space before the page numbering. Next you will
have to click on the # button that is on the tool bar that should have appeared with the
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text box. It is the very first available icon. The program automatically numbers the
pages for you. If you type in a page number, the same number will appear on all the
pages instead of numbering them consecutively. Click on Close to close the text box and
tool bar. The header will print on every page. If you attempt to type your name, teacher's
name, class, and date in the header from the pull down menu, it will print on every page
rather than printing only on the first page as required.
Next, from the left margin type the MLA essay header. Begin with your name
followed by the professor’s name on the next line. On the third line, type the class name
and number (English 1101-03). Remember to include the section number. Finally, on
the fourth line type the date beginning with the day, then month, followed by the year.
Notice in the example at the beginning of this document that there are no commas in this
formal way of writing the date.
Every paper that you turn in for this class should have a title, even brief in-class
writings. MLA requires a title and it makes sense that all assignments, even brief ones,
practice proper MLA format.
On the last page is a Works Cited page, which is necessary for all essays but not
needed for short response writings. I have already typed in one of the texts required for
this class. We will discuss this in detail later in the semester. Notice that it always starts
on a new page titled Works Cited.
All of your writing in 1101 and 1102 English will follow the MLA (Modern
Language Association) manuscript format, including the MLA style for quoted material
with parenthetical in-text citations. If you have questions or require further clarification
of these writing conventions, refer to a more comprehensive explanation of this format in
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A Writer’s Resource, pages 283-332 (or in the older edition 201-42). For more
information on writing parenthetical citations within the text refer to section 61 in AWR.
The following is a comprehensive list of guidelines:

Essays in English 1101 and 1102 do not have a title page; do not use a binder or
folder (unless specifically requested by a teacher).

All essays must be word-processed in 12 point type, using an easy-to-read font
such as Times New Roman or any similar style of font.

Every essay must have a heading. The heading begins on the first page against the
left margin about one inch from the top of the page. Type your name, the instructor’s
name, the course name and number, and the date on separate lines.

Center a title of the paper in the width of the page. Capitalize the first and last
words of the title and all other words except articles, prepositions, and coordinating
conjunctions.

Double-space throughout the essay, including the heading and before and after the
paper’s title. Do not add extra spaces anywhere within the essay.

All margins (right, left, top, and bottom) are to be one inch.

Number the pages. Following the instructions above, include your last name
followed by a single space and the page number in the upper right corner of each page.
Do not put a period after the number and do not enclose the number in parentheses.

Each essay must have a list of works cited. Refer to A Writer’s Resource for the
correct format. General guidelines are found beginning on page 296 (or 213); pages 294317 cite eighty-five examples of textual citations from which to choose (or 212-227 cite
fifty-eight examples).
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
Printing: All papers must be printed in black ink on white paper and on a single
side of the page. No double sided print will be accepted.A sample MLA paper begins on
page 321 (or 229) in A Writer’s Resource. If you don’t understand any of the above or
can’t visualize how the heading, title, margins, and pagination appear, refer to this
illustrative example of MLA format
The following have nothing to do with MLA format, but I want you to include
these in all your essays nevertheless. In-class essays require a minimum of two pages
with at least two quotes from the primary text, which means that you must bring your
primary text to class in order to fulfill the requirements. A dictionary, thesaurus, and A
Writer’s Resource may be consulted during the in-class writing. Out-of-class essays
require a minimum of three pages with at least three quotes from the primary text for the
first three essays, and a minimum of four quotes from the primary and secondary texts
combined in the research essay. Staple the first draft, including any marks or comments
from the workshop sessions, and the peer review sheet to the back of your finished essay.
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Works Cited
Márquez, Gabriel García. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” 1968. Trans.
Gregory Rabassa. Literature: A Pocket Anthology. 3rd ed. Ed. R. S. Gwynn.
New York: Longman, 2007. 240-246.