H. Jones
Mrs. Smith
ENG2D1
6 November 2006
MLA Essay: A Template for Student Use
This template will assist students when writing essays following the MLA format. All
margins have been formatted according to guidelines found in Fit To Print. To use the template,
highlight the text and replace with your information. All pages should be numbered. The author
information and the title of the essay is placed in the top left hand corner of the first page. Indent
paragraphs 1.3 cm. or 5 spaces. Short quotations (four lines or less) are enclosed in quotation
marks: “Edison clearly sets up a conflict between the intellectual, sometimes unfeeling, and the
emotional, but not necessarily bright”(55).
Quotations that are longer than four lines should be indented a further 1.3 cm. or 5 spaces on
the left-hand side. Do not enclose them in quotation marks. The following in an example:
This hierarchy is epistemic. That is to say, there is a reductionism according to which
the principles of sciences higher up in the hierarchy, may be deduced from those
lower. As we shall see, scientific argument is demonstrative (deductive) and is
couched in terms of cause and effect. Cause and effect themselves operate only
through motion. These are the most general principles of Hobbes's philosophy. Thus
the foundation of science is to be found in the most universal treatment of the
simplest bodies of which others are composed. This foundational science is,
according to Hobbes, geometry. (75)
The essay should be typed using an easy to read font such as Times New Roman, Courier, or
Arial. It should be typed in 12 pt. font size. To check the layout of the essay before printing, go
to File: Print Preview. Consult Fit to Print for more examples.
H. Jones 2
Works Cited
Boccella, Kathy. “Diamonds Are Forever and Now You Could Be, Too” Philadelphia Inquirer.
Philadelphia, PA.12 Nov. 2002.Opposing Viewpoints.York Catholic District School
Board. 6 Jan. 2006 <http://www.ycdsb.ca>.
Britain Companion Factfile. London: British Tourist Authority, 2000.
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. Sonnet 43. CD-ROM. Gale Research 1997.
Buckley, Joanne. Fit to Print: the Canadian Student’s Guide to Essay Writing. Fifth Edition
Scarborough, Ontario: Nelson Thomson, 2001.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. New York: The Modern
Language Association of America, 1999.
Gregg, Allan R. “ Strains Across the Border” Macleans. 30 Dec. 2002. 8 Jan. 2006
<http://www.macleans.ca/xta-doc2/2002/12/30/Cover/77757.shtml>.
Hall, Joseph. “A Noble Experiment That Went Awry”. The Toronto Star. 20 Dec. 2002
<http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar>.
Nicholas, Bill. “Clinton Presidency Marked by Contradictions.” USA Today. 11 Jan. 2001:pg
8A-9A. SIRS Knowledge Source.15 Feb.2001.<www.sirs.com>.
“They Are Killing Us.” Africa News Service. 9 Jan. 2001. Infonautics Corporation 1999. 15
Feb. 2006. EBSCO HOST accessed through <http://www.ycdsb.ca>.
“Urban Garbage: Landfill or Recycle”. CBC News In Review. CBC. December, 2000.