MLA Formatting: The Basics

All MLA student papers have three main elements: page numbers, the text or body, and a works cited list.

All of these elements should begin with the same basic formatting:

• Accepted MLA Fonts: Times New Roman (12-point). 
• Spacing: Double-space the entire paper, including the title page, text, and works cited list.
• Margins: Use 1 inch margins on all sides of the paper. This is the default margin size in Microsoft Word.
• Indent: The first line of each paragraph will have a one half-inch indent from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the “Tab” key as opposed to pushing the space bar five times.

The First Page of Your Paper:

• Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested by the professor or the paper is assigned as a group project.
• In the upper left-hand corner of the first page list your name, your instructor's name, the name of the course, and the date the paper is due.
• Double space after your information and write out the title of the paper. Write the title in Title Case and center the title.
• Create a header that includes your last name followed by a space and a page number. The header should be in the upper right-hand corner.

First Page

The first page in your paper provides information about you, the course, and the assignment. It should include all of the following information:

1. Your name
2. Your instructor's name
3. The course code and name
4. The due date
5. The title of your paper

This information should be formatted following these rules:

• Organization: Each piece of information should appear on its own line and in the order given above and should be double-spaced.
• Alignment: The first four items, your name, the instructor's name, the course, and the due date should be left aligned.
• Spacing: A blank, double-spaced line should be included between the title of your paper and the rest of the information and another blank double-spaced line should be placed between the centered title and the body of the paper.
• Title: The title of your paper should be in title case and center-aligned, do not bold or put the title in italics.

Page Numbers

Every page of your paper should include your last name and a page number in the upper right-hand corner. It should be in the same font as the rest of your paper. No other information should be included in the header. 

Follow these directions to add page numbers to Microsoft Word:

1. Select the "Insert" tab at the top of the screen.
2. Under "Header & Footer" select "Page Number."
3. Choose the option "Top of Page."
4. Choose the option "Plain Number 3."
5. Type your last name in before the "1" and put a space between your last name and "1".

Text or Body

The text is the largest part of your paper. It should begin on page 1 after the title of your paper which is in title case and centered. There should be a double-space between the title of the paper and the first line of the body of the paper.

Following paragraphs should follow these formatting guidelines, in addition to the basic guidelines above:

• Paragraph Alignment: All paragraphs should be left aligned and not justified.
• Paragraph Indentation: The first line of every paragraph should be indented 0.5 inches. For consistency, use the Tab key.

Works Cited List

The works citied list should begin on a new page after the last paragraph of your paper. The first line of this section should be "Works Cited" - this should be capitalized and centered. 

Your references should be formatted following these guidelines:

• Alignment: All references should be left-aligned and not justified.
• Spacing: All citations should be double-spaced.
• Punctuation: Every citation should end with a period. 
• Order: All citations are listed alphabetically by the author's last name or alphabetically by the first piece of information in the citation.
• Hanging Indent: All references should have a hanging indent of 0.5 inches. This means that the first line of the reference is flush with the left margin and all following lines are indented by 0.5 inches.

Follow these directions to add a hanging indent to your references in Microsoft Word:

1. Highlight the citation that needs to be indented.
2. Right click once on the highlighted text.
3. Select "Paragraph Options."
4. Use the drop-down menu next to "Special" to select "Hanging."
5. Click "OK" in the bottom right-hand corner of the menu.