Formatting Your Paper According to MLA Style

MLA research papers have strict rules for formatting. When you finish your paper, use your word processing software to format according to these rules:

• Leave a one-inch margin around all four sides of your paper. Only your last name and page number will fall outside of this margin.
• Add a header at the top right of each page, half an inch from the top. It should include your last name followed by the page number.
• Indent the beginning of each paragraph a half inch from the margin.
• Double-space all text, including your title, headings, and works cited list.
• Use Times New Roman as your font.
• Type in 12-point font size.

Following these rules, a page of your paper should look something like this:

The first page

Your first page will differ from the rest of your report. Just below your one-inch margin, you will need to type the following:

• Your name
• Your teacher’s name
• Your course name and number
• The date you will submit your paper

Your title goes after these items of identification. The title should be centered above your body text, should appear in the same font as the rest of your paper, and should not be underlined or set off with quotation marks. See the example below.

Tables, visuals, and headings

Sometimes a graph, table, or photograph illustrates a point much better than words do. When you include tables in your work, refer to them in your text as Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, and so forth. Then place the table as close to your text as possible, label it with the appropriate table number, and type in the title above the table. Your caption and source will follow below the table in your caption.

If you refer to graphs, illustrations, or photographs, refer to them as Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc. Label and provide a caption for these as well. Place the caption for a graph, illustration, or photograph beneath the graphic, aligned with the left margin.

Headings in your paper should be set in the line above the section to which they refer. They should be aligned to the left side of the page as an unindented line, double spaced, written in plain text, the same size, text style, and font as the rest of the text—no bold font or oversized type.

Take a look at this example:

The works cited page has formatting rules of its own. Like the other pages, it is double-spaced, and the margins remain one inch. Follow the rules for all other pages, except these instances:

• Create a separate page for your works cited page.
• List citations alphabetically.
• If a citation runs over a line, indent the second line five spaces.

Here’s an example from the foreign languages paper:

Let’s return to the hip-hop paper. We’ll assume you have finished revising and editing the paper. Now, all you need to do is format it. Remember the following:

• All text should be double-spaced.
• Margins should be one inch.
• Your name and page number should be half an inch from the top on the right of each page.
• The first page should include your name, your teacher’s name, your course, and the date.
• The title should be centered above the text on the first page but should not be in a different font from the rest of the text.
• Headings should sit above the sections they reference and be in the same font as the body text.
  
• Tables and other visuals should be referenced in the text, placed close to the text, and labeled with captions.
• Quotations of more than four lines of text should be indented one inch from the margin.

Now it’s time to answer some questions about the hip-hop essay. Read the following selection, the heading and first paragraph of the essay, and answer the questions that follow.

Here is another selection from the hip-hop essay: the Works Cited page. Examine the reference entries and their formatting. Then, answer the questions that follow.