MLA: Formatting
MLA Format
Your MLA paper should be set up with the following format.
Be sure to carefully read through your assignment instructions. Some instructors may want your papers set up differently.
- Double spaced throughout
- 12 point font
- Times New Roman or Arial font (or as directed by your instructor)
- One inch margins - this is usually the default setting when you open a new document
- The beginning of each paragraph is indented - use the Tab key to indent
- Page numbers
- Header - your last name
- Assignment information in the top left corner of page one (see the example for more details)
- Title (centered)
- Works Cited page on a separate page at the end
- If you have a non-American version of Word, you will need to set the paper size to Letter. And be sure your font is set to left aligned, except for places where we specify that something should be centered.
On the first page of your paper you will include the following information in the upper left corner. Remember, it should be double-spaced.
- Your name
- Your instructor's name
- The course name
- The date
Next you will center the title of your paper.
See the example below.
Every page of your paper should include a header, which is your last name, and a page number. These are located in the upper right corner.
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