Category : Essay Formatting en | Sub Category : Formatting MLA Essays Posted on 2023-07-07 21:24:53
When writing essays in MLA format, it is important to follow specific guidelines to ensure your work is properly formatted and structured. MLA stands for Modern Language Association, and their style is widely used in academic writing, particularly in the humanities.
Here are some key points to remember when formatting MLA essays:
1. **Margins**: Set your margins to 1 inch on all sides of the paper.
2. **Font**: Use a legible font like Times New Roman in 12-point size.
3. **Spacing**: Double-space your entire essay, including the Works Cited page.
4. **Header**: Include a header on the top right corner of each page with your last name and the page number.
5. **Title**: Center the title of your essay at the top of the first page. Do not bold, italicize, or underline the title.
6. **Indentation**: Indent the first line of each paragraph by half an inch.
7. **Works Cited**: List all sources used in your essay on a separate page titled "Works Cited." Entries should be alphabetized and formatted according to MLA guidelines.
8. **In-text Citations**: Whenever you use information from a source, include an in-text citation that corresponds to the full citation in the Works Cited page.
9. **Quotations**: Use quotation marks for direct quotes and include the author's last name and page number in parentheses after the quote.
10. **Punctuation**: Use MLA style punctuation and abbreviations, such as the use of a comma before the conjunction in a series (e.g., apples, oranges, and bananas).
By following these formatting guidelines, you can ensure that your MLA essay is well-organized, professional, and easy to read. Remember to always check the most recent edition of the MLA Handbook for any updates or changes to the formatting rules.