One of the quirkiest things about this particular style is how publisher names are structured on the final page of references. Certain words are abbreviated and other words are written in full.
Fig. 1. White Studio. “Houdini and Jennie, the Elephant, Performing at the Hippodrome, New York.” Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/96518833/.
The Modern Language Association released the 8th and most current edition of their MLA Handbook in April 2016. The Handbook provides thorough instructions on citing, as well as guidelines for submitting work that adheres to the Modern Language Association’s rules and standards. Although we’re not affiliated with the MLA, our citation specialists bring you this thoughtful and informative guide on the format.
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind in relation to punctuation marks.
Abbreviating Titles
While many professors, instructors, and publications allow electronic submission, some prefer printed, hard copies of papers. This section focuses on the type of paper to use for printed submission.
- Place a colon between the introductory sentence and the list.
- There are also times when a colon is not included.
- Do not place a colon before the first list item if the list is part of the sentence.
The use of a 12-point font size is recommended as this is the default size for many word processing programs. It is acceptable to use another standard size, such as 11-point or 11.5-point.
Most research papers use a standard MLA format heading, like the one seen above. If your instructor requires you to create a standalone title page, ask him or her for specifications. MLA does not have specific instructions for developing an MLA title page. We recommend you use an MLA header for your project.
Headings and subheadings can help organize and provide structure to your paper, especially in longer assignments. There are no set formatting requirements for headings in MLA – the only rules are that you must be consistent and not add a period after the heading.
Tables are usually labelled and numbered, along with a descriptive title. The label and title are placed above the table on separate lines. Source references or explanatory notes are placed below the table and are assigned a lowercase letter instead of a numeral.
The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time.
If a reference entry is longer than one line, each line after the first should be indented ½ inch (called a hanging indent). All entries are double spaced, just like the rest of the text.
Creating MLA Style citations
(To use the Google Docs template, copy the file to your Drive by clicking on ‘file’ > ‘Make a copy’)
MLA recommends using 12 point Times New Roman since it’s easy to read and installed on every computer. Other standard fonts such as Arial or Georgia are also acceptable. If in doubt, check with your supervisor which font you should be using.
- Your full name
- Your instructor’s or supervisor’s name
- The course name or number
- The due date of the assignment
At the top of every page, including the first page, you need to include your last name and the page number. Follow these steps to set up the MLA header in your Word or Google Docs document:
Tables, illustrations, and other visuals should be placed as close to the relevant part of text as possible. MLA also provides formatting guidelines.
The list of works cited is included on a separate page at the end of your paper. You list all sources you referenced in your paper in alphabetical order. Don’t include sources that were only consulted.
Headings and subheadings can help organize and provide structure to your paper, especially in longer assignments. There are no set formatting requirements for headings in MLA – the only rules are that you must be consistent and not add a period after the heading.
After the MLA heading, press ENTER once and type your paper title. Center the title and don’t forget to apply title case capitalization. Read our article on writing strong titles that are informative, striking and appropriate.
Tables and illustrations
At the top of every page, including the first page, you need to include your last name and the page number. Follow these steps to set up the MLA header in your Word or Google Docs document:
Just like in the rest of the paper, the text is double spaced and you should use title case capitalization for the title.
If a reference entry is longer than one line, each line after the first should be indented ½ inch (called a hanging indent). All entries are double spaced, just like the rest of the text.
Tip: Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word allow you to create heading levels which help you to keep your headings consistent.
The MLA Works Cited page or MLA Bibliography includes the full reference information for the material that you have quoted or paraphrased. It follows the same format as the rest of your paper – margins, font, double spacing. The centered title at the top of the page should simply state, Works Cited. For items in the list that are longer than one line, use a hanging indent, that is, indent the second line. Alphabetize the entries by authors’ names, not by the order that they appeared in the text.
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If you are quoting an article that does not include the author’s name, use the title of the article and the page number, for example, (“Politicians and Philanthropy” 45). Long titles can be shortened, with the full title appearing in the Works Cited listing. MLA style calls for quotation marks around titles of shorter works, such as articles, and italic type for books, movies and other longer works.
You now have the basic framework in place for your MLA research paper format, so let’s move on to getting your thoughts on paper and ensuring others’ words are attributed accurately. Generally, quotes are identified by basic notations in the text of the paper with a more complete reference following in the works cited section.
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MLA title page rules are actually very simple. MLA paper format does not make use of a cover page, but instructs authors to include a title block on the first page of the paper in the upper left corner. This MLA first page information follows the MLA research paper example that we already set up – font size, double spacing, etc. The title block contains four lines: your name, the professor’s name, course title and the date. Following that, the next line is the title of your paper, centered on the page, using standard rules for capitalizing titles. And directly below the title is where your paper begins.
Ascher, Kate. The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper. New York: Penguin Press, 2011. Print.
MLA paper citation is important because you must give proper credit to other authors and their ideas. MLA in-text citation includes notations in the text of your essay, with more complete reference information included later in the MLA Works Cited section.
A basic book listing on your MLA Works Cited page is arranged as follows: author’s name (last name, first name)
Example: David Lloyd George characterized Lord Kitchener as a a controversial figure who was admired as “a legend of the British empire, to whom the Orient added its greatness”, but at the same time as a man whose “brain has dried out under the hot sun of the desert” (15
All books, periodicals, electronic sources, etc. in cited within the MLA essay format must be arranged in alphabetical order by the last name of the author. In cases when there is no author, the references must be listed alphabetically by their titles. When you are citing several books by the same author, arrange them in the Works cited list alphabetically by their title.
Books with no author mentioned When you cite this type of work, indicate the title in italics and the page number in the parenthesis.
Referencing on-line sources in MLA style
MLA In-Text Citations Format
Following this MLA template you may easily accustom your paper to MLA format requirements. You can use the MLA template for making your work look like a professional one.
Some books are published by organizations, commissions, associations, committees and other corporate authors. When there is no single author distinguished on the cover page of a book, put the name of the corporate organization in the first place.
Example: Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. A Guide to the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University. Ithaca, NY: Cornell U, 1973. Print.
A madness ate into all the Army, and they turned against their officers. That was the first evil, but not past remedy if they had then held their hands. But they chose to kill the Sahibs’ wives and children. Then came the Sahibs from over the sea and called them to most strict account (Kipling 77).