MLA Format – The Basics

Center for Academic Excellence

Very basically, the Modern Language Association (MLA) has prescribed a standard way of laying out text on the page. This format provides scholars in the Humanities with a simple, neat, and effective way of presenting information and of communicating ideas. It may, in the beginning, seem irritating to learn the format, but the reality is that most disciplines adopt a style, and conformity—at least at the college level—is required.

Styles Used by Various Disciplines

HumanitiesModern Language Association Manual of Style (MLA)

SciencesPublication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)

JournalismChicago Manual of Style

Here are the basics for setting up a document in MLA Style:

• First, set up the margins to 1” all the way around.

• Second, change the font to Times New Roman.

• Third, change the font size to 12-point.

• Fourth, change the spacing to double.

• Fifth, insert a page number in the header and type your last name in front of it.

Sample First Page in MLA Style:

Brown 1

Sarah Brown

Professor Spalding

ENG 110A

29 September 2007

Memoir: A Night to Remember

The moon was full, as I recall, casting long, blue

shadows against the wall. As we wound our way through

the streets, small, bright orange pumpkins clasped in our

hands, I had the eerie sense that we were being followed . . .

1” 1”

1” ½”

Please note that the header, which is left justified, is set up in a very specific order:

(1) Your name(2) Your professor’s name(3) Your class name and section(4) The date

Note: You may not vary or approximate this order. It is what it is.

Sarah Brown

Professor Spalding

ENG 110A

29 September 2007

Just a word about the Professor’s name:

In general, you ought to write the title out in full, i.e., Professor Spalding. If you are tempted to abbreviate and use Prof., then there are a number of MLA rules to keep in mind. It is only proper to use the term Prof. if you are including the Professor’s first name. Hence, Prof. Mark Spalding is acceptable, whereas Prof. Spalding is incorrect. This is true of most professional titles, i.e., Doctor Watson, but Dr. Jonathan Watson, etc.

Note, please, that the date is set up in a very specific way:

(a) the day

(b) the month

(c) the year

You may not vary this structure. It is not optional. It may not be abbreviated or rearranged according to your preferences.

September 29, 2007

29 Sep 2007

Sep 29, 2007

29/9/07

9/29/07

With no punctuation.

These are non-standard formats and are unacceptable in an MLA paper.

29 September 2007

A Note On The Title:

All MLA-style essays require a title. Note that the title is centered. It should not be in block capitals, italicized, bolded, in quotation marks, or underlined. All major words should begin with a capital letter.

Every essay requires a title.

Be aware, too, that there is no other spacing in MLA Format besides double spacing.

I repeat, there is no other spacing in MLA Format besides DOUBLE SPACING.

And for those of you who may be a little hard of hearing, I will reiterate for a third time:

THERE IS NO OTHER SPACING IN MLA FORMAT BESIDES DOUBLE SPACING.

None

No single spacing.

No triple spacing.

No quadruple spacing.

DOUBLE SPACING ONLY

If you can master the basics of setting up your page in MLA style, you will be well on the way toward understanding the MLA system.

Brown 1

Sarah Brown

Professor Spalding

ENG 110A

29 September 2007

Memoir: A Night to Remember

The moon was full, as I recall, casting long, blue

shadows against the wall. As we wound our way through

the streets, small, bright orange pumpkins clasped in our

hands, I had the eerie sense that we were being followed.

What made me believe this, besides a cold, prickling sen-

sation in my spine, and a distinct sense of unease, I may . . .

And finally, a note on professors who require variations on MLA Style:

• Periodically, you will run across professors who insist on minor variations from MLA Style.

• Humor them.

• If they want a cover page, give them their cover page.

• If they want the title in block capitals, give them their block capitals.

• Remember, the professor is the one who will give you your grade.

• That said, please observe the following rule of thumb:

When the monkey wants peanuts, give it PEANUTS!

PowerPoint Presentation by Mark A. Spalding, BA, MEd, MA, 2007.

The End