Citing Sources, With Link to Chicago, DO NOT USE: Formatting your paper in MLA style

Papers written in MLA format have the following recommended features:

NOTE: Always check with your instructor to see if they have any special instructions of their own.

GENERAL FORMATTING

• One inch margins at top, bottom, and sides of paper
• Use double-spacing throughout the paper, including quotations, notes, and Works Cited page.
• In Microsoft Word:  Select all text > click Home tab > in Paragraph box, click Line Spacing icon > select 2.0
• One space (instead of two) after each period

HEADING AND TITLE

• No separate title page is necessary
• Include your name, instructors name, course number, and date in top left corner of first page, double-spaced and on separate lines
• Center the title.  Do not italicize, underline, or bold the title.

PAGE NUMBERS

• Add your last name + page number in the upper right-hand corner of each page
• In Microsoft Word, go to Insert > Page Number (in Header & Footer) > Top of page > select top right corner
• Double-click on the page number to insert your last name before the number.  This automatically adds it to all the pages throughout your paper.

TABLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS

• Add tables and illustrations as close as possible to the part of your paper where you discuss them
• Tables are labeled Table.  Images, maps, drawings, graphs, and charts should be labeled Figure.  If using multiple tables or charts, include a number for each table or chart (e.g. Table 1, Table 2).
• Include the source of the table or figure below it, in MLA style.

Sample heading for a paper in MLA format:

See more sample papers:

Sample MLA paper from OWL (PDF)
Sample MLA paper from Diana Hacker (PDF)