How To Set Up Mla Format On Microsoft Word

MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Complimentary Template

Published on Dec 11, 2022 by Raimo Streefkerk. Revised on June 16, 2022 by Jack Caulfield.

The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This quick guide volition help you set up your MLA format paper in no fourth dimension.

Start past applying these MLA format guidelines to your document:

• Times New Roman 12
• 1″ page margins
• Double line spacing
• ½" indent for new paragraphs
• Title case capitalization for headings

Download Word templateOpen Google Docs template

(To use the Google Docs template, copy the file to your Drive by clicking on 'file' > 'Brand a re-create')

How to set MLA format in Google Docs

Header and title

The header in MLA format is left-aligned on the outset folio of your paper. It includes

• Your total name
• Your instructor'south or supervisor's name
• The course proper name or number
• The due date of the assignment

Subsequently the MLA header, press ENTER in one case and type your paper title. Center the title and don't forget to apply championship-case capitalization. Read our article on writing strong titles that are informative, striking and appropriate.

For a paper with multiple authors, it'due south amend to use a dissever title folio instead.

Running head

At the top of every page, including the offset folio, you need to include your last name and the page number. This is called the "running head." Follow these steps to fix the MLA running head in your Give-and-take or Google Docs document:

1. Double-click at the top of a page
2. Type your last proper name
3. Insert automatic page numbering
4. Align the content to the correct

The running caput should expect similar this:

Works Cited folio

The Works Cited list is included on a split folio at the end of your paper. You list all the sources you referenced in your newspaper in alphabetical order. Don't include sources that weren't cited in the paper, except potentially in an MLA annotated bibliography consignment.

Place the title "Works Cited" in the middle at the height of the page. Subsequently the title, printing ENTER in one case and insert your MLA references.

If a reference entry is longer than one line, each line after the first should exist indented ½ inch (called a hanging indent). All entries are double spaced, but like the rest of the text.

Creating MLA Style citations

Scribbr's gratis MLA Citation Generator tin help you cite your sources in MLA Style. All y'all demand is the website URL, book ISBN, or journal article DOI, and the commendation generator does the rest.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

The Scribbr Commendation Generator will automatically create a flawless MLA commendation
or cite manually

The Scribbr Citation Generator will automatically create a flawless MLA commendation
or cite manually

The Scribbr Citation Generator will automatically create a flawless MLA citation
or cite manually

The Scribbr Commendation Generator volition automatically create a flawless MLA citation
or cite manually

The Scribbr Citation Generator will automatically create a flawless MLA citation
or cite manually

The Scribbr Citation Generator will automatically create a flawless MLA citation
or cite manually

The Scribbr Citation Generator will automatically create a flawless MLA commendation
or cite manually

The Scribbr Citation Generator will automatically create a flawless MLA citation
or cite manually

Prefer to cite your sources manually? Use the interactive example beneath to see what the Works Cited entry and MLA in-text citation wait similar for unlike source types.

Headings and subheadings

Headings and subheadings are not mandatory, but they can assist you organize and structure your paper, particularly in longer assignments.

MLA has only a few formatting requirements for headings. They should

• Be written in title instance
• Exist left-aligned
• Not finish in a period

We recommend keeping the font and size the same as the body text and applying title case capitalization. In full general, boldface indicates greater prominence, while italics are appropriate for subordinate headings.

Instance heading styles

Chapter Title

Department Heading

Subheading

Tip: Both Google Docs and Microsoft Discussion allow you lot to create heading levels that assist yous to continue your headings consequent.

Tables and figures

Tables and other illustrations (referred to equally "figures") should be placed every bit close to the relevant role of text as possible. MLA also provides guidelines for presenting them.

MLA format for tables

Tables are labeled and numbered, along with a descriptive championship. The label and title are placed above the table on separate lines; the characterization and number appear in bold.

A caption providing information almost the source appears below the table; you don't need ane if the tabular array is your own work.

Beneath this, whatsoever explanatory notes appear, marked on the relevant part of the table with a superscript alphabetic character. The first line of each note is indented; your give-and-take processor should use this formatting automatically.

Just like in the residuum of the paper, the text is double spaced and you should use championship case capitalization for the title (but not for the explanation or notes).

MLA format for figures

Figures (any image included in your paper that isn't a tabular array) are likewise labeled and numbered, but here, this is integrated into the caption below the image. The caption in this case is also centered.

The label "Figure" is abbreviated to "Fig." and followed past the figure number and a period. The rest of the caption gives either full source information, or (as in the example here) just basic descriptive information about the image (writer, title, publication year).

Source information in table and effigy captions

If the caption of your tabular array or effigy includes full source information and that source is not otherwise cited in the text, you don't need to include it in your Works Cited listing.

Give full source data in a caption in the same format every bit you would in the Works Cited listing, only without inverting the writer proper name (i.e. John Smith, not Smith, John).

Only if the explanation merely gives bones information (like the figure example above), yous do need to include a Works Cited entry for that source. In this example, make sure the caption contains at to the lowest degree enough information—author and (abbreviated) title—to betoken the reader to the relevant Works Cited entry.

Oftentimes asked questions near MLA format

What font and size is used in MLA format?

MLA recommends using 12-betoken Times New Roman, since it's easy to read and installed on every computer. Other standard fonts such as Arial or Georgia are likewise acceptable. If in doubt, cheque with your supervisor which font you should be using.

Do I demand a title page for my MLA paper?

Usually, no title folio is needed in an MLA paper. A header is mostly included at the peak of the kickoff folio instead. The exceptions are when:

• Your teacher requires one, or
• Your newspaper is a group project

In those cases, y'all should use a title page instead of a header, list the same information but on a separate page.

Is this commodity helpful?

You take already voted. Thanks :-) Your vote is saved :-) Processing your vote...

Source: https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/

Share this post