MLA Formatting Style | All You Need to Know

Are you working on your MLA research paper? Do you find the formatting rules and guidelines difficult and overwhelming? Well, this blog is perfect for you!

In this blog, you will find a detailed breakdown of different MLA rules for each section of a paper. You will also find examples that will make it easy to understand the rules and how to use them in your paper. 

So let’s get started!

General Guidelines for Formatting Papers in MLA

MLA format (full form: Modern Language Association) handbook (8th Edition) helps create consistent, professional, and clear documents. It is a commonly used citation style, in addition to the APA, Harvard, and Chicago, etc.

Here are the general rules you should follow to format your paper in MLA style:

Page and Paragraph Settings 

Here are the general rules about page and paragraph settings in MLA style:

Margins: Set uniform margins of 1 inch on all sides of your document. This creates a balanced, professional look.

Font: Opt for a readable font like Times New Roman, and stick to a standard size of 12 pt to maintain clarity and uniformity.

Line-Spacing: Double-spacing is mandatory throughout your document, including notes, quotes, and the works cited page.

Indentation: The first line of each paragraph should be indented by half an inch from the left margin, which can be easily set using the tab key.

Title, Header, and Page Numbers

Title, header, and page numbers are the first things that appear on your document. Here are the general rules for each of them:

Title:

Your title should be centered, capitalized, and in title case. It should also be positioned above the main text without underlines or italics.

Header and Page Number: 

The header in an MLA page is on the top right corner of each page with your last name followed by the page number.

Here is an MLA Format Template for a Header:

Section Headings

If your paper is lengthy, use numbered section headings to improve readability. Here is what you should remember about different section headings in MLA:

First Level Heading:

They use title cases, are centered, and are bold. Use this type of heading for major parts like Introduction, Methods, Results, etc.

Second-Level Heading:

These levels of headings are italicized and aligned to the left. They’re used for sections like the Literature Review, Data Analysis, Limitations, etc.

Third-Level Heading:

These headings are centered and bolded. They are used for detailed parts like Research Questions, Findings, etc.

Take a look at this infographic for a better understanding:

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures can help explain your points, but they shouldn’t break up the flow of your writing.

Here are some general rules you should follow:

• Title each table or figure with a clear description. Start with “Table,” add a number, and then the title.
• Place the title above the tables. Align it with the left margin, and use the same font and size as your text.
• If you’re using data from other sources, you need to credit them. Add a note below the table with the source in parentheses.
• In your text, refer to the table by its title and number to guide your readers to it.

Quotations 

When using direct quotes, you should cite them properly. Here is how you can format different quotation types. 

Short Quotes: 

For quotations that are fewer than four lines, enclose them in double quotation marks and incorporate them into the text.

Here is an example for a better understanding:

Long Quotes: 

Also known as block quotes, quotations that extend to more than four lines should be formatted as a block of text, indented one inch from the left margin.

Take a look at this example for a better understanding:

Formatting Additional Material in MLA

Here is how you can format additional materials in MLA style:

Abbreviations

In MLA style, abbreviations should be used sparingly. Common trends include:

• Uppercase letter abbreviations: No periods or spaces, except in proper names (e.g., US, MA, HTML; C. S. Lewis).
• Lowercase letter abbreviations: Use a period if the abbreviation ends in a lowercase letter (e.g., assn., conf., Eng.).
• Time Designations: Abbreviate month names longer than four letters (e.g., Jan., Feb., Mar.).
• Scholarly Abbreviations: Adhere to common scholarly abbreviations (e.g., anon. for anonymous, ch. for chapter, ed. for edition).

Numbers

Here are the rules for formatting numbers in MLA style:

• Spell out numbers that can be written in one or two words (e.g., one, thirty-six, ninety-nine).
• Use numerals for numbers that require more than two words (e.g., 101, 137, 1,256).
• Maintain consistency within the same category (e.g., in a list of ages, use all words or all numerals).

Look at the example below:

Images

When including images such as photographs, maps, or diagrams, here is what you should remember:

• Label images as ‘Fig’ (short for figure) followed by an Arabic numeral (e.g., Figure 1).
• Provide a caption with a title or description.
• Include the source of the image.

Here is an example:

Note: The image above is AI-generated

Musical Scores 

Musical scores are treated similarly to images. Here is what you should remember:

• Label musical scores as ‘Ex’ (short for example) followed by an Arabic numeral (e.g., Example 1).
• Provide a caption with the title of the musical piece.
• Include the source of the score.

Take a look at this example for a better understanding:

Lists

In MLA format, lists can be presented in two ways:

• Run-in list: Incorporated into the text with a colon leading into the list.
• Vertical list: Set off from the text with numbers or bullets, depending on the content’s hierarchy and structure.

MLA In-text Citations

Here is how you can add parenthetical citations in the text:

• Include the author’s last name and the page number from which the information is taken in parentheses.
• Place the citation at the end of the sentence, before the period.
• If there is no author, use the title of the work.
• If more than one work by the same author is cited in the text, include a shortened title for each work to distinguish them.
• Ensure the in-text citation matches the entry on the Works Cited page.

MLA Works Cited Page

Here are the general rules for citing your sources in MLA style:

• Start your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper.
• Maintain the same one-inch margins last name, and page number header as the rest of your paper.
• Title the page “Works Cited” and center it at the top. Don’t italicize or put quotation or punctuation marks around it.
• Align all citation entries with the left margin.
• Double-space all citations, but don’t add extra spaces between them.
• Use a hanging indent for lines after the first in each citation entry.
• List page numbers efficiently and use a period at the end of each citation.

Examples of Different Citations in MLA

Here are the citation examples of different types of sources in MLA:

Citing a Book:

Citing a Journal Article:

Citing a Website:

Here is an MLA format sample of a Work Cited list:

Proofreading and Editing Your Paper

Now that you know how to format and cite the material, it is important to remember the most important step before submitting your paper:

Here is how you can proofread and edit your paper:

Consistency: Check for consistent use of font, margins, and formatting as per MLA guidelines.

Grammar and Punctuation: Look for grammatical errors and proper punctuation.

Verify Citations: Verify that all in-text citations and Works Cited entries are formatted correctly.

Outside Review: Have someone else review your work for an objective assessment.

Professional Tools: Consider using online tools such as paraphrasing or content improvement tool for additional help.

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Note: All information given in this article about the MLA Style Referencing has been obtained from the official manual, that can be accessed at: https://style.mla.org/mla-handbook-ninth-edition