how to write an essay with mla style

Includes how to add your name and the page number in the top right corner, spacing, margins, how to alphabetize your list of works cited, and how to.
Jerz > Writing > Academic > 0.1) If you’ve been asked to submit a paper in MLA style, your instructor is asking you to format the page and present the content in a specific way. Just as football referees dress a certain way, and Japanese chefs cook a certain way, writers in certain disciplines follow a certain set of conventions. This document will show you how to format an essay in MLA style. 0.2) If, instead of questions about putting the final formatting touches on your essay, you have questions about what to write, see instead my handouts on writing a short research paper, coming up with a good thesis statement, and using quotations in the body of your paper. 0.3) On this page: Document Settings (1 inch margins; double spaced; 12-point) Page Header (name and page number, upper right of every page) Title Block (assignment info and an informative title) Citations (no comma between the author and page number; commas and periods go outside of inline quotes) Works Cited List (lots of tricky details! sort alphabetically by author, not by the order the quotes appear in your paper) For the most complete information, check your campus library or writing center for the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th ed. How to format the first page of an MLA style paper. How to format the Works Cited page of an MLA style paper. 1. Document Settings Your word processor comes with default settings (margin, line height, paragraph spacing, and typeface) that will likely need adjustment. For MLA style, you need: 1-inch margins all around 2.0 line height (double-spaced) no extra spacing after paragraphs 12-point typeface (usually Times New Roman) (Jump directly to instructions for adjusting MS-Word settings in Windows or Mac; or, skip ahead to 2) Page Header.) 1.1 Adjusting Document Settings in MS-Word (Windows) My copy of Microsoft Word for Windows defaults to 1-inch margins.
The Modern Language Association (MLA) specifies a standard format for essays and research papers written in an academic setting: One-inch page margins. Double-spaced paragraphs A header with author's last name and page number one-half inch from the top of each page. Name of author, name of professor, title of course, date of paper on the first page of the paper. A works cited page beginning on a separate page at the end of the paper. Follow the steps below to format your essay or research paper according to MLA whenever you use Microsoft Word. Before you begin, however, make sure that you can see the Standard and Formatting toobars displayed on two rows on your screen. Note: If you are writing a research paper in the MLA format that includes a title page and an outline page or pages before the body of the paper, you can download a template and substitute your information on the title, outline pages, and first page of the body of the paper. This template includes no page number on the title page, lower case Roman numerals beginning with page i on the outline pages, and Arabic numerals beginning with page 1 on the first page of the body of the paper. Download Research Paper Template in Word 2003 To set the margins, select File and Page Setup from the Menu Bar:From the Page Format dialog box, set each margin at 1 inch by entering the number or using the up or down arrows beside each margin setting. Then click OK, as shown below. From the Menu Bar, select Format and Paragraph: Make sure to select the Indents and Spacing tab, as shown below. Under Line Spacing, select Double. Click OK. MLA format requires a header in the upper right-hand corner of each page set at 1/2 from the top of the page with the author's last name and a page number. To create the header and set automatic page numbering select View and then Header and Footer from the Menu Bar: The header will appear.
If you are preparing an essay or research paper for college, the chances are high that you are going to need a few tips on writing an essay MLA style. More often than not, when you get on the college level, there are two writing styles in which professors are looking for, they are APA (American Psychological Association) style or MLA (Modern Language Association) style. The differences are varied. MLA style is commonly used in many colleges throughout the U.S., so learning the style and tips on writing in MLA style will serve you well throughout your college education.Guidelines of MLA StyleThe MLA essay format meets the standard layout guidelines as set forth by the Modern Language Association.General FormattingSet your default font as Times New Roman, 12 point.Set the margins of your paper to one inch on each sideOnly use one space after periodsIndent the first lines of each of your paragraphs exactly one half-inch from the edge of the left margin. When doing your indents, use the tab key instead of using the space bar.Double space throughout your essay.Titles, Citations, Page NumbersItalicize titles for emphasis.Endnotes should be listed on a separate page, directly before your bibliography or works cited page.You need not make a title page unless your professor requests it.On the first page of your essay you should type your name in the upper left corner of the page.On the line directly below your name, type in your professor’s name and below that you should type the name of the course, and finally below that you should write the date in which you are typing up the material.In the upper right corner you are going to insert your page numbers, making sure your last name is on the left side of the page numbers. (Jones - 2)Center the title of your essay on the line below the date.Use italics to emphasize any titles of longer works that you are referencing.If you have.
The Modern Language Association (MLA) specifies a standard format for essays and research papers written in an academic setting: One-inch page margins. Double-spaced paragraphs. A header with author's last name and page number aligned on the right margin one-half inch from the top of each page. Name of author, name of professor, title of course, date of paper on the first page of the paper. Citations to borrowed information in parentheses in the body of the paper and a works cited page beginning on a separate page at the end of the paper whenever the paper includes summaries, paraphrases, or quotations from other sources. Follow the steps below to format your essay or research paper whenever you use Microsoft Word 2007. Note: If you are writing a research paper in the MLA format that includes a title page and an outline page or pages before the body of the paper, you can download a template and substitute your information on the title, outline pages, and first page of the body of the paper. This template includes no page number on the title page, lower case Roman numerals beginning with page i on the outline pages, and Arabic numerals beginning with page 1 on the first page of the body of the paper. Download Research Paper Template in Word 2007 When you open MS Word 2007, you will be looking at the the Home group of commands displayed below the MS Word 2007 Ribbon. Usually the Normal style in the MS Word 2007 program has been set with page margins of 1 inch top, bottom, left, and right. If those margins have been changed in your program, select the Page Layout tab from the ribbon at the top of Microsoft Word 2007 and then click Margins in the Page Setup group:From the Page Setup dialog box, set each margin at 1 inch by entering the number or using the up or down arrows beside each margin setting. Then click OK, as shown below. From the Home tab, in the Styles group.