MLA at a Glance

Follow these guidelines for all final drafts of writing assignments. (If you type a rough draft, you should get in the habit of following these guidelines from the start of your typing.)

Margins: 1 inch (top, bottom, right, left)

Spacing: double space throughout, including the paper heading

Font: Times New Roman

Type size: 12

Page numbers: flush right, ½ inch down from the top of the page, author’s last name precedes
page number (i.e., Richardson 1)

Heading: align left
         Line 1: Author’s name (first and last)          Jane Richardson
         Line 2: Instructor’s name                            Mrs. Stoner
         Line 3: Course name                                  Honors English 1
         Line 4: Date – military style                        10 Nov. 2010

Title of paper: center on next line after end of heading -- no underlining, bold type, or different font; italics and quotation marks only used for titles of works that are part of the paper’s title

EXAMPLE PAGE BEGINNING – THE MARGINS IN THE SAMPLE BELOW BELOW DO NOT REPRESENT MLA FORMAT.

Richardson 1

Jane Richardson

Mrs. Stoner

Honors English 1

10 Nov. 2010

Sample Page Essay Title
Beginning of text of paper