General MLA Guidelines

This handout explains the step-by-step process of typing a paper in MLA format using Word 2010. Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11 inch paper

  1. Before you start- Double-space the text of your paper
  1. Click on the box that has the two arrows at the top of the page
  2. A drop down menu will appear. Click on 2.0
  1. Before you start- Make sure the font of your paper is 12 pt in either Times New Roman or Arial
  1. In the Home tab, click on the arrow just to the right of the name of the font. Select the desired font from the drop down menu.
  2. To the right of the font field is the font size field. Click on the arrow, and form the drop down menu, select 12.
  1. Before you start- Set the margins of your document to

1 inch on all sides. Indent the first line of each paragraph

one half-inch (five spaces or press tab once) from the left

margin.

  1. Click on the Page Layout tab near the top

of the screen, and then click on Margins.

  1. A drop down menu will appear.

Click on the first selection, “Normal”

  1. Before you start- Create a header that includes your last name and numbers all pages consecutively in the top right-hand corner of every page of your paper
  1. Click on the Insert tab
  2. Click on the Page Number icon
  3. A drop down menu will appear. Click on Top of Page.
  4. Another drop menu will appear. Click on Plain Number 3.
  5. Type your last name and hit the space bar.
  6. Click on the X in the red box located in the upper right corner

  1. Before you start- Format the first page of your paper by adding a heading. In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name (then Enter), your instructor’s name (then Enter), the course title (then Enter), and the date (day then month then year). Again, be sure to use double-spaced text (look at the example below for what this should look like).

Here is a sample first page of an essay in MLA style:

Other Tips:

• After your heading, space again and center the title. Don’t underline your title or put it in quotation marks; write the title inTitle Case, not in all capital capital letter. When you press enter and begin your paper click on left align button to un-center your text

•Use either italics or underlining throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis.

• Use quotation marks and underlining or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text, e.g., Fear and Morality Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play

• Double space the entire document. Do not provide extra spaces between the title and the first line of the text or between paragraphs.

• To insert a page break: Click where you want to start a new page. On the Insert tab, in the Pages group, click Page Break. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Enter to insert a page break.