MLA FORMATTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR MICROSOFT WORD 2007

SAVING IN A SCHOOL & TURNITIN.COM COMPATIBLE FORMAT

  1. Complete this step first!
  2. Click on the Windows Symbol in the upper left hand corner
  3. Click on SAVE AS (from the pull down menu).
  4. Click on WORD 97-2003 DOCUMENT
  5. Check to make sure where you are saving the file is correct.
  6. Type your file name
  7. Click on SAVE

SETTING THE FONT TO TIMES NEW ROMAN SIZE 12

  1. HIGHLIGHT all your text that you’ve typed so far.
  2. Click on the HOME tab.
  3. In the FONT box, find the pull down menu for the font name and choose TIMES NEW ROMAN.
  4. Then next to the font name pull down menu, choose the correct size by selecting 12.

1” MARGINS

  1. Click on PAGE LAYOUT tab
  2. Click on the MARGINS icon.
  3. Choose CUSTOM MARGINS from the bottom of the menu. You will get a pop up screen.
  4. Click on the MARGINS tab.
  5. Set the TOP, RIGHT, AND LEFT margins to 1”
  6. Set the BOTTOM margin to 0.8”
  7. At the bottom of the window Apply to: Whole document.
  8. Click OK.
  9. Then click on HOME tab.
  10. Click the expand button in the lower right corner of the on PARAGRAPH box. You will get a pop up screen.
  11. Click on the LINE AND PAGE BREAKS Tab.
  12. Make sure the box for WIDOW/ORPHAN CONTROL is UNCHECKED.
  13. Click OK.

DOUBLE SPACING

  1. Highlight everything you have already typed including the Works Cited page.
  2. Click on HOME tab
  3. Click the expand button in the lower right corner of the on PARAGRAPH box. You will get a pop up screen.
  4. Click on the INDENTS AND SPACING tab.
  5. In the Spacing Section you will find line spacing, choose DOUBLE.
  6. Make sure the spacing before and after is set to 0 pt.
  7. Click OK.
  8. You will not need to add ANY extra spacing to any part of the essay, including the heading, title or paragraphs. Using this method to change your spacing will apply the correct spacing through out the essay. It should all be uniform in appearance.

TYPING YOUR HEADING

  1. Your essay must have a heading in the Upper Left Corner of the FIRST PAGE ONLY.
    Do not type your heading on the Works Cited page.
  2. Type your name.
  3. Type your teacher’s name
  4. Type English I – your class period
  5. Type the due date of your essay in this format: Day Month Year  05 September 2007

INSERTING THE HEADER

  1. Your essay must have a header in the upper right corner on every page.
  2. Click on the INSERT tab.
  3. Find the HEADER AND FOOTER box, and click on HEADER.
  4. Choose EDIT HEADER at the bottom of the pull down menu
  5. You will a line appear with a header tab at the bottom.
  6. Press the CTRLKEY plus the R KEY to go to right align. That will move the cursor in your document box to the right.
  7. Type in your last name and a space.
  8. On the HEADER AND FOOTER TOOL BAR, click on the PAGE NUMBER icon.
  9. Choose CURRENT POSITION and PLAIN NUMBER. Do not type the number, otherwise it will show the same number on every page.
  10. Make sure the header is in Times New Roman font.
  11. Click on CLOSE icon. Your header should now appear on every page with continuing page numbers.

INDENTING PARAGRAPHS

  1. HIGHLIGHT all the paragraphs. Do not include the heading, title, or Works Cited.
  2. Click on the HOME tab.
  3. Click the expand button in the lower right corner of the on PARAGRAPH box. You will get a pop up screen.
  4. Click on the INDENTS AND SPACING tab.
  5. In the Indentation section where it says “SPECIAL” you will choose FIRST LINE.
  6. Click OK.

ADDING A WORKS CITED PAGE

  1. Your essay should include a work cited page. It is a NEW PAGE IN THE SAME DOCUMENT, not a new document.
  2. After the last sentence in your essay, press the CTRL AND ENTER KEYS. A new page should appear.
  3. On the HOME tab, click on the CENTER JUSTIFY BUTTON in the Paragraph box.
  4. Type on the very first line: Works Cited
  5. Press ENTER again, then click on the LEFT JUSTIFY BUTTON in the Paragraph box.
  6. Type your work cited entries.
  7. Remember, the work cited page is indented differently. The first line will not be indented. The subsequent lines will be indented ½ inch. To do this:
  8. Highlight all the entries.
  9. Click on HOME tab.
  10. Click the expand button in the lower right corner of the on PARAGRAPH box. You will get a pop up screen.
  11. Click on the INDENTS AND SPACING tab.
  12. In the Indentation section where it says “SPECIAL” you will choose HANGING.
  13. Click OK.
  14. Make sure the Works Cited is double spaced and in Times New Roman, size 12 as well.
  15. See the next page for an example.

Sample 1

Works Cited

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