What is MLA format? Learn about the basic guidelines and format specifications of MLA through standard rules and examples.
Updated: 11/21/2023
MLA Format | Definition, Specifications & Examples
Table of Contents
- What is MLA
- Basic Formatting Style
- Other Reminders and Rules
- Headings and Title Page Instructions
- Header and Page Number Instructions
- In-Text Citations
- Works Cited Page
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What is proper MLA format?
Proper MLA format depends on the version required by a learning institution. At present the MLA format considered to be best is the 9th edition which went into use in April 2021.
How does one write a paper in MLA format?
For a paper to be acceptable in MLA format, the writer must adhere to the requirements listed in the 9th edition of the MLA style guide regarding a paper's: headings, in-text citations, quotations, and the works cited page.
Table of Contents
- What is MLA
- Basic Formatting Style
- Other Reminders and Rules
- Headings and Title Page Instructions
- Header and Page Number Instructions
- In-Text Citations
- Works Cited Page
- Lesson Summary
The abbreviation MLA stands for Modern Language Association. This format was created for literature and language academics to format their papers and assignments uniformly. MLA has also been adopted by other disciplines besides language and literature. MLA formatting style is a consistent method for writing papers and assignments in an easily readable way.
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Why MLA was Created
MLA format was created in the late 1800s by college teachers who wanted to inspire the learning of modern languages in America at a time when classical languages were declining. Therefore, the format was established to see if it would encourage more students to learn modern languages.
MLA Versions
Since its creation, MLA has undergone various revisions to evolve with the present-day style of writing. Currently, the format is in its 9th edition which was released on April 2021. Some institutions, depending on their preferences, still use older versions of MLA formatting. However, the latest edition is considered the best. The latest edition is a handbook with updated methods of formatting a paper or an assignment in MLA. The manual has guidelines and standards that meet the 9th edition MLA. Primarily, the MLA formatting style is an organized way of presenting papers and assignments that are precise in their citations.
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The MLA format has some unique formatting basics that identify it.
- Use 8.5 x 11-inch paper
- Use 12-point font in Times New Roman or Arial.
- Begin each paragraph with a one-half inch indentation, and double-space all sentences.
- Set margins at the top, bottom, and side to one inch.
- Put full stops at the end of every sentence, and, as is customary, begin every sentence with a capital letter.
- Binding: For hard copy assignments, it is preferable that individuals take instructions from their professors, but the commonly acceptable MLA binding involves using staples and paper binders at the top-left corner of the paper.
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The above list cites the basic rules of MLA formatting, but different tutors and professors may have their own preferred way of writing MLA papers. Therefore, it is imperative to inquire regarding the instructor's preferred way of writing and using MLA. If they have no specific preferences, it is best to follow the primary MLA formatting method.
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The title page presents the essential contents that need to be included with clear details on who is writing, to whom the paper is addressed, when it was written, and the title of the write-up.
Title Page Formatting:
- Centered
- Double-spaced
- Times New Roman font
- Font Size 12
- No page number
- The first letter of each word should be in capital letters, except articles, coordinate conjunctions, and prepositions, such as a, or, the, and, of'.'
- Contains details such as name, tutor's name, the name of the course, and the date. These names and dates should be written on separate lines.
The heading provides a basis for the subsequent headers and sections in the document. An Example of a heading written in MLA Format is as follows;
Is The World Economy Risky: An Assessment of Globalization Today
MLA Headings Formatting:
- Begin the first line 1 inch from the top-left of the paper.
- Center-aligned
- Written in 12pts font
- Double spaced above the first line of the essay or paper
- Level 1 heading should be bold, or aligned with the left margin
- Level 2 heading should be italicized or aligned with the left margin
- Level 3 heading should be centered on the page and in bold
- Level 4 heading should be italicized and centered on the page
- All headings must have content or text under them
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The requirements for header and page numbers in MLA are quite unique. An MLA paper requires that every page has a page number on the top-right of the page with the last name/surname of the student. In order to successfully accomplish this using MS Office, students need to double-tap on the top of their first page. This action will partition the page into three different sections: the header, body, and footer. On the menu bar at the top of the MS Office screen, there is an option titled "page number." Students should click on this option and chose a number that will appear at the right side of the header. Next, the student should input his or her last name/surname next to the page number.
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In order to avoid plagiarism (presenting someone else's ideas as one's own original work), writers must use citations in their essays or work. A citation is an acknowledgment by an author that they have used another person's work to build an argument or set forth a point in their research. For the in-text citations, MLA formatting prefers that the last name of the author and the page number containing the information be indicated in parentheses, for example (Author, 45). If there are more than two authors, the initials 'et al.' are used to indicate additional authors. For example, (Author et al., 56). It should be noted that these citations are put at the end of sentences, preferably in the body paragraphs of the paper rather than the introduction or conclusion. Another way of doing in-text citations is using an author(s) full names by placing it in a sentence and showing the page number in parenthesis/brackets e.g. According to Jack Robin, the world is slowly becoming a global village (29).
Quotations
MLA formatting of quotations will vary according to the length of the quotation. Short quotations (four typed lines or less) should be enclosed with double quotation marks. Then, the author's last name and page number should follow in parenthesis.
For long quotations, place the quote as a block of indented lines (each line indented) and do not include quotation marks. Then, the author's last name and the page where the block of words was taken should be indicated at the end of the block in parenthesis.
However, it is important to note that quotes should be used sparingly in a paper. The use of quotes is advised for content that needs to be stated verbatim to avoid changing the original author's meaning. However, it is advisable to paraphrase content and use quotations when it is absolutely necessary. Furthermore, block quotes can be used in a paper but should never end a paragraph. This means that they should help in explaining a point which is then explained in clear detail afterward to close the paragraph.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is the use of another person's work but in different words. It involves reading another person's work and writing it according to your understanding. This form of writing also requires citations at the end of the paraphrased sentence. To effectively cite paraphrased work, the student should indicate the author's last name and the page number from where they got the information. It is essential to note that paraphrased words do not need quotation marks. For instance:
Global warming is the increase in temperature in the Earth's climate due to human activities (Author, 58).
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The works cited page appears as the last section in a separate page(s), listing the bibliography information of sources used in the paper. This separate page should begin with the title 'Works Cited' one inch from the top in the center of the page. The Works cited page includes sources such as books, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, websites, newspapers, videos, chapters, etc. All the references must follow an alphabetical order from A to Z with the surname that starts with A being the first, and the last being the surname starting with Z. Next, the references are written with the following arrangement: Last name, Other names, (if there are other authors, then an et al.). "Title of Journal or article in Quotes." The volume, series year and page numbers then follow. For books, the author's name or names are followed by the title, publisher, and edition, and lastly, the publication date. These references should be double-spaced.
Examples:
Newspaper or Online Article - Ambia, Casy. "End of an Era." The XYZ Times, 29 September 2021, www.xyztimes.com/2021/9/29/art/. Accessed 29 September 2021.
Journal - Banks, Joly. "Economics and World Today." International Journal of XXX, vol. 50, no. 7, 2021, pp. 2-30.
Book - Clinton, May. What is Life: The Springboard of the Earth. Publisher name, 2021.
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MLA is a writing format for uniformly identifying language and literature papers. This method was developed in 1883 and has been in use since then. Other disciplines are adopting it, and it is widely used in universities and colleges. MLA is an organized way of presenting papers and assignments including citations, and, if applied appropriately, it is very presentable.
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Video Transcript
What is MLA?
MLA stands for Modern Language Association, and MLA format refers to the format the association created that is commonly used in many areas of academic writing, particularly in the humanities. In this video, we'll go over the defining aspects of MLA formatting and citation style, though it's important to note that updates are made to the style from time to time, so you should consult an updated style guide to make sure you're up to date.
First, let's start with formatting. Bear with me here if any of this seems like review; it's all in the name of being thorough and accurate. Remember that you should always consult your paper's prompt to see if your instructor requires any deviations from traditional MLA formatting. Since she's the one giving you the grade, it's important to follow her instructions above any others when it comes to your paper.
Formatting Your Paper the MLA Way
A properly-formatted MLA-style paper will be constructed as follows:
- Typed on 8.5 X 11 inch paper with 12 pt. font
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- First line of each paragraph indented one half-inch from the left margin
- Pro tip: use the tab key instead of the space bar to ensure perfect indentation
- Body text of the paper should be double spaced
- Only one space after periods or other punctuation marks
- Number all of your pages in the upper right hand corner - your page numbers should be a half inch from the top of the paper and in line with your right margin
There's some specific formatting requirements with regards to the first page of your paper that I want to cover before we move onto the rules of MLA citation. Typically, in MLA formatting, there is no title page, though of course if your instructor requests one, please be sure to follow her instructions.
Let's take a look at this sample:
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You'll notice in the upper left-hand corner of the page, I've listed my full name, the name of my instructor (I like to pretend I'm a student at Hogwarts whenever I can), my course name and number, and the date. Like the rest of your paper, this should be double spaced.
In the upper right hand corner, you'll notice my last name and the page number. Sometimes, your instructor may not want a page number on the first page, but instead want you to start numbering on page 2. Sometimes she may want you to omit your last name in the page number. If you're unsure, ask.
The title of your page should be centered and not use special formatting: no italics, bold, all caps, etc. MLA is typically light on that kind of formatting, unless you're referring to a specific publication, in which case you should italicize the publication name. I know it's fun to use italics or all caps for emphasis in email, but it's not standard practice in MLA.
Depending on the level of detail your instructor requires you to adhere to MLA formatting, you may need to consult a style guide for information on things like section headings, abbreviations, and formatting quotations. There are great style guides available for free online, but make sure they're from a reliable source (like a university) and using the most updated version of the guide.
In-Text Citations
The next defining characteristic of MLA style we're going to cover is in-text citations. In-text citations are important for ensuring that you properly credit your sources. Your instructor needs to be able to identify which parts of your paper are your own versus the work of others. Giving credit to your sources and not implying that someone else's words or ideas are yours is hugely important in academic writing.
When citing a source in your paper, you will cite in parentheses the first thing that appears in your works cited entry from your Works Cited page. More often than not, it will be an author's or authors' last name(s). If your source did not include an author, then the first part of the entry is the title of the piece, which is what will appear in parentheses in your in-text citation. You may also need to include the page number on which the information you're using can be found. This allows your instructor or any reader to find the source you used on your Works Cited page (which we'll get to in a moment) and look it up for himself, either to verify that your information is correct or get more information on the topic you've addressed in your paper.
- Pro tip: keeping track of the pages where you found pieces of information you know you'll want to use in your paper while still in the research phase will save you time when you're citing because you won't have to flip through all your sources to find the right page numbers for the information at the end of your process, which, I can tell you from experience, is frustrating.
Here are a couple of different ways that MLA in-text citations can look, depending on how you introduce your source.
- If you're mentioning the author, your parenthetical citation only needs to include the page number. For example: According to Redd, Harry Potter is a far more compelling character than Bella Swan (219).
- If you're not mentioning the author, you'll want to include both the author's last name and the page on which the information you're using was found: Harry Potter is considered by certain scholars to be a far more compelling character than Bella Swan (Redd 219). For website, magazine, or newspaper articles that do not list an author, your citation may look like this: Most people surveyed agreed that Severus Snape was the most courageous character in the series (''Fans Weigh in on Final Potter Movie'').
Of course, sometimes you'll be using a source with multiple authors, some will have no known author, and some will be a website. We're not going to cover every possible citation option here, but luckily, MLA style guides do. Make sure to consult one if you're not sure how to properly format a citation.
Works Cited Page
So, let's say someone discovers something in your paper, finds it riveting, and wants to consult the source you used to learn more. This person used your in-text citation to learn the source's name and the page on which the information you used can be found, but that's not very useful if he doesn't know the name of the publication, is it? This is where your Works Cited page comes in.
A Works Cited page contains detailed information about all of the sources you used to write your paper. An MLA Works Cited page must be carefully formatted to match MLA standards. I imagine that, at this point, you don't find that surprising. So, let's talk about what you need. Let's take a look at the sample:
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Your Works Cited page should...
- Be a separate page at the very end of your paper
- Have the same one-inch margins, double-spacing, and page number format as the rest of the paper
- List citations in alphabetical order
- Be titled 'Works Cited,' with the title centered
- This title shouldn't be bolded, italicized, or anything else of this nature
- Have 1/2 inch indentations for the 2nd (and 3rd, 4th, etc. as appropriate) lines of each citation
- It should also include the medium of publication for each entry (This means print, web, film, etc.)
- If you've used MLA citations in the past and don't remember this rule, it's because it's new as of 2009. Updates like this one are why it's important to consult a recent style guide before you begin citing. Even if you think you know MLA formatting, it's possible something has changed since your last paper.
Different sources are formatted in different ways, though for the majority of sources you'll use, you'll begin with the author's full name, with the last name appearing first. We have other videos that cover how to cite different types of sources, and, of course you can always consult an MLA style guide for more information. Are you sick of hearing me say that yet? Sorry.
Lesson Summary
If your instructor requires that you use MLA, or Modern Language Association, formatting for your paper, you'll want to pay attention to how your paper is structured in relation to margins, font size, and other specifications. You'll also need to include in-text citations to properly credit all your sources, and be sure to create a Works Cited page that contains all of the sources you used to write your paper. The MLA style guide is updated regularly, so be sure to check a guide before you begin your paper to see if any recent changes have been made.
Learning Outcomes
Following this lesson, you'll be able to:
- Identify the requirements for a properly formatted MLA-style paper
- Explain the MLA guidelines for writing in-text citations
- Create a properly formatted Works Cited page according to MLA guidelines
- Recall where you can find the MLA style guide
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MLA Format | Definition, Specifications & Examples
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