If your instructor is asking you to submit your research essay in MLA format and you are not sure how then this article will take you through a step by step process. This will enable you to understand the formatting and WRITE an MLA format essay. This format is helpful for a good thesis or a short research paper or quotations in your essay.
But if you looking for an answer to the question of “what are the best essay writing services?” we recommend you visiting Omnipapers.com.
WHAT IS MLA STYLE?
In short, MLA format is as below:
DOCUMENT SET UP
Margins – 1 inch
12 point
Double spacing
PAGE HEADER
To the upper right of each page, the respective page number of your last name should be displayed.
TITLE BLOCK
Gives a suitable title and information regarding the assignment.
CITATIONS
Page number and the author should have no commas between them while outside inline quotes can have periods and commas.
LIST OF CITED WORKS
Alphabetically list by author and other details.
STEP BY STEP MLA FORMAT FOR YOUR ESSAY
STEP 1 – DOCUMENT SET UP
Adjust your default setting of your word document to MLA style.
Example:
Margins of 1 inch all around with Layout/Margins/Normal.
Height to 2.0 line or double space the entire document, including works, cited listing, and the title block.
Home/line spacing-No additional spacing between bibliography items, paragraphs, and after typing the title.
Home/Font Face-Typeface to Times New Roman and 12-point.
Home/Font Size- Font size to 12.
STEP 2 – PAGE HEADER
Make use of the page header function to add your last name and default page number to the top right of each document page.
Steps to be followed:
1. Go to Insert/Page number/Top of page/Plain number (right-justified or Aligned to the right)
2. Add in your last name where the cursor is placed blinking.
3. To exit, you can click on the paper body.
STEP 3 – TITLE BLOCK
Type the name of your instructor, your name, current date, course section, and number on the upper left corner of the document. Add in a suitable title of the essay in the next line and justify it to the center. This title should be informative to the reader of the core point of the essay. An informative title block includes your exact opinion on the given topic. It is used once in the body of the essay.
Steps to be followed:
The title block is set to double spacing.
The font of the title is the same, all along with the essay. It is not enlarged or boldfaced.
No additional space below or above this title.
STEP 4 – CITATIONS
Citations of reference sources establish that your essay has no plagiarism, is authorized by you, and to introduce evidence of the information to prove the point in your essay. Citation of a source is at 2 phases. It has to be with a paper body, referred to as in-text source citation in the first phase. In the second phase, it is given on a different document page after the ending of the paper.
A BLOCKQUOTE CITATION SHOULD NOT BE OVER 3 LINES.
TO QUOTE THE REASON OF A PASSAGE:
1. Select Increase Indent after selecting the whole text.
2. Parenthetical citation is done post the period, implies the inclusion of page number, and the name of the author without any commas in between.
INLINE QUOTE CITATION
Inline style is used when you quote a passage below 3 lines.
THE INLINE QUOTE IS CITED AS:
A parenthetical citation that comes outside the quote.
Ending of the sentence with a period that is placed after the parenthesis closure.
PARAPHRASE CITATION
1. This citation is done for a variation.
2. It can be used for passing a reference with no excessive space.
3. Rephrase an author’s idea for citation.
LIST OF CITED WORKS
Full bibliographical information on each cited source has to be listed at the end of your essay.
Steps to be followed:
Insert/page break/new page
Begin a new document page.
Works Cited is the title.
No additional spaces below and above the page title.
No special rules for formatting.
INDIVIDUAL WORKS CITATION
Citation entry is based on the source.
FOR A BOOK
FORMAT
Author-Source Title-contributors, volume, container, issue, volume, date, version, location, date, publisher, and issue.
1. Last name of the author and reverse the names if more than one author for the cited book.
2. For more than two, end it with al or others.
3. The author’s name is followed by a period and then the book title in italic.
For a webpage-full URL is not mandatory, you can consider URL shortening.
ORGANIZING THE WORKS CITED
Organized the citations alphabetically.
CONCLUSION
MLA format is convenient and easy to understand. The format has certain specifications that have to be followed to generate an MLA format. By following the above-mentioned step by step guidelines, it’s a sure win for your essay.
