Below this, any explanatory notes appear, marked on the relevant part of the table with a superscript letter. The first line of each note is indented; your word processor should apply this formatting automatically. Just like in the rest of the paper, the text is double spaced and you should use title case capitalization for the title but not for the caption or notes. The caption in this case is also centered. The rest of the caption gives either full source information, or as in the example here just basic descriptive information about the image author, title, publication year. Give full source information in a caption in the same format as you would in the Works Cited list, but without inverting the author name i. John Smith, not Smith, John. But if the caption just gives basic information like the figure example above , you do need to include a Works Cited entry for that source.

In this case, make sure the caption contains at least enough information—author and abbreviated title—to point the reader to the relevant Works Cited entry. Frequently asked questions about MLA format What font and size is used in MLA format? Other standard fonts such as Arial or Georgia are also acceptable. If in doubt, check with your supervisor which font you should be using. The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:. Search by book title, page URL or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms. This quick guide to MLA style explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA. Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper. A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead.

The exceptions are when:. In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page. Streefkerk, R. Generate accurate MLA citations for free Webpage Book Video Journal article Online new article. Home Knowledge Base MLA Style MLA format for academic papers and essays. Webpage Book Video Journal article Online new article. Chapter Title Section Heading Subheading. Manage Settings Continue with Recommended Cookies. Extra spaces between paragraphs are not permitted. Align Left: Your essay's text should be aligned equally at the left margin but not at the right margin. Therefore, if you want to create a more balanced view of the world, you should include both left- and right-aligning examples.

In addition, do not use extra spacing to align text with the margins of your paper. Even if that makes sense in terms of grammar, it is unnecessary spacing and should be avoided. Use quotation marks or italics instead. Finally, make sure that your text isn't so long that it needs to be broken into different paragraphs. Usually, paragraphs should be at least three lines of text combined together. If they're not, then they may need to be separated by blank lines or pages breaks. Unless otherwise instructed by your program, all text in the essay should be double-spaced p. Start each line of text from the left margin, except for the first line of each paragraph. The aim of this rule is to create an impression of continuity on the reader's mind when reading the essay.

It also helps the reader follow the argument easily while reading the essay. There are two ways of writing a paragraph: smoothly and abruptly. The first method uses punctuation appropriately and gives the reader a clear idea about what is being said within the paragraph. The second method uses no punctuation at all and therefore has a very abrupt ending, which makes it difficult for the reader to follow or understand the main idea of the paragraph. It is important to use punctuation correctly because it gives the reader a clear understanding of what is being said without getting distracted by unnecessary words.

For example, if there was no comma after the word but, then it would mean that everything after this point is optional. This could cause confusion as well as interrupt the flow of the essay altogether! Punctuation is used to give clarity to your ideas and help the reader follow the flow of the argument in your essay. In each paragraph, indent the first line by one-half inch from the left margin. MLA suggests that you use the "Tab" key instead of pressing the space bar five times. Use your best judgment to determine how much space to leave before typing the first word on a new line. The entire paper is precisely double-spaced in MLA.

Simply enable double-spacing for formatting, and never disable it once you begin typing. As a result, there is no additional spacing between paragraphs other than the standard double-space. There are no triple spaces. No indentation of any kind. Just type away! Font Times New Roman 12 black font. Do not use bold or underlining. Do not use all caps except for an abbreviations such as NATO, AIDS. Do not use italics unless there is a rule that says to use italics. Check default and reset default if necessary. Your instructor may accept a different font style: however, Times New Roman 12 Black is a standard setting in school and business.

Alignment Left align — this is the usual default setting. Do not block or justify where the right margin is even. Alignment can be set in the Paragraph box if the icon is not visible. See Related Documents on right sidebar for an image of alignment settings. Line Spacing Double space — and only double space throughout, even after the heading and around the title, if any. Check default settings in the Paragraph box and reset per instructions under Paragraph Settings below. Paragraph Settings Some programs such have defaults in the Paragraph box which interfere with proper double spacing. The settings in the Paragraph dialogue box should be as follows to have proper double spacing. Indentation on top should be set at 0 left and 0 right.

Spacing on the lower left should be set to 0 Before and 0 After. Line Spacing on the lower right should be set to double. The Tab default is usually at this setting. If not, reset defaults. Spacing after a period or other end punctuation Unless your instructor advises otherwise, you may use one or two spaces after a period as long as the use is consistent. Title Page If the instructor asks for a title page, prepare the title page as per the assignment instructions. Do not use a head ing on the first page if a title page is required.

Header Create a header in the upper right corner using the Header tool with your last name and page number. Do not choose any option with lines, boxes, or other font or color. Delete Type text Click Home and align right. Your cursor should be on the right side. Type in your last name only. Then hit the space bar once. This will put a space between your last name and page number. Do not manually type in the page number. Do not use the word page or any abbreviation of the word such a pg. between your last name and the actual page number: Jones 2.

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If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. Manage Settings Continue with Recommended Cookies. MLA style needs one-inch margins on both sides of your paper. That indicates there is one inch of space between the text and the paper's edge. MLA style also dictates that all papers be double-spaced. Look in the "Paragraph" section of your "Format" menu to set spacing. You can also go into your Editor program and change this setting. For example, if you were to type a short letter and then press the space bar , the following lines would appear: "This is a test. There should be an indent after each paragraph as well.

This tells the reader that he or she is now entering a new thought or idea. To create a blank line in Microsoft Word, simply hit the return key twice after typing the last sentence of a paragraph. It is important not to include any spaces or tabs here because they will cause errors when formatting your document later. To create a blank line in Google Docs, just click the "Enter" symbol at the end of a paragraph. This will automatically insert a blank line below the paragraph. To insert a blank line in other programs such as Apple Pages, use the "Insert" tab and select the "Blank Line" option.

MLA Formatting Guidelines in General Your document should be in point font. MLA demands that ordinary and italicized text be plainly identifiable from one another, regardless of typeface. Your paper's text should be double-spaced. This means every line of text should be set with a space between each letter or word. Punctuation such as commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points should be placed at the end of each sentence. In general, use only single punctuation within sentences. When writing in MLA style, it is important to follow certain conventions. One of these conventions is separating quotations with quotation marks.

Another is spelling words in titles, headings, and footnotes. Yet another is dividing long passages into shorter segments by inserting page numbers for each section of your paper. Although this may seem like a lot of work, following these guidelines will ensure that your essay reads smoothly and accurately. If you are having trouble deciding how much space to leave before typing the next sentence, try using the "rule of thumb" method: If you were to read this sentence now, would you know where to stop reading? If not, the answer is too much distance between sentences. Reduce the space accordingly. Margins on Pages The MLA Handbook recommends setting your work's margins to one inch, which means leaving one inch of space between the text and the edge of the paper.

The default margin size in Microsoft Word is one inch, while some word processing systems set it to 1. Set your document's margins to 1 inch if you want 8-point type at a normal size page. If you reduce your document to a smaller size by using the View menu or clicking the down arrow next to the Page Number box , the margins will be reduced too. For older versions of Word, you can set the left and right margins separately by typing the amount you want in the margin area. MLA style requires 1-inch margins all around. The whole work, including the title block and Works Cited list, should be double-spaced.

There is no additional space after the title, between paragraphs, or between items in the bibliography. In addition to the basic formatting requirements, an academic research paper in MLA style should have these elements:. This heading should be written at the beginning of each page of text with an indent of one half inch from the left margin. The heading should be limited in length to a maximum of words or less. An introduction that gives the reader information about the topic being discussed. The introduction should include a brief overview of the topic, why it is important, and any previous research that has been done on the subject.

Introduction pages should be limited to words or less. A body of text that provides factual information or opinions about the topic raised in the introduction. Text body pages should be limited to 6, words or less. If there is more than one author involved, separate their names with a hyphen -. If the work is a book, include its title in the works cited section at the end of the paper. Use a readable font and double-space your paper's content e. MLA advises that the regular and italic type styles contrast sufficiently to be distinguished from one another. The typeface should be 12 point. Use either Arial or Helvetica as a substitute for Times New Roman.

In addition to creating a space between sentences, a full stop at the end of a sentence and a comma before the word "and" are required in MLA style. There should be a space after the punctuation at the end of a sentence. To create a title page for your paper , follow these steps: Start with the subject line of the paper followed by its name; then list the author's names next to their corresponding affiliations if any ; finally, include the year that the paper was published. An example of a title page would be: Finance, Management Accounting Research Journal. Published Year On the first page of your paper, ensure that the title is included in the top left-hand corner.

This will help readers identify the topic quickly. The title should be written in capital letters and should not exceed 16 characters. Next, identify the author s and date the paper was published. The author's name should be given first, followed by the date. Set your document's margins to 1 inch on both sides. The first line of each paragraph should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. MLA suggests that you use the "Tab" key instead of pressing the space bar five times. Ronald Bullman is a professional writer and editor. He has over 10 years of experience in the field, and he's written on topics such as business, lifestyle, and personal development.

Ronald loves sharing his knowledge of the world with others through his writing, as it helps them explore their own paths in life. Copyright © - Authors Cast Inc. Vendor List Privacy Policy. Home Writing What is MLA line spacing? What is MLA line spacing? Ronald Bullman. Table of Contents What is MLA line spacing? Do you have to double space in MLA format? What are the margins for the MLA format? How do I write a research paper in MLA format? How do you write MLA style? What inch should the margin be in MLA guidelines? How do you explain MLA format? About Article Author. Ronald Bullman Ronald Bullman is a professional writer and editor. Related Posts. How do you format a group paper?

Author: Bradley Smith. What does indentation look like? Author: Jerry Owens. What is a 1 inch margin in Word? Author: Mary Rivera. Do you indent every paragraph in an essay in MLA format? Author: Jeremy Fisher. What is the difference between indent and paragraph spacing? Related posts Writing. By Peter Perry. By Hannah Hall.

In addition to creating a space between sentences, a full stop at the end of a sentence and a comma before the word "and" are required in MLA style. Although this may seem like a lot of work, following these guidelines will ensure that your essay reads smoothly and accurately. Both paragraph formatting and line spacing are controlled in the same window. Author: Michele Hernandez. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

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