1. How to Format Your MLA Paper in Microsoft Word

2. Step #1: Setting Up Your Margins
Your paper needs to have 1” margins
Go to Page Layout Tab
Click on Margins
Select Normal (everything needs to say 1”-Top, Bottom, Left, Right)

3. Step #2: Font Type and Size
The standard font for an MLA paper is Times New Roman and font size 12

4. Step #3: Spacing Your Paper
Your paper needs to be double spaced
You want to set your paper this way from the beginning so it will automatically do it for you as you type
Click arrow next to Paragraph
Under spacing make sure the Before and After columns are set at 0pt.
Under line spacing, change it to Double

5. Step #4: Page Numbering Click on Insert
Look for Header and Footer, locate Page Number, and select Top of Page
Select the 3rd box which says Plain Number and has the number in the upper right hand side
BEFORE the number type your Last Name and leave ONE space after it before the number
Click “Close Header and Footer” to exit

6. Step #5: Header Header starts at left hand margin
Type in the following order:
First and Last Name
Your Teacher’s Name
Name of Class (U.S. History 3)
Date: (day month year)-no commas

7. Step #6: Adding a Title 1. Title needs to be centered
2. Title needs to be in Times New Roman and size 12 Font
3. DO NOT underline or make your title bold
4. Title needs to connect to your paper

8. Step #7: Indent Paragraphs
Indent the first line of each new paragraph
Tab should be set at ½ inch

9. Step #8-Works Cited Page
The Works Cited page is the LAST page of your paper and contains all of your sources
Please write Works Cited in the center of your paper. Do Not make those words bold or underline them
List the citations in alphabetical order by the first letter of the citation no matter what it is (name, book. etc.)
You want to set your Works Cited page in Hanging Indent Format. Go to:
Page Layout-Paragraph-Special-Hanging Indent Format (see example next slide)
*Make sure you are on the actual Works Cited page when doing this*
If you don’t want to actually set it to Hanging Indent Format, make sure your first line starts at the left margin and each line after that is indented

10. Step #8: Creating Works Cited (cont.)
Example of setting Hanging Indent

11. Step #9: Creating Citations
Using Databases makes it easy to create citations because they do it for you. After the citation is created, just click copy and paste and it will copy the citation for you. Please note: you want to verify that spacing, font, font size, etc. is correct
Purdue Owl MLA Guide- so many things can be cited nowadays so this is a great resource to use to verify the information
Easybib- (once again you want to verify that everything is accurate)

12. Works Cited Page Example