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Understanding and Writing in the MLA Format Style

The essence of writing is to convey a message or share your findings with your readers. A formatting style like the MLA paper format allows your readers to easily understand your writing by placing necessary cues like the MLA heading as guide and making the right citations as support and tool for further study. In writing based on the MLA format is similar to putting a map so that your readers will not get lost and can easily follow your thoughts especially when your document proves to be technical and lengthy. From the MLA title page to the MLA works cited page, every formatting detail must be understood and followed to increase readability as well as establish your credibility as a well-organized writer/researcher known for a clear and lucid style.

The sources of this MLA format guide are the following:

The Modern Language Association formatting and style guide in the updated editions of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7^th edition.
The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3^rd edition

The MLA Paper Format

To start you off, there are a few guidelines you need to know in order to conform to the MLA format:

Naturally, you would need a computer to write your document and then have it printed on a white bond paper, short size at 8.5 x 11 inch.
The text should be double-spaced and must use a clear font like the Times New Roman. There is no strict rule on the font as long as the regular and italics style make a sharp contrast for proper distinction of the titles or headings and it must be in 12 point size.
After every period or any punctuation mark, leave only one space unless specifically instructed to do otherwise by the instructor.
The margins should be set at 1 inch on all four sides of the paper.
The paragraph indent should be only half an inch from the left margin. It may be easier to use the Tab key instead of moving the Space Bar in five notches, just make sure that the Tab is set at half an inch.
In numbering your pages, make the numbers appear in the upper right-hand corner, flushed right and placed half an inch from the top of the paper. There may be cases that your instructor may ask you to omit the number on the first page.
You may use italics for works with lengthy titles or when needed to create emphasis.

The MLA First Page

The rules in formatting the first page are as follows (refer to Figure 1 on MLA first page for illustration):

In most cases, the title page is only included per instructor’s request.
For the first page, list on the upper left-hand the following: your name, the name of your instructor, the course and then the date. Make sure to double space the text.
Then allowing for another double space, put and center the title. No need to italicize, underline or use quotation marks but only follow the standard capitalization rule similar to citing titles in your MLA works cited page.
You only use quotation marks or even italics when you are citing other works in your title. For example: Anti-Feminism in George Bernard Shaw’s Candida or Literary Satire in “The Perfect Wagnerite”.
Separate the title and the first line of the text with a double space.
If your instructor requests for pagination, you can create a header on the upper left-hand corner bearing your last name, space, and the page numbers in Hindu Arabic numbers (e.g. 1,2,3,4 etc.). Place and flush right the header half an inch from the top.

Figure 1

The MLA Title Page

The title page is often optional and not counted in the total page count for page 1 must always contain the text of your document. For this reason, the formatting for the title page is often dictated by the instructor, which you need to follow to get the grade you desire. Nonetheless, you will see a sample below as to the general practice in making a MLA title page as illustrated in Figure 2 and 3. It should be noted that when a title page is required, the first page makes an adjustment by omitting the usual header that bears your name. As a general rule, use the same font and font size that you used in the text for your title page. Moreover, there is no need to italicize or specially mark your titles unless you are citing a work like in the samples below.

Figure 2

Figure 3

Again, the samples above are not the official format for the MLA title page since the MLA format does not require one. These are just samples and you should consult your instructor as to the required format. If you have a title page, then the succeeding page or the official first page will look like this. You will need to omit the details that are already included in the title page and you may need to position your title 1 or 2 inches down from the top of the paper or per instructor’s direction.

Figure 4

MLA Heading

The importance of headings for every section or chapter of the document is to enhance readability. The section heading guides readers as to the topic of that particular portion of the book and make comprehension easy. The following lists the MLA format recommendations for your documents.

Essays

The general rule in creating sections within an essay is to number the sections with a Hindu Arabic number followed by a period (.), a space and then the name of the section.

1. Writing Samples

2. Political Themes on Poverty and Women

3. Major Shavian Theme

4. Greatest Contributions

Books

There is no strict MLA format for section headings within a book as long as these are grammatically consistent and clear. If you use a lengthy section heading in the beginning of your book then using short phrases on succeeding headings will not be consistent. Section headings are not different from outlines, which follow grammatical rules in phrasing for consistency and clarity. For multiple level headings in every section, it is best to consult with your instructor or create one that is easily followed and understood.

· A numbered section heading will look like this:

1. Famous Works

1.1 Short Stories and Essays

1.2 Plays

2. Other Works

3. Recurring Themes

· A formatted and numbered section is illustrated below:

Literary Background

(Level 1 is flushed left in bold)

Early Writings

(Level 2 is flushed left in italics)

Published Works

(Level 3 is centered in bold)

Shift to Drama

(Level 4 is centered in italics)

Political Themes

(Level 5 is flushed left and underlined)

The MLA Works Cited Page

There are two ways of citing sources. One is within the text using a parenthetical citation containing the author’s last name and the page number or just the page numbers when the author’s name is indicated in the text. The other is the bibliography containing a more detailed information for easy retrieval of the sources for further study. The primary distinguishing mark of the MLA format for works cited is in explicitly indicating the type or medium of publication used, which is either in print or from the web.

For every parenthetical citation like this one:

Using the Shavian theme (Shaw 51-62).

Requires a corresponding MLA citation in the works cited list or bibliography like below: