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MLA Style (9th ed.): Citation Guide

A guide to formatting and citing in MLA 9th edition format.

Formatting a Paper in MLA

MLA Basic Formatting Rules for Student Papers

The following guidelines are the basic formatting rules outlined in the MLA Handbook 9th edition. If your instructor sets different requirements, always use your instructor's guidelines first.

Font:

  • size between 11-13pt
  • clearly legible font (ex- Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri

Spacing:

  • double spaced throughout all parts of the paper
  • 1-inch margins on all sides
  • Indent the first line of each paragraph by 1/2-inch (tab)
  • left-justified for the body of the paper

Heading:

  • upper left-hand corner (also double-spaced)
  • includes: 
    • your name
    • Instructor's name
    • Title of the course
    • Due Date for Assignment

Page Headers:

  • on every page within the paper, including Works Cited
  • consists of your last name and the page number in the top right corner

Title:

  • no title page unless requested by your instructor
  • title of paper in title case (capitalizing all but articles and prepositions) centered on the first line after the heading

MLA Works Cited Formatting

The following guidelines are the basic formatting rules outlined in the MLA Handbook 9th edition. If your instructor sets different requirements, always use your instructor's guidelines first.

General:

  • needs to start on a new page following the end of your paper
  • include the title Works Cited centered on the first line of the page
  • everything after the title is left-justified

Citations:

  • Every item included in your Works Cited must be cited within your paper. Every item sited in your paper needs to have a Works Cited entry.
  • listed in alphabetical order by the first part of the citation (usually the author)

Spacing:

  • double spaced throughout all parts
  • 1-inch margins on all sides
  • Each citation should have a hanging indent- or it should start at the left margin and then have all lines after it indented by 1/2-inch

MLA Paper Visual Guide

Click on the information circles for tips on how to use Microsoft Word to format your paper in MLA Style.