How to Style Essays Using MLA Format

General MLA Format Guidelines

An MLA format follows the listed rules:

• Preferred font: Times New Roman
• Font size: 12pt
• Page margins: 1 inch
• Line spacing: double
• New paragraph indents: ½ inch
• Headings: title case capitalization

In the next section, you will get to know how to create an MLA format heading, which appears at the top of your writing assignment. Before using the instruction, ask if your professor prefers a certain way to format an MLA heading.

Title Page, Headings, and Subheadings

Title Page

It is worth noting that MLA format does not imply the use of a title page. Generally, students are not prohibited to add a title page to papers written in MLA style, yet there is no official guide on how to format this page according to MLA rules.

Header

A header in MLA format can be either placed on the title page (if you decide to include one), or you can add it at the top of the first page of your work.

Here are the 4 main components that have to be included in a header:

1. Student’s full name
2. Instructor’s name
3. Name of the class, course, or section number
4. The project’s deadline

All four elements have to be placed in this exact order with double line spacing and one-inch margins from all sides of the page.

The last line of the header (assignment’s due date) should be followed by the assignment’s name, unless you are creating a title page – in this case, you will start your project on the next page. The work’s title should be centered and does not need to be put in bold, italicized, underlined, or placed in quotation marks.

Headings and Subheadings

Regardless of the type of assignment, using headings and subheadings in the text is vital to ensure the logical organization and structure of the content. Therefore, writing a paper in MLA format, you will likely have to include some chapter titles, section headings, and other subheadings.

In the official MLA format guide, there are no specific rules regarding how to format various titles. There are only two recommendations to keep in mind:

• Do NOT put a period after your heading.
• Be consistent, meaning choose specific formatting for headings and stick to it throughout the whole paper.

Here is a good example of how you can style your headings and subheadings:

  Chapter Title

  Section Heading

  Subheading

The font and size of all elements remain the same. The only thing you are changing is the font style. Bold font is a wise choice for chapter titles as it shows a greater level of importance, while italics are less prominent and thus, good for section headings. Meanwhile, subheadings, which are the least important of all heading types, are left in the standard font style.

Basic Text Formatting Requirements in MLA Format

Running Head & Page Numbers

A running head is a short heading located at the top of every page in the right corner. This heading consists of the author’s last name and the page number—following it after a space.
Here are some of the general rules applied to the running head and page numbers:

• This information should be placed in the top right corner on each page of your work.
• The running head only includes the last name of the student, followed by the page number.
• Do not place the abbreviation p. (for page) before MLA page numbers.
• The running head is located one inch from the page’s right margin and half an inch from the top margin.

• Margins
• The standard MLA margins are one inch. Every page of your work should have one-inch margins from all sides. The only item that should be seen in the one-inch margin is the running head.
• Paragraphs
• The first word of every new paragraph should have a one half-inch indent from the left margin. All paragraphs need to have double spacing. The standard space between the left margin and the start of your text is one-half inch. To set it, you can use the “tab” button.
• Spacing
• Throughout the whole paper, use standard double MLA spacing.
• Font and Font Size
• The MLA format guide suggests using the Times New Roman font in 12pt size. Although Times New Roman is a recommended font, students are allowed to use other standard fonts.

Abbreviations

Generally, the MLA format prefers rare use of abbreviations. In the official guide, the Modern Language Association advises scholars to spell out abbreviations into full words. This rule applies to papers written in this format, to avoid any confusion.

Although it is recommended to use abbreviations only rarely. There are some cases when you may find them appropriate in your text. In such cases, you will need to follow certain rules:

• Do not place periods between capital letters (e.g. United States = US, not U.S.)
• If the full words are in lower case, periods between the words are acceptable “for example = e.g.”
• When the full phrase has a blend of upper and lower case letters, do not put periods if there are more upper case letters (e.g. PhD, not Ph.D.)

Now, let’s look at different abbreviation cases separately:

Months‍

MLA format requires using full month names in the body of a paper. Thus, if you need to mention a specific month in your research or other paper, you have to type them fully. However, if you are making references, you are allowed to use abbreviations for months that are longer than four letters. For example, June will stay the same, while longer names like January can be abbreviated to Jan.

Also, students are allowed to use other abbreviations in their Works Cited page. Some of the acceptable abbreviations are:

• Chapter – ch.
• Page and page numbers – p. and pp.
• Volume – vol.
• Revised – rev.
• Number – no.
• Edition – ed.
• Translated or translation – trans.

Once again, these specific abbreviations can only be used on your Works Cited page. Otherwise, in the paper’s body, you are expected to type them out in full.

Publishers‍

Other words that can be abbreviated on the Works Cited page are the names of publishers. For example:

• Company – Co.
• University – U
• Limited – Ltd.
• Incorporated – Inc.
• Press – P

These are the publishers’ names that are always abbreviated when making references. Others have to be written in full.

Titles‍

Finally, on your references page (Works Cited page), you may also use commonly-accepted abbreviations of certain biblical and classical sources. Some of them are:

Shakespeare:

• Much Ado about Nothing – Ado
• Henry VI, Part 3 – 3H6
• Othello – Oth.
• Macbeth – Mac.
• Julius Caesar – JC
• Romeo and Juliet – Rom.
• Midsummer Night’s Dream – MND

Hebrew Bible or Old Testament – OT:

• Psalms – Ps.
• Genesis – Gen.

Numbers

Depending on the type and content of your work, you may need to use numbers frequently. In this case, follow the guidelines given below:

1. Numerals

According to the official MLA guidelines, students should use numerals that precede measurements.

2.Arabic Numerals

When adding Arabic numerals to your paper, spell out those numbers that can be written in one or two words (e.g. three or twenty-five). Large numbers that are written in more than two words should be written in numbers. For decimals or fractions use digits. Also, use digits whenever a number is placed before a label or measurement.

3.Roman Numerals

Roman numerals in MLA are used either in an outline or to indicate suffixes (e.g. Ramses III).

4. Numbers in the MLA Outline

The Modern Language Association does not provide official guidelines on the format of the MLA outline. However, typically it is recommended to use roman numerals, capital and lowercase letters, and numbers to create an outline.

5. Extra Tips

In terms of the use of numbers in MLA style, there are two more tips to follow:

• Do not include ISBN numbers in a paper.
• Do not start a new sentence with a number. If possible, restate a sentence so that the number is placed elsewhere. If it is not possible, spell out the number that stands at the beginning of the sentence.

Images and Tables

It is always a good idea to add photos, images, tables, and other visual elements to a paper as long as they contribute to the overall quality of the work and add value. Thus, if a specific image or table does not bring any actual value, it is better to avoid adding it.

Images‍

General rules:

• Place an image as close to the sentence to which it relates as possible.
• Create a label for each image you include, and add labels right under each particular image. A label has to begin with the abbreviation “Fig.”
• Following the abbreviation “Fig.”, place a specific number assigned to the image based on its location in the paper. For example, the first image included in the paper should be labeled as “Fig. 1”, and the following should be “Fig. 2,” etc.
• Place parentheses with the label and number of the relevant image at the end of the piece to cite it.
• Apart from the label, every image should feature a brief caption placed right underneath it, after the label.

In case the caption of an image or table provides exhaustive data about its source of origin and you haven’t already cited the same source in your text, it

Tables‍

Unlike images, tables in your paper do not need to be marked with the “fig.” label. Instead, you need to include the label “Table”, followed by an Arabic numeral. Similarly to images, tables in your work are assigned numbers based on the specific order of their appearance in the text. Also, every table needs to have a title. Together, the label “Table”, numeral, and title have to be located above the data set on separate lines, and all flush left.

Tables’ titles have to have all of their first letters capitalized, except for insignificant small words. Under the table, you can include any relevant notes and the source of origin.