Whenever academic writing seems hard, you should remember one thing. Sooner or later, you’ll figure it out, and everything will be fine. But for some reason, every college and university wants you not only to write reports, reviews and essays. All the papers must also be formatted correctly. And the funniest thing is that there are countless formats, so keeping track of all of them and their updates seems like a big challenge.
However, you shouldn’t be scared. There’s one style that’s widely used for student works in the USA and the UK, and it’s called MLA. This format definitely has its own peculiarities that may confuse you, especially if you don’t have prior experience in organizing your paper. So let us take you through MLA formatting step by step, including general characteristics, the title page, and quotes.
Step one: General format
Let’s start with the basics of MLA, also known as the style used by the Modern Language Association. More often than not, you will encounter this format when writing assignments for English and foreign literature, history, and other humanities. Business, mathematics, and marketing usually use APA, which is also pretty common. Nevertheless, MLA requires you to follow certain rules:
- You need to use 1-inch margins. This one is self-explanatory. Students can’t use custom margins because it will affect the overall quality of their papers, which may not even be accepted. You may remember that the majority of programs require applicants to use this format. Therefore, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to apply the right margins.
- Make sure you have indenting paragraphs. You’ll quickly find how to indent the first word in every new section. Besides, the final work will look best if your sentences begin 1/2 inch from the left margin.
- Use double spacing. You’ll have to use it in almost every assignment, whether it’s a research paper or a short essay. Your professor might want to use another type of spacing, in which case they’ll usually specify it in the instructions. Otherwise, you can use double spacing as a default format.
- Choose a nice font. This one will also vary depending on the style or the requirements of your professor. The majority prefer Times New Roman. Some might require Arial. In any case, using a 12 point font size is usually a must.=
- Ask if you need a hard copy. Whether your work is digital or you need to hand it in during your class, you might want to ask about binding. And you should always make sure to keep it clean.
Not as bad as you thought now, is it? It might take some time to learn how to format. Here’s a tip: download a free sample of an MLA paper from a reliable website. Bonus points if it’s a company that provides academic writing services or an online resource run by expert writers. Or you can create your own MLA-style template for your future assignments. This way, you won’t spend as much time on formatting.
Step two: Title page
In MLA, there’s usually no separate title page. Instead, you have to put your full name, your professor’s name, the date of the assignment, and the course title at the top of the first page. Here is a little example:
Name:
Instructor:
Course:
Date:
That’s your heading. Apart from this, you will also have to insert a header. Most word processors have the option of adding your own one. In MLA style, the header should include your last name and the page number: ‘Last name: 1.’
After creating the heading and the header, there are a few more things for you to consider. Keep in mind that underlying anything, using bold fonts, unnecessary quotation marks or excessive punctuation is not recommended. Keep it neat and simple. Overall, formatting is pretty simple. Even a starting writer can do it.
Step three: Citations
Citations are perhaps the scariest aspect of any formatting style, including MLA. But don’t worry, we’ll get through this together.
For direct quotations, you’ll need to:
- use quotation marks
- put the name of the author and the number of the page in the parenthesis at the end of the sentence
The example can look something like this: “She has never written an essay about cheap chocolate” (Author 7).
If you’re paraphrasing, you’ll need to:
- find a text to paraphrase
- express its idea in your own words (you can’t simply use synonyms and substitute all the words)
- put the name of the author and the number of the page in parentheses, just like you would with a direct quotation
If there is no page or paragraph to include in parentheses, just cite the author, and you’ll be fine. As we told you, it’s not as bad as it might seem.
The bibliographic citation on the list of references should include the name of the author, the title of the source, the title of the container, other contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date, and location.
We can also advise you to use citation generators to ensure that your paper is as ideal as it can get. Most of them are free to use online, so you don’t have to buy a subscription or download an app. Besides, they will save you a lot of time.
Step four: Images, abbreviations, and numbers
We’re almost there. There are a few more things for you to consider:
- Any kind of media must also be cited. When you need to use a video, a graphic, an image, or basically anything that is not yours, you’ll still need to cite it. Remember that using someone else’s work, even if it’s a table or an icon, is still plagiarism.
- Don’t be afraid to use numbers. Even though MLA is used primarily for humanities, you still need to use numerals instead of words if your work mentions numbers. It is a rule, specifically, if the number is above 10.
- Abbreviations can make your writing more concise. MLA allows several abbreviations. Even though you shouldn’t shorten verbs or use colloquial connotations, the names of organizations are too long to use in full. But you should always explain the abbreviation before using it in the text. For example, WHO is a World Health Organization and so on.
If any of this sounds difficult, remember that you can always use a professional service like AffordablePapers when you need help writing an essay for cheap. These companies offer extra personalized assistance for every customer in any formatting style, including MLA. You can order any assignment and get help with writing essays from scratch. If you carefully read a review or two, you will quickly find a top service that can deliver you original written works that fully match your instructions.
Finale
This is all you need to know about MLA formatting! We hope that now you know how to create a title page, headers, and direct quotes, paraphrase sentences and even use images to brighten up your papers.