MLA Format Essay Guide
Full Essay Guide for MLA Style, 9th Edition
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Typography or Font
The MLA style guide requires that you use 12-point Times New Roman font or other “readable” font. It’s a good idea to stick with Times New Roman, as this is the widely preferred and accepted font for MLA style among universities and professors alike.
Line Spacing & Margins
Your Essay should be double-spaced throughout the entire paper.
You should leave 1 inch margins on all sides of the paper (top, bottom, and sides).
Every first line of each paragraph should have a half inch indentation from the left margin.
Header & Page Number
Your MLA essay calls for a header to exist on all pages. This should be your last name to the top right of every page and adjacent to the page number.
Your page number should be to the top right of every page, even the first page, and should be consecutive.
Both the header and the page name should be in Times New Roman font size 12.
Heading and Title
Usually, MLA formatted papers do not require a title page. If your instructor does not specify that a title page is required, you may follow the guidelines below for the first page of your paper.
Type the following essay details at the very top of your essay, fully left-aligned.
Your Name
Your Instructor’s Name
Course Number or Name
Date
Note that you should use your professor’s full name without any designation such as Mr. or Mrs., unless they have a professional designation such as Dr.
The date for your essay should be formatted as follows:
2 February 2025
The Title
After you have comleted your general essay information section, you can add your title, which should be one space below the heading details. Your title should be centered on the page, following the common rules of capitalization.
Your title should not be in italics, underlined, or in bold. The only exception to the rule for italics would be if your title includes a title. Example: The Hidden Virtues of To Kill A Mockingbird.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.