MLA 9 General Format

The following information is an abridged version of the style and formatting guidelines found in the Publication Manual of the MLA Handbook, 9th ed. (2021). This sheet is to serve as a ready-reference; more in-depth descriptions can be found in the handbook.

Margins

All margins should be set to one inch. 

Page Number

All pages in the paper are numbered consecutively in the right side of the header. Your last name is placed before the page number. Make sure the font of the header is consistent with the font of the rest of the paper.

Heading

The heading is double-spaced and contains your name, your instructor’s name, the course number, and the date. It should be flush with the left margin.

Title

The title is centered. Do NOT add any extra lines of space before or after the title.

Spacing

The paper is double-spaced throughout, including all quotations, any notes, and the Works Cited page.

Fonts

Times New Roman, 12pt. is recommended.

Document in MLA Format. At the top right, author's last name followed by page number. Beneath that, on the left side of the page, is a heading in MLA format (Author's Name, Instructors Name, Course Number, and Date). Under the heading, the title, centered. The page is double spaced with Times New Roman, and has a margin space of one inch on all sides.