1. UWF Writing Lab © 2002 UWF Writing Lab
MLA FORMAT GUIDELINES
Information from
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th edition. New York: MLAA, 2009.
Designed by Chris Bui and Tina Blaas
Revised by Savanna Richter
2010
© 2002 UWF Writing Lab

2. What is MLA format?
MLA format is the set of guidelines established by the Modern Language Association of American to be used for writing in the fields of language and literature. The format is also used by other disciplines and may be manipulated to fit the specific needs of these fields.

3. POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU ARE WRITING A PAPER USING MLA FORMAT

4. 12 is standard for the font size
UWF Writing Lab
Font size and style
The Font should be
Times New Roman
12 is standard for the font size
Here are some points to remember. (In most word processors including Microsoft Word or Works)

5. All margins are set to one inch.

6. The Body All lines are double-spaced.
There are no extra spaces between the heading and title or the title and the main text.
There are no extra spaces between paragraphs in the main text.

7. To Remove the Extra Space
Microsoft Word 2007 automatically adds an extra space between paragraphs unless you turn off this default setting.
To turn off this setting, go to the “paragraph” tab and check the box for “don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style.”

8. The first line of each paragraph is indented half an inch.

9. There is no title page.

10. The heading
The first page includes the heading in the top left corner, followed by a centered title, and then the text of the paper.
Every page, including the first, has a header half an inch from the top of the page in the right corner.

11. The heading includes the following on separate lines:
Author’s first and last name
Instructor’s name
Course name or number
Date in the form of day, month, and year

12. There are no extra spaces before and after the title.
The title is not typed in all capital letters.
The title is not bolded, quoted, underlined, or italicized except in the case of an included title of a poem, book, story, etc.

13. Example

14. Work Cited
If references are quoted or cited in the paper, then the last page of the paper is the Works Cited page,
a bibliographical page that includes all secondary sources used in the paper.

15. Remember that some professors may modify these guidelines to fit their own classes and assignments: Some instructors request that a word count be added in the heading. Some instructors will allow students to print on both sides of the paper or include the works cited on the bottom of the last page. Always ask your professor to be sure!

16. For questions about MLA format, consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or call or stop by the UWF Writing Lab