General Formatting Rules for MLA Margins are 1” on all sides Page numbers should be a header a half-inch from the top in the upper-right hand corner, and include your last name (“Naughtin 1”) You should only hit the space bar once after each sentence. See? Not like this. And definitely not like this. Boo! Indent each paragraph by hitting “Tab” once Times New Roman, 12-point font The essay should be double spaced throughout.

Citations A parenthetical citation includes two parentheses, the author’s last name, and the page number. When the quote acts as the last part of your sentence, write the quote, follow it with the parenthetical, and finish with the end mark. Edwards states that “natural men are held in the hand of God” (Edwards 79). When the quote lies in the middle of your sentence, you still put the punctuation after your citation. Orwell states that “natural men are held in the hand of God” (Edwards 79), but Bradstreet’s perspective in “Upon the Burning of Our House” contradict him. If you’re citing the same work twice in a row, you don’t have to write the name again.

First page format Upper left corner – Your name, instructor’s name, course title, date Center title of essay (no caps, underlining, italics, quotation marks, etc.) Include a header on this page

Go to Owl at Purdue, Purdue’s Online Writing Lab if you have any further questions – they are the authorities on MLA formatting!