MLA Format You will need to submit ALL assignments for assessment using MLA format and if you do not do this you will loose 10% of your marks. MLA stands for Modern Languages Association and their standards are used as the acceptable way of presenting work for assessment by most schools and universities in the USA. An MLA formatted assignment will look like this:

MLA Format

Basic Layout The key task with MLA is to get the basic layout of your page right. As it happens some of this is done automatically for you by MS Word which defaults to MLA page layout.

MLA Format Basic Layout - Margins You will need a 1 inch or 2.54cm margin on your page [MS Word Normal setting].

MLA Format Basic Layout - Header At the top of the page on the left hand side you MUST insert a header which contains your surname and page number.

MLA Format Basic Layout – Header Page Number To do this go to the INSERT tab, click PAGE NUMBER & TOP OF PAGE then scroll down to PLAIN NUMBER 3 – Right alignment.

MLA Format Basic Layout – Header Name Double click on the page number you have just inserted and type your surname next to the page number

MLA Format Basic Layout – Line Spacing Once you have set up your Header you need to set the line spacing for your document and all work in MLA format is presented using DOUBLE LINE SPACING. NOTE: DO NOT EVER manually double line space by pressing Enter at the end of each line !

MLA Format Basic Layout – Line Spacing Click the LINE SPACING button, scroll down and select 2.0.

MLA Format Basic Layout – Name, Class, Date On the left hand side at the top of the page type in your name, subject & class and the date.

MLA Format Basic Layout – Assignemnt Title Centre Page & Bold type the Assignment Title.

Basic Layout – Paragraphs Paragraphs MUST be indented one Tab stop which is about 1.5cm. DO NOT double line space paragraphs! Word should remember this and automatically indent every time you press Enter from now on. MLA Format

Short Quotations Short quotations of less than 4 lines of prose or two lines of poetry must be embedded directly within the text using Quotation Marks - “xyz” and should be cited with the Author’s Surname & Page Number or web address.

MLA Format Short Quotations – Set Chapter Where the quotation is from a set chapter of a novel you should use Quotation Marks - “xyz” but only need to cite the Page Number.

MLA Format Short Quotations – Poetry Where the quotation is a line from a set poem you should use Quotation Marks - “xyz” but only need to cite the Line or Stanza number.

MLA Format Long Quotations All long quotations need to be presented in their own sub-paragraph and indented. To do this in word use the ‘Increase Indent’ button or tab key.

MLA Format Long Quotations A long quotations is a quote of more than 3 lines of prose or two lines of poetry and should look like this with Author’s Surname & Page Number or web address cited.

MLA Format Long Quotations – Set Chapter Where the quotation is more than 3 lines from a set chapter of a novel you should indent the quotation as a sub-paragraph and cite the Page Number.

MLA Format Long Quotations – Poetry Where the quotation is more than a line from a set poem you should indent the quotation as a sub-paragraph, present the poem as it is printed and cite the Stanza number.

Remember If you do not cite references included in your assignment it is considered PLAGIARISM and your work will be ungraded. To see this presentation again go to: