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MLA Format Heading
This page contains guidelines on how to properly format the headings of your research paper using the MLA format.
1. The Opening Page:
On the opening page or the first page, you would include the whole heading and your paper’s title. The whole heading would include the following information:
- Your Instructor’s Name
- Your Class Information
- Your Paper’s Due Date
- Font: choose an easy to read font such as Times New Roman.
- Font Size: set the font size to be twelve (12) throughout your research paper, including your paper’s title. Never set the font site larger than 12.
- Margins: 1-inch for top/bottom/right/left throughout your paper.
- Double-space: double-space throughout your paper. Don’t add extra spaces (besides double-space) between your headings, your title and your paragraphs.
Sample of the Opening Page:
A sample of the first page of your paper.
2. The Inner Pages:
For the pages that follow the first page, set the heading like this: instead of the whole heading, you would use the header feature on your word processing program and including the following information: Your Last Name and the Page Number.
Sample of the Inner Page:
Example of the heading for inner pages.
3. The Works Cited Page:
Every research paper must include a works cited page.
- The works cited list is placed at the end of your paper, on a new page.
- The heading for your works cited pages should be the same as the heading for your inner pages, which include your name and the page number at the top.
- Enter the title as “ Works Cited ” and place this title 1-inch from the top of the page, see more details in the example illustration picture below.
Sample of the Works Cited Page:
Example of the works cited page.
– MLA Handbook, 8th edition
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I have the following level 3 heading in my thesis:
Project management office and (pmo) metrics team.
Should the abbreviation pmo be in lower case as it is or should it be in upper case?
Please Advise. Thanks.
So for the works cited page, you don’t need the name, teacher, date, and period heading at all?
No. It should only be on the first page of the essay.
This is some good stuff to know.
I have to write a paper for an application and they want it to be in MLA format. I don’t know how to do the heading because it’s not going to one teacher in particular and it is not for one class.
I don’t think you need a heading besides the “Last name-1” on the inner pages.
Hey Shannon. You might try “To Whom it may concern” or something like that. Don’t trust me on this because I am not for sure on that and if you did do this you might get it wrong and whoever might not accept your application. I hope you figure out how to do it and do great on that application! đ – Christopher
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- MLA Format Sample Paper
- MLA Sample Paper w/ Cover and Outline Pages
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- MLA Format using Google Docs
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MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template
Published on December 11, 2019 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on September 5, 2024 by Jack Caulfield.
The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This includes advice on structuring parenthetical citations, the Works Cited page, and tables and figures. This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time.
Cite your MLA source
Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document:
- Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
- Set 1 inch page margins
- Use double line spacing
- Include a ½” indent for new paragraphs
- Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
- Center the paperâs title
- Use title case capitalization for headings
- Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
- List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end
Alternatively, you can automatically apply the formatting with our MLA docx or Google Docs template.
Table of contents
How to set up mla format in google docs, header and title, running head, works cited page, creating mla style citations, headings and subheadings, tables and figures, frequently asked questions about mla format.
The header in MLA format is left-aligned on the first page of your paper. It includes
- Your full name
- Your instructorâs or supervisorâs name
- The course name or number
- The due date of the assignment
After the MLA header, press ENTER once and type your paper title. Center the title and donât forget to apply title-case capitalization. Read our article on writing strong titles that are informative, striking and appropriate.
For a paper with multiple authors, it’s better to use a separate title page instead.
At the top of every page, including the first page, you need to include your last name and the page number. This is called the “running head.” Follow these steps to set up the MLA running head in your Word or Google Docs document:
- Double-click at the top of a page
- Type your last name
- Insert automatic page numbering
- Align the content to the right
The running head should look like this:
The Works Cited list is included on a separate page at the end of your paper. You list all the sources you referenced in your paper in alphabetical order. Donât include sources that weren’t cited in the paper, except potentially in an MLA annotated bibliography assignment.
Place the title âWorks Citedâ in the center at the top of the page. After the title, press ENTER once and insert your MLA references.
If a reference entry is longer than one line, each line after the first should be indented ½ inch (called a hanging indent ). All entries are double spaced, just like the rest of the text.
Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr
Prefer to cite your sources manually? Use the interactive example below to see what the Works Cited entry and MLA in-text citation look like for different source types.
Headings and subheadings are not mandatory, but they can help you organize and structure your paper, especially in longer assignments.
MLA has only a few formatting requirements for headings. They should
- Be written in title case
- Be left-aligned
- Not end in a period
We recommend keeping the font and size the same as the body text and applying title case capitalization. In general, boldface indicates greater prominence, while italics are appropriate for subordinate headings.
Chapter Title
Section Heading
Tip: Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word allow you to create heading levels that help you to keep your headings consistent.
Tables and other illustrations (referred to as “figures”) should be placed as close to the relevant part of text as possible. MLA also provides guidelines for presenting them.
MLA format for tables
Tables are labeled and numbered, along with a descriptive title. The label and title are placed above the table on separate lines; the label and number appear in bold.
A caption providing information about the source appears below the table; you don’t need one if the table is your own work.
Below this, any explanatory notes appear, marked on the relevant part of the table with a superscript letter. The first line of each note is indented; your word processor should apply this formatting automatically.
Just like in the rest of the paper, the text is double spaced and you should use title case capitalization for the title (but not for the caption or notes).
MLA format for figures
Figures (any image included in your paper that isn’t a table) are also labeled and numbered, but here, this is integrated into the caption below the image. The caption in this case is also centered.
The label âFigureâ is abbreviated to âFig.â and followed by the figure number and a period. The rest of the caption gives either full source information, or (as in the example here) just basic descriptive information about the image (author, title, publication year).
Source information in table and figure captions
If the caption of your table or figure includes full source information and that source is not otherwise cited in the text, you don’t need to include it in your Works Cited list.
Give full source information in a caption in the same format as you would in the Works Cited list, but without inverting the author name (i.e. John Smith, not Smith, John).
MLA recommends using 12-point Times New Roman , since itâs easy to read and installed on every computer. Other standard fonts such as Arial or Georgia are also acceptable. If in doubt, check with your supervisor which font you should be using.
The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:
- Apply double line spacing
- Indent every new paragraph ½ inch
The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbrâs MLA Citation Generator .
Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.
The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition , published in 2021.
This quick guide to MLA style  explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA.
Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper . A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead. The exceptions are when:
- Your instructor requires one, or
- Your paper is a group project
In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page.
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the âCite this Scribbr articleâ button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Streefkerk, R. (2024, September 05). MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template. Scribbr. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/
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MLA Format: The Ultimate Guide to Correctly Formatting Your Paper
By Hannah Yang
So you need to create an MLA heading? Youâre not aloneâMLA format is one of the most common styles youâll be expected to use when youâre writing a humanities paper, whether youâre a high-school student or a PhD candidate.
Read on to learn what a correct MLA heading looks like and how to create one that works like magic.
What Is an MLA Heading?
How do you format an mla heading, what is an mla header, how do you format an mla header, headings are only the beginning, commonly asked questions about mla headers, final thoughts.
The term âMLA headingâ refers to five lines of important information that appear at the top of the first page.
Here are two examples of what an MLA heading could look like:
Hermione Granger
Professor McGonagall
Transfigurationâ6th period
18 October 1991
âHow to Turn A Matchstick into a Needleâ
Harry J. Potter
Prof. Remus Lupin
Defense Against the Dark Arts
4 March 1994
âWhy I Think My Professor Is a Werewolfâ
Why are these headings important? Well, your teacher probably collects hundreds of papers every year. If any identifying information is missing from these assignments, grading and organizing them becomes much more of a challenge.
MLA headings ensure that all key information is presented upfront. With just a glance at the first page, your teacher can easily figure out who wrote this paper, when it was submitted, and which class it was written for.
What Are the Parts of an MLA Heading?
An MLA heading should include:
- Your instructorâs name
- The name of the class
- The date the assignment is due
- The title of your paper
Your instructor may give you specific guidelines about how much detail to include in each line. For example, some teachers may ask you to refer to them by their titles, while others may ask you to use their full names. If you havenât been given any specific instructions, donât sweat itâany option is fine as long as itâs clear and consistent.
Follow these formatting rules for your MLA heading:
- Start each piece of information on a separate line
- Donât use any periods, commas, or other punctuation at the end of the line
- Keep the heading double-spaced, in the same font as the rest of your paper
- Left-align the first four lines (they should start at the 1-inch margin on the left side of your paper)
- Center the title (it should appear in the middle of your paper)
- Make sure your title is in title case
Title case means that major words should be capitalized and minor words should be lowercase. Major words include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and any word longer than four letters. Minor words include conjunctions, prepositions, and articles.
Tip: Remember that Hermioneâs âSociety for the Promotion of Elfish Welfareâ shortens to S.P.E.W., not S.F.T.P.O.E.Wâonly the major words are capitalized!
The MLA heading should only appear on the first page of your paper . But wait, youâre not done yet! In the rest of your paper, you need to include something called an MLA header at the top right corner of every page.
Think of the MLA header as a short, simple âYou are hereâ marker that shows the reader where they are in the paper. By looking at the MLA headers, your instructor can easily understand where each page goes and which paper it belongs to.
What Are the Parts of an MLA Header?
The MLA header consists of your last name and page number.
For example, the second page of Hermione Grangerâs essays would be labeled âGranger 2â, the third would be labeled âGranger 3â, and so on.
Creating MLA Headers in Microsoft Word
If youâre writing your paper in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:
- Click Insert
- Scroll down to Page Numbers and click on it
- Set the position to âTop of Page (Header)â
- Set the alignment to âRightâ
- Make sure thereâs no checkmark in the box for âShow number on first pageâ
- Click on the page number and type your last name before the number
- Set your font and font size to match the rest of your paper, if they donât already
Creating MLA Headers in Google Docs
If youâre writing your paper in Google Docs, follow these steps:
- Scroll down to Page Numbers and hover over it
- Choose the option that sets your page number in the upper right corner
- Set your font and type size to match the rest of your paper, if they donât already
Tip: After you create your first MLA header, save a template document for yourself that you can re-use next time, so you donât have to follow these steps every time you write a paper!
Once you've got your headings sorted, it's time to start writing your paper. While we can't help you edit the content of your essay , ProWritingAid is here to make sure your grammar, spelling, and style is on point.
As well as checking your grammar, ProWritingAid also shows you your progress towards key goals like varied sentence structure, active voice, readability, and more. The target scores are all based on averages for real essays, so you'll always know if you're on track.
Ready to start receiving feedback before you submit your work?
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