how to write essay in mla format

how to write essay in mla format

A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Essays in MLA Format

1. Introduction to MLA Format

The content of this guide coincides with the publication of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition. The manual intricately details the proper arrangement and form of footnotes and bibliographies. MLA style also provides writers with a system for cross-referencing their sources with in-text citation to elaborate information about cited works and offer plenty of examples, mostly in the 2016 standard. Suitable for a wide readership, this guide is an essential reference for writing that meets MLA Style requirements. Try their MLA citation builder for better writing: improved grammar, punctuation, and abbreviations to reflect current usage. Note that the edition of the publication is essential; authors are free to pick an edition modeled on Modern Language Association guidelines. MLA guidelines serve as a cornerstone for the development of professional college students and scholars who author papers and essays.

For over half a century, the Modern Language Association (MLA) has produced a Style Manual that provides a guide to formatting academic papers and literary works. Used extensively in high school and college courses, MLA Style establishes requirements for written works and the correct manner to document sources in academic writing. This writing guide embodies the Association’s commitment to the humanities, providing contemporary rules for scholarly consideration. This comprehensive text will assist students in achieving four major goals: (1) demonstrate the ability to critically read and comprehend literary works; (2) increase general knowledge of the study and use of English grammar, syntax, and punctuation; (3) construct organized, developed, and polished essays; and (4) observe audience and situational-aware approaches in written communication.

2. Structuring Your Essay in MLA Format

To help you save even more time and effort when citing websites, books, and journal articles, Citation Machine will create the citation for you. All of our services and tools are designed to help you with your paper, not hinder you. Be sure to make a complete list of sources for your Works Cited page, and read Citation Machine’s guide to creating MLA website citations. Place a parenthetical citation after referencing the website. In the body of your paper, the reference should be cited within parentheses along with the author’s last name and the page number. The period that would end the sentence comes after the parenthetical citation.

In-text citations should reference the author and the page number of the work. The reference page includes a list of the long form of the title for each source that you cited in your paper. The references are organized in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If there is no author listed, the source should be cited by its title; use the first letter of the title to alphabetize. Each of these different types of sources should be formatted a little differently. If you need help with in-text and parenthetical citations, Citation Machine can help.

Once you have supports for each topic, it’s time to actually write your paper. Write from the outline itself, fleshing out your basic skeleton to create a whole, cohesive and clear essay. You will want to edit and re-read your essay, checking to make sure it sounds exactly the way you want it to. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

3. In-Text Citations and Works Cited Page

Place the title “Works Cited” in the center at the top of the page. Double space the entire page from the title to the entries. Start the first line of each citation at the left margin; indent each subsequent line five spaces (or one tab). The entries are in alphabetical order according to the first word of each entry. If the first word is the article title (a, an, the), do not include the entry in the Works Cited page. If a citation runs more than one line, indent the beginning of the line with five spaces or one tab. Double-space the entire list. The first word of each entry is usually the most important. The publication date (if available) represents the most recent information. For example, a book with one author can be summarized and cited, but a book with several authors can only be cited. When citing internet sources, only include the full address information if the reader cannot easily find the site; also, include the web address of the page.

3.2 Works Cited Page

Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation, you need to provide a full citation in the Works Cited list. The author and page number are usually enough to guide the reader. Even if the source has a known author, include the original source whenever possible. If the source does not use page numbers, do not include any. If the source is an organization, begin the citation with the title of the source.

3.1 In-Text Citations

4. Common Pitfalls to Avoid in MLA Writing

c. Misspelled or misunderstood words: Like many strippers today, spell check is sometimes more of a detriment than a help. Though you will not be writing essays on Charon, the ferryman of Styx, the point stands that the use of knew when you meant new is wrong no matter how well your gay-activist-becalmed program says differently.

b. Short title: When do you use a page number with a short title? Always, unless it is an original thought put in the form of a parenthetical. You wouldn’t write, “In the introduction of this essay it says,” so don’t write as such when you do your own citing.

a. Capital or lowercase letters: Some words are capitalized in a title and others are not. Some professors or instructors may stop grading a paper if these are not done correctly—in either case.

2. Transitioning away from the general formatting of MLA and looking at the conspicuous but minor things in the writing. There are many smaller things that confuse students when trying to write their essays. Some of these are:

1. The inclusion of irrelevant information or poorly chosen examples. Though this point might seem to go against what you said for the example paragraphs, keep in mind that the examples are only there to help you understand the rule or concept. The point of the essay is to talk about the ideas, not the examples. You also want to avoid having examples in the body of your paper simply for the sake of having them. Be clear about the overall point of your essay.

5. Advanced Tips and Tricks for Mastering MLA Format

You will need to use superscript to number each of your sources. Your superscript numbers should come after the punctuation at the end of your sentences for footnoting and appropriate endnote. These should align in order with your Works Cited page. Do not use final or separate footnotes in your paper. If you want to include website information as citations, you can create a separate sheet and use in-text references. Ensure proper alphabetical and chronological order for your citations. It is critical to properly punctuate your citations in MLA format. You will always want to have a period at the end of each sentence in all of your essays. Do not double space while typing the text. No additional spaces between headings and the start of your paragraphs should be in the document. Page numbers are consistent throughout the paper and are no longer preceded by the author’s name.

Use a shortened version of the title centered in the header with your last name and a page number for each page. A running header appears at the top of each page and typically contains the author’s name and the page number. In contrast, your title page only includes the title of your composition. The first page of your paper is your introduction page, and it should only include your title, not your running header. Brackets should enclose the author’s name and page number. Using this format, all of the writing will be double-spaced. Be sure to use Times New Roman with a 12-point font. Your margins should be set to one inch on all sides.