writing an essay in mla format

writing an essay in mla format

Effective Strategies for Writing an Essay in MLA Format

1. Introduction to MLA Format

Almost all papers written in MLA format strictly include quotations from sources, preferably with several books referenced. Typically, tutors want to see a minimum of quotes of four sources for essays in this format. At higher grade levels, four to five quotes is a requirement for MLA papers. To begin, the entire essay must be double-spaced and written in an easily readable font, such as Times New Roman, with a font size of 12, recommends the MLA website, if known. The length should be tested for the thesis and focus of the essay, without any minimum requirements. Finally, the essay must follow special guidelines to make the content read with serious consideration. All sentences must be written in the modestly English. In the infrequent event that a title needs to be italicized, it should be italicized in the entire paper. The reader of MLA literature is encouraged to purchase a copy of the following titles as they are helpful references for writing an essay in MLA format. Readers are encouraged to pick one or both, or any relevant manuals or styles.

The format of the works-cited list is very easy to identify. Students will often ask if they should include works that are not cited in their essays, or if they should include full descriptions of the works mentioned. Whether some of these issues should be included depends on the assessor’s instructions and whether they are to be included or not, use the best advice available at Purdue OWL to brief the MLA works-cited list.

When you are to write an academic paper, especially an essay, you will likely be required to make use of the Modern Language Association (MLA). Furthermore, the format entails the use of a header on every page of the essay, including the first one. The essay comes first on the page, but the heading comes next. Students writing papers in MLA format should maintain the following elements: The top of the first page of a works-cited list.

2. Key Components of an MLA Essay

Writing a strong introduction is another important part of an MLA essay. As it begins, you should provide background information on your topic. To add emphasis, you might identify an important aspect of the topic that nobody has realized before. This is a good place for a thesis statement, the central idea of your essay. The last sentence of your introduction should restate your topic, as well as your position.

Text Formatting When writing an MLA essay, it’s important to use a uniform font if you’re typing. The preferred font is Times New Roman, with a 12-point font size. Accurate and consistent grammar is essential in academic writing. Avoid excessive use of bold, italics or underlining. Margins should be set to one inch on all sides of the page. The first sentence of all paragraphs should be indented by one tab space. To create a second line break within a paragraph, hit “Enter” twice as the last character of the sentence. Do not add extra spaces between paragraphs.

In MLA format, the title of your essay appears centered on the first line below the date, with the first letters of each word capitalized. Include your last name in the page number of each page, after the first page. Most word processing programs automatically format the page number so it appears in the upper right corner of each page.

3. In-Text Citations and Works Cited Page

The Works Cited page includes complete publication information about all of your sources. Each in-text citation should have a corresponding entry in the list. The page should be labeled with the words “Works Cited” but should not use italics or any other type of decorative text. The list is alphabetized by authors’ last names. If the work does not list an author, the first word of the title is used to alphabetize the entry. All major words are capitalized in the titles of sources and in the titles of works apart from the main sources.

Works Cited Page

An MLA-formatted essay should begin with the writer’s name and an instructor’s name prominently displayed as part of the essay’s first page. The first page then begins at the top. An in-text citation provides the author’s last name and, if there is one, a page number. More detailed information requires the same information already included after the quote cited in the essay. The Works Cited page should list complete publication information about the sources for which you provide in-text citations.

Placement of In-Text Citations

4. Formatting Guidelines and Best Practices

Text Formatting: Choose easy-to-read font styles with normal spacing, as you would in general writing. In addition to plain text, you may want to include headings and subheadings in your paper. MLA headings should include the following in ascending order: first major heading, subtitle headings, minor headings. When subheadings are included, navigation of the document will increase. Moreover, by breaking up the text with sections and subheadings, your reader will become engaged and organized. Keep in mind that the title should indicate the main point of your essay and should grab the reader’s attention instantly. You can also include a subtitle that informs your argument. We will discuss how to compose its header below.

1. Use 8.5 x 11 inches paper. 2. Set the margins to one inch on all sides: top, left, right, and bottom. 3. Double-space the entire essay. 4. Ensure that the document is aligned to the left. 5. Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor). 6. Set the tab key to function at 0.5 inches when typing for the beginning of each paragraph. 7. Choose a readable font: Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc. Avoid using more than one type of font in your essay. 8. The font size should be 12 pt.

Once you know the style you will use for your essay, the next step is to format and organize your work. Here are some basic setup instructions and useful tips.

5. Conclusion and Final Tips

Introduction In this lesson, you learned that the rules of MLA style apply to academic writing in various disciplines, and that you use these rules to cite ideas in your paper by using both in-text citations and a separate page at the end of the paper called “Works Cited.” You also learned about the construction of good writing in MLA. These are excellent general editing tips for any paper.

The additional tips offered above should be useful to you as you check your paper for the type of mistakes even the most skilled writers often make. Finally, be sure to run your paper through a good spell check. MLA has its own way of referencing, and it is crucial to stick to the basic formats specified below. Carefully clarify how to reference properly these important academic objects – in fact, trying to avoid them is not something you should even consider. The full, grammatically correct title of your paper should appear on your title page, separate from your name, not as the title itself.

Conclusion and Final Tips This handout has offered throughout general guidelines about citing borrowed information in both the body of your paper and the works cited page. Your instructor may ask you to submit a hard copy, or submit it electronically via email or through an online course system. Be sure to clarify these submission processes with your instructor when you are writing your paper so that there are no last-minute surprises. Keep copies of everything you turn in for the course and, if possible, save electronic copies as insurance in case files get lost.

Be prepared to resubmit a paper if it is incomplete, not written using MLA format, or may be late due to technical difficulties. The best papers are completely free of any errors. To make sure that your paper is free of errors, ask a friend to check your work. Then go check it again! After you have read over your paper several times, feel confident that it is error-free and feel confident to submit it to your instructor.