So you’re writing a MLA

formatted essay…

……Here’s what you should know…..

Wh

at is

MLA

S

tyle

?MLA Style establishes standards of written communication concerning:

formatting and page layout

stylistic technicalities (e.g. abbreviations, footnotes, quotations)

citing sources

and preparing a manuscript for publication in certain disciplines.

What does a well written MLA

format essay consist of:Proper Heading

Original Title

Page Number

Thesis statement

Double spacing

In-text Citation

Works Cited

Proper Heading

A proper heading consist of:

Your name

Your teacher’s name

Class Period

Date of the Paper

Original Title

Titles are to be centered

Written in 12-point, Times New Roman font

Should not be bolded, underlined, or italicized

Page Number

Page numbers begin on and with page 1

Type your name next to the page number so that it appears on every page

Thesis Statement

Your thesis sentence helps to guide and control your paper

A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes:

take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree

deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment

express one main idea

assert your conclusions about a subject

Your thesis statement is usually the last sentence of the

introduction.

The thesis is a clear position that you will support and

develop throughout your paper

Double Spacing

MLA requires double-spacing throughout a

document; do not single-space any part of the

document.

In-text CitationIn-text citations occur after the

quote but before the period.

The author’s/ Authors’ name/s go before the Page Number with no comma in between.

Works Cited

The Works Cited page begins on a new page.

Center the title “Works Cited” Without Underlining, bolding, or italicizing it.

If there is only one entry, title this page “Work Cited.”