Setting Up Papers in MLA Format

To format a document according to Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines, follow these simple instructions. If you need help at any time, feel free to ask.

1. Open Microsoft Word^TM by moving the mouse pointer over its icon on the desktop and double clicking with the left mouse button (click the button twice in rapid succession).

2. The first step in creating an MLA-style document is to set the page margins appropriately; these should measure 1" all around. To do this, click on the File option on the menu bar at the top of the screen, then select Page Setup from the drop-down menu. When the Page Setup box appears, be sure that the Margins tab has been selected (click on it), then set the top, bottom, left, and right margins to one inch, either by clicking on the arrows next to each (clicking the up arrow increases the value and vice-versa) or entering a "1" (do NOT type the quotation marks) in the appropriate box(es).

3. When you are finished, click the OK button.

4. Once the margins have been property set, the next step is to prepare the document for double-spacing. Select Format from the menu bar and click on the Paragraph option that appears on the drop-down menu. Find the Line Spacing option, then click on the down arrow next to it. From the list of available options, select Double, then click on the OK button.

5. Now that the margins and line spacing have been set, it is time to create a header for the paper that includes your last name, a space, and a page number. To do this properly in Microsoft Word^TM, select View from the menu bar and Header and Footer from the drop-down menu. Two items should appear: a box with a dashed line around it and a small toolbar.

6. Click inside the dashed box, then set the font size to 12 by clicking on the down arrow next to the font size option on the main toolbar and selecting the appropriate number. This done, hold down the [Ctrl] key and press [R] to align the text you will enter against the right margin. (The cursor should move to the right side of the box.)

7. Type your last name, followed by a space. Do not, however, type a page number at this point. If you do, whatever number you type will appear on every page of the document. Instead, on the smaller toolbar, click on the first button (the one with the number sign in he middle). You should then see a number appear in the header box next to the space you typed. Once you see the number appear, click the Close button on the small toolbar.

8. Don’t worry if, after pressing the [Close] button, the header disappears from the screen. Rest assured that it’s still here, in hiding, and that it will reappear when you print your document. If at any time you need to change your header, simply repeat this step, making whatever changes are necessary.

9. At this point, change the font size in the main part of your document to 12, just as you did in the header box. The size of the font should be consistent throughout the document.

10. On the first available line of the document (but not in the header box), enter your first and last name. Press the [Enter] key once. On the second line, enter your instructor's name, then press the [Enter] key.

11. On the third line, enter the course and section numbers of the class you are doing this assignment for, in addition to the name of the assignment (e.g., "English 0113, Section 6250, MLA Practice"). Normally, such may be found on the first page of a course syllabus or on an enrollment schedule. (If, however, you are still uncertain, ask your instructor.) Press the [Enter] key once.

12. Normally at this point, you would enter the date the paper is to be submitted (the due date) on the fourth line, formatted as such: DD Month YYYY. For the purposes of this exercise, however, simply enter today's date, then press the [Enter] key once.

13. The paper's title should be centered on the fifth line. For the purposes of this exercise you will enter the title, "MLA Practice Assignment” (do NOT type the quotation marks). Hold down the [Ctrl] key and press [E] to center the text, then enter the title. Note: Do not underline or bold the title, place it in all caps, or use a different font or font size than that used in the rest of the paper. Once you have entered the title, press the [Enter] key once, then hold down the [Ctrl] key and press [L] to return the cursor to the left margin.

14. The text of the paper itself begins on the sixth line of the first page.