A go-to format for students of humanities, the MLA referencing style continues to be confounding for many. While some cannot seem to remember the proper formatting for the MLA style, some are confused over the list of references. However, once you know about the basic rules to follow for this format, things can become a whole lot easier for you.
For all of those wracking your brains over how to write in MLA format, here’s some good news for you. This blog brings all the tips you need to follow when writing in the MLA format. A quick glance over the tips that follow will help you understand the basics of the referencing style.
Sure, there are plenty of MLA citation generators online that can help you with those referencing tasks in the format. But it never hurts to stay a step ahead of the rest and know all about the fundamentals of the style, right?
Read on to know all about the basic rules of MLA referencing that you should keep in mind when writing an academic paper.
· Set the font for your paper at Times New Roman (12 pt.)
· Use only one space after periods.
· Double-space the rest of the paper.
· Set the margins of your paper to one inch on each side.
· Indent the first lines of the paragraphs half an inch from the left margin. (pro tip: use the Tab key to indent lines instead of the Spacebar)
· List out your endnotes on a separate page, right before the bibliography or works cited page.
· Your name should go on the upper left corner of the title page, followed by the name of your professor, the name of the course, and the date in the consecutive lines.
· Put the title of the essay on the line right after the date and align it centrally to the page.
· Insert your last name on the upper right corner of each page, followed by the page numbers. (e.g. Smith – 12)
· Italicize all the titles and sub-headings within the paper for emphasis.
· Number your paper with the format “1. Title of Section 1” for each separate section or chapter.
· Create the bibliography or works cited list on a separate page at the end of your paper.
Keep this blog handy for the times when you have to write an essay or research paper following the MLA citation style. Adhere to the guidelines explained in this blog, and you will be able to nail the paper. Good luck!