Emma Flores knows all about formatting standards. She shares with StudyCrumb readers tips on creating academic papers that will meet high-quality standards.
MLA Style Manual is an official guide that has been published by the association since 1977. Currently, the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook serves as a universal formatting standard for a great number of academic works.
In the present blog, we will provide you with a clear and comprehensive guide on MLA formatting. Our guidelines include format standards for heading, tables, illustrations, and much more. Follow these easy guidelines for smooth and correct academic formatting!
If you are experiencing any trouble with your academic writing or formatting, you can always delegate your assignment to StudyCrumb paper writers.
General MLA guidelines define the rules of formatting for the main body of your work. The current standards are defined by the latest MLA Style guide that was released in 2016. Here are some of the major provisions you need to take into account:
Note that some of the rules may be slightly altered in specific cases. Make sure that you understand all the formatting rules before getting started.
Also, a writer needs to consider a number of sub-requirements designed for minor formatting elements. Those requirements include rules designed for sub-headings, tables, numeration, etc. Such standards are obligatory for writers, so it will be helpful to go an extra mile learning them as well.
MLA header format requires at least 2 elements included on every page — number and author’s name. The name is aligned to the right, ½ inch below the top of the page. It has to be included on every page, including the first page. At the same time, the text has to be aligned to the right. Do not use italics or any other excessive formatting unless it is required so by the instructor.
It is not hard to learn how to write numbers in MLA paper format. According to the 8th edition, rules allow both Roman and Arabic numerals. Also, you are allowed to write numerals in words. However, some instructors may have their own preferences. So it is always better to double-check before writing.
There are several important rules for formatting tables in MLA you need to know. Firstly, all tables and illustrations should be placed as close to the relevant text as it is technically possible. Most tables feature a number and a descriptive caption. Both titles are capitalized, the number of the tables is indicated first, and the caption comes above. The sources related to the table are written in lowercase letters under the table.
If you need to include illustrations of any other visuals, they are labeled as “Figure” or “Fig”. Any illustrations have to be numbered. The illustration and figures have to be placed in a consecutive order according to the numeration.
And finally, we will learn how to make a Works Cited page in an MLA paper. There are just several principal rules to keep in mind:
Still, it is always a good idea to ask the instructor if some specific rules had been established.
We hope that this compendious and straight-to-business format guide was helpful. If you have any questions, you can also double-check the latest style guide online.
In MLA works you have to stick to the 12 pt font size. This size is recognized as general and can not be altered at your own discretion.
The latest MLA Handbook is the 8th edition. It was released back in 2016.
In-text citations in MLA format are highlighted with quotation marks. Depending on the quotation type and purpose, it can be either included in the text or formatted as a separate piece of text.
There are no strict rules considering the MLA format cover page formatting and style. However, there may be some local rules that are required by a certain university or academic institution. In most cases, MLA title page is composed according to the following rules:
Note, sometimes the title page may be unnecessary at all. It depends on local rules and the instructor's personal preferences.
When you are creating an MLA pape heading, you should stick to several simple rules. Here are the things you should Include in the upper left corner:
Now that your heading is ready, double space and insert a title. Here are the rules you should keep in mind when working on the MLA paper title:
In any case, it will also be good to ask an instructor if there are some additional rules of formatting.
MLA section headings and subheadings are mainly used by writers to add readability to the paper. You can use bold or italicize your headings if you want to make them stand out. It is acceptable to use numerals with headings. You can use either regular or fractional numerals in the paper. However, you can leave your subheadings unnumbered as well. If you are using one of those structural elements, make sure that you use the same formatting all along with the text.
Comments
We are here to help you. Here is the MLA format of a book citation:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Edition, Publisher, Year of publication.
Note that the title should be italicized. If you want to include in-text citation, follow this format:
(Author’s Last Name Page)
So it will look like this in the example: (Roberts 19)
Hope this helps!