How to Write an MLA Format Essay
MLA Format is one of the most common homework assignments you’ll be assigned not just in high school but also in college. The format is popular with humanities and social sciences papers.
There are specific MLA rules for quoting, paraphrasing, and creating Works Cited entries. This guide will take you through the basics of MLA formatting. We’ll also explain how to create a well-formatted paper in no time. Let’s get started!
How should an MLA Essay look like?
Just like studying strategies that can help you perform well in exams, when writing an MLA format essay, there are important things you need to keep in mind. First and foremost, MLA stands for Modern Language Association and is the standard format for writing papers in liberal arts and humanities.
An MLA essay is typically double-spaced with one-inch margins, uses a 12-point font, and includes a header with the author’s last name and page number flush with the right margin. In terms of what differentiates an MLA format essay from other essays, it is typically how sources are cited.
In MLA format, all sources must be listed on a Works Cited page at the end of the paper, and each source must be properly formatted. For example, when citing a book, you would include the author’s last name, first name, the book’s title, publisher, publication year, and page range.
When citing a website, you would include the author’s last name (if available), website title, date of publication (if available), URL, and date accessed. As you can see, there are a few differences in how you would cite various types of sources.
Main Guidelines for Formatting an MLA Format Essay
One of the main reasons why you may want to buy essay online when assigned MLA format paper assignment is the guidelines. To format an essay in MLA style, you need to follow certain conventions. Here are the main MLA paper guidelines:
- Create a Works, Cited Page
Before you start writing your essay, you will need to create a Works Cited page. This page should include each sources you used in research. To create a Works Cited page, you will need the following information for each source:
- Author’s name
- Title of work
- Publisher
- Publication date
- Set Up Newspaper Pages
The next step is to set up your pages correctly. It is important that your paper has 1-inch margins. This should be on all sides.
Also, be sure to include a header with your last name as well as the page number which should be on the upper right corner of every page, and be double-spaced throughout. On the first page of your paper, you will need to include your name, your instructor’s name, the course number and section, and the date on separate double-spaced lines in the upper left corner of the page.
Then, skip a line and insert your paper’s title centered on the page. Skip another line and begin your essay.
- Begin In-Text Citations
Whenever you use a direct quote or paraphrase from another source in your paper, you will need to insert an in-text citation. An in-text citation will look like this: (Author’s Last Name X).
The X indicates where you will insert the relevant information from your Works Cited entry. For example, if you were quoting from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, your in-text citation would look like this: (Twain 34).
The number 34 indicates that the quote can be found on page 34 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. If you paraphrase from this same work, your in-text citation would look like this: (Twain).
- End with a Works Cited Entry
Once you have finished writing your paper, you will need to add a Works Cited entry for each source you used at the end of your paper. A Works Cited entry should look like this: Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Work.”
Title of Container (such as a book or anthology), vol. number (if it is part of a multivolume work), ed. First Name Last Name of editor (if there is one), Publisher Name often shortened, Publication Date, pagination if available (such as pp. 225–250).
Medium of Publication such as Print or Web. The date you accessed the resource if available such as day, month year (28 May 2020). URL or other location information, such as DOI number if available such as https://doiNumberGoesHere/10..1234/abcd1234..5678/abcd1234..5678/.
If you need help with formatting your paper or creating your Works Cited page, you may want to hire a professional college MLA essay writer to assist you. Check to ensure that they’re familiar with MLA formatting before hiring them.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to write an MLA format essay, you can begin working on your own assignment! Always remember to create a Works Cited page before you start writing so that all of your sources are correctly documented, and be sure to use in-text citations whenever you use direct quotes or paraphrases from another source!
