Set your spacing to double-space. Set your margins to one inch. On the top right side of your paper, write your name, hit "enter" or "return" on your keyboard, then type the name of your instructor, again hit "enter," and type the name of the class you're writing the essay for. After hitting "enter" once more, write the date, month and year. At the top right of your essay should be your last name followed by the page number. Your last name and the page number should appear on every page of your essay. The beginning of every paragraph should be indented four spaces.
Write your first paragraph to convince your reader that your topic is relevant. Provide a preview of what you will explore in more depth later in your essay. Often, the last sentence of your introductory paragraph will state your main argument. This line is called the "thesis." Your body paragraphs, which are every paragraph in your essay aside from the introductory and conclusion paragraphs, should include transition phrases to introduce new ideas and a topic sentence to state each paragraph's main idea. Support those main ideas with facts, examples and concrete details. Also, summarize each paragraph with a concluding sentence. For quotations more than four lines, indent the entire quote 10 spaces. The sentence before the quote should end with a colon.
Cite research information and new opinions that end up in your work or influence it. Include both in-text citations and a "works cited" page that lists your sources of information. MLA has different requirements for citations depending on the types of sources you refer to in your essay, so consult a current MLA Handbook to make sure you are compliant. The "works cited" section begins a separate page. Title this page "Works Cited" and center it. The first line of each entry here should be at your left margin. Indent all other lines five spaces. Alphabetize on this page all the works you have cited, but keep in mind that each text has different citation requirements.