MLA style requires the use of standard paper, double-spaced, with a legible font--it recommends Times New Roman--no larger than 12-pt. Margins of the paper should be set to 1 in. on all sides. The first line of a paragraph should be indented 1/2 in. The MLA recommends using the "Tab" key rather than the space bar. The upper right corner of every page should be numbered, although it is not uncommon for a professor to request omitting numbering on the first page.
MLA style does not include a title page; therefore, the first page should include the author's personal information and the start of the paper. The upper left corner of the first page should include the author's name, instructor's name, course name, and date. All text should be double-spaced. The title should follow, and should be double-spaced, centered and use standard capitalization. A header in the upper right corner should contain the writer's last name, followed by a space, then the page number in Arabic numerals.
All source information provided in the in-text citation must correspond to the source information on a works-cited page at the end of the paper. MLA style uses the writer-page method of in-text citations. This means the cited writer's last name and the page number must appear in both the text and the works-cited page. The page number on which the quote or paraphrase can be found in the text is to be in parentheses. The writer's name can be either inside or outside the parentheses.
The works-cited page appears on a separate page at the end of the paper. It should be headed "Works Cited." Citations are listed alphabetically by the author's last name. Do not list any titles or degrees.
Indent the second line and any subsequent lines of the citation by five spaces. Every work cited should state the medium from which it came; e.g., film, CD, print or websites. If the information is from an on-line database, it is not necessary to provide the full website address.
Avoid footnotes. If they are necessary, include them on a separate page before the works-cited page.
Illustrations also should be avoided, but any charts, tables and other figures should be near the text to which it relates. Provide a centered title with a caption below each figure.