College Paper Help©MLA Quick-Start Reference© SheetPaper format
- 1-inch margins; double-spaced throughout; a readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman.
- Header ½ inch from the top, right-aligned: Last name and page number (Smith 1).
- First page, top left, double-spaced: your name, instructor, course, date (5 March 2026).
- Title centered on the next line, in title case; no bold, italics, or underlining. No title page unless required.
- Indent each new paragraph ½ inch.
In-text citations
- Author and page, no comma: (Smith 42).
- Two authors: (Smith and Lee 15). Three or more: (Smith et al. 8).
- Author named in your sentence: Smith argues that … (42).
- No author: use a shortened title in quotation marks or italics: (“Climate Report” 3).
- No page numbers (websites): author only, (Smith).
Quotations
- Short quotes (four lines or fewer) go in quotation marks; the period follows the citation: … (Smith 42).
- Long quotes (more than four lines): a block indented ½ inch, no quotation marks, citation after the final period.
- Use square brackets [ ] for your changes and an ellipsis (…) for words left out.
Works Cited page
- New page titled Works Cited, centered, plain text.
- Alphabetical by author’s last name; double-spaced; ½-inch hanging indent.
- Element order: Author. Title of Source. Title of Container, Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Date, Location.
Works Cited examples
- Book: Smith, Jane. Writing in Context. Oak Press, 2021.
- Journal article: Lee, Ann. “Reading Habits of First-Year Students.” College Literacy, vol. 12, no. 3, 2022, pp. 45–60.
- Website page: Garcia, Luis. “How to Plan a Research Paper.” Writing Center Online, 5 Mar. 2024, www.example.edu/plan.
- No author: “Climate Report Summary.” Science Daily, 2 June 2023, www.example.com/report.
- Chapter in an edited book: Lee, Ann. “Learning to Revise.” Teaching Writing, edited by Jane Smith, Oak Press, 2020, pp. 10–25.
MLA is a trademark of the Modern Language Association. College Paper Help is not affiliated with the MLA. Always follow your instructor’s requirements.