Instructions for Formatting an MLA paper on Windows Vista later.docx
Instructions for Formatting an MLA paper on Windows XP (or earlier)
Instructions for Formatting an MLA paper on Windows Vista later
Open a Word Document.
On the MENU BAR, select PAGE LAYOUT.
Select PAGE SETUP (by using the small arrow in the bottom right corner of the Page Layout tab).
On the MARGINS tab, set the margins to 1” (top, bottom, left, right, with gutter 0 and left).
On the LAYOUT tab, make sure the header and footer are set to 0.5”.
Click OK
On the MENU BAR, select PAGE LAYOUT.
Select PARAGRAPH
Under SPACING, set the line spacing to DOUBLE.
CHECK the box that reads “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style.”
Click OK
Type the following on separate lines, beginning on the first line, justified left.
Your Name
Your Instructor’s Name (i.e., Ms. Ballard)
Class (include period and section, such as English IV, First Block)
the date (or due date) in day, month, year format (i.e., 20 January 2011)
On the next line, center your title of the essay. Do not include any additional space between the date and title or between the title and the first line of the essay.
Note: Your essay / paper will begin on the next line, left-aligned and indented.
On the MENU BAR, select INSERT
Select HEADER
Choose the blank header.
With your cursor still in the header, select INSERT from the MENU BAR again.
Select HEADER.
Hover over the page numbers, and choose the third one down.
Set numbers to be at the top, right, and showing on the first page.
Once you select that option, type your last name so that it appears before (and right next to with one space) the page number: Ballard 1.
Change the font to match your document if necessary.
Hit CLOSE or double click on the body of the document to close the header.
If you want, you can go ahead and set up your file to have your Works Cited page ready by following the next steps. Your essay/paper will come before the Works Cited page, but the Works Cited page should be numbered consecutively with the rest of the paper. For instance, if your essay ends on page three, then the WC page will begin on page four. It is part of the same document, not a separate one.
If you are creating an Annotated Bibliography, then you will skip the page break step below (#5) and begin your entries. Furthermore, you will not have a title as indicated above, unless specified by the instructor. You can simply call it Annotated Bibliography.
To start a new page for the works cited, select INSERT on the MENU BAR.
Select PAGE BREAK.
Note: The break will occur at the point where your cursor is, so be sure of the placement of your cursor before you do this step.
CENTER the words Works Cited. (or Annotated Bibliography, if that is what you are working on)
Return to left alignment on the next line. (No additional spacing is required. Also, do not add any additional spacing between each entry of the works your cite.
On the MENU BAR, select PAGE LAYOUT.
Select PARAGRAPH.
For INDENTATION, go to SPECIAL and choose HANGING (at 0.5”).
Click OK.
The works cited should be in alphabetical order by the first word (last name, title, whatever) that appears in each entry.