What is MLA?

MLA = Modern Language Association and it is simply a style / format. Your typed essay will
follow guidelines, appearing a certain way. MLA also has a format for your in-text citations and
Works Cited page.

MLA Guidelines:

Spacing - double font- Times New Roman font size-12

Margins- 1 around cover page? NO!!! use of bold? NO!!!!

The heading is the top-left corner of the first page only. It contains four things:

Student name, English 8, Ms. Garvin, the date (day month year)

The header is at the top-right (in the margin inch down, every page) and has two things:

Student last name and page number of the essay

What are in-text citations?

Information used in the body paragraphs along with citing the source.

Citations usually have two things: last name of the author of the source & page number information
was found on

In-text citations are placed in parenthesis after a quote / paraphrase.

The last page of the essay will be a Works Cited page. What is the Works Cited page?

A list of sources used.

What information is found in the Works Cited page?

All source info authors, titles, web sites, dates of publication and access, etc.

Example of an internet article cited on a Works Cited page:

Castillo, Michelle. FCC Passes Ruling to Protect Net Neutrality. Time.com Time, 21 Dec.

2010. Web. 5 Nov. 2012.