Paper & Ink

• Use standard, white, 8½-by-11-inch paper.
• Print all text in black ink.

Typography

• Use a single, readable typeface throughout your paper.
  (I strongly recommend that you use either Times New Roman or Georgia.)
• Set the font size for the entire document at 12 points.

Margins

• Set document margins to 1 inch all around (top, bottom, left, and right).
• Left-align all text. Do NOT justify text or hyphenate overflowing words.
• Indent the first line of each new paragraph one-half inch from the left margin.
• Indent set-off quotations one full inch from the left margin.

Spacing

• Double-space the ENTIRE document, including headings, quotations, and the list of works cited.
• Leave one space after a period or other concluding punctuation mark.

Heading & Title

• MLA style does NOT require a cover sheet or a title page—instead, at the top of the first page, list each of the following items on a separate line, flush with the left margin:

  Your name
  Instructor’s name, with appropriate title
  Course title and section number
  Date of submission

• Center and capitalize your title. Do NOT underline, bold-face, italicize, ALL-CAP, or otherwise specially format your title in any way.

Page Numbers

• Insert your last name followed by the page number one-half-inch from the top of every page, flush with the right margin.

Binding

• Staple you paper together with a single staple in the upper left-hand corner.
• Do NOT submit papers in a plastic folder or binder.