MLA Page Formating
On this page you will learn about how to format a page following MLA guidelines
Why is page formatting important?
The Modern Language Association has guidelines for page formatting, as do the other types of citation (APA, Chicago, etc.). But you may be asking yourself, why is page formatting important in academic writing?
Shows you can follow instructions: A properly formatted paper goes a long way in making your assignment show that you have invested effort and have followed the directions!
Provides consistency: When a page is formatted in a uniform way, it allows the reader to quickly locate the information they are looking for, and also helps you, the author, ensure all information is provided.
Practice in adhering to standards: Everywhere you go in life you will find certain standards you need to follow. Following MLA page formatting gives you practice in adhering to standards set upon you.
With that out of the way, it is time to explore what MLA page formatting looks like!
MLA Page Formatting Requirements
The image to the left shows and describes what MLA page formatting looks like.
MLA Requires Documents to...
Have a proper heading
Use no special font format for the title of the paper, just centered (12 point, Times new Roman)
Have text that is double spaced
Use one inch margins on all sides (default on most word processing applications)
Use indented paragraphs. The first sentence of each paragraph is indented.
Proper formatting of the page allows the reader the optimal reading experience, delivering them pages of text that are easy to read.
By standardizing the format of academic work, it removes any possible confusions related to the format choices of individual authors and keeps the focus on the content of the work itself.
