MLA Format Guide
Master MLA 9th edition formatting for academic papers
What is MLA Format?
MLA (Modern Language Association) format is a citation style primarily used in literature, language, and humanities courses. The current version is MLA 9th edition, which provides guidelines for:
- Paper formatting and layout
- In-text citations
- Works Cited page
- Heading and title formatting
MLA Paper Format Requirements
Font and Spacing:
- Times New Roman 12pt font
- Double spacing throughout
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- Left-aligned text
Header and Headings:
- Last name and page number in header
- First page heading with name, instructor, course, date
- Centered title (no bold, underline, or italics)
- Section headings if required
MLA In-Text Citations
Basic Format:
(Author Page#)
Examples:
- Single Author: (Smith 45)
- Multiple Authors: (Johnson and Brown 123)
- No Author: ("Article Title" 67)
- Electronic Source: (Author)
MLA Works Cited Examples
Book:
Author, First Name. Book Title. Publisher, Year.
Journal Article:
Author, First Name. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. ##-##.
Website:
Author, First Name. "Page Title." Website Name, Date, URL.
MLA Formatting Checklist
- 12pt Times New Roman font
- Double spacing throughout
- 1-inch margins
- Header with last name and page #
- Proper heading format
- Centered title
- Correct in-text citations
- Alphabetized Works Cited
Automatic MLA Formatting
Formatting your paper in MLA style manually can be tedious and error-prone. QuickAPA automatically formats your entire document according to MLA 9th edition guidelines, including:
- Proper font, spacing, and margins
- Header and heading formatting
- In-text citation correction
- Works Cited page formatting
- Title and section heading styles
- Complete compliance checking