If you’re a student, chances are you’ve been asked to complete an assignment in MLA format. While it may seem daunting at first, there are a few simple steps you can take to make the process easier on yourself, especially if you’re using Google Docs.
Firstly, you can save yourself some time by using Scooper’s free MLA format template for Google Docs (check the link in the description). Once you’re ready to start formatting, you’ll want to choose a font – Times New Roman 12pt is always a safe option.
Next, you’ll need to add a header that includes your last name and page number. To do this, click on the top of the page to open the header, making sure that the font is also set to Times New Roman 12pt. Choose ‘right align’, type in your last name, then go to ‘insert page numbers’ and select the option that displays the page number on the top right corner. The first page should also be numbered.
For the margins, go to ‘file’, ‘page setup’, and set the margins to one inch or 2.54 centimeters. Usually, these are already set to 1 inch by default, but it’s best to double-check just in case.
In MLA format, the entire paper should be double-spaced. To set this, click on the icon and select ‘double’. If you see ‘remove space after paragraph’, click on that as well.
Moving on to the MLA heading, this should be left-aligned and include your name, your professor’s name, the course name, and the due date of the assignment – all on separate lines. Press enter once to send your line and start directly typing your title.
In MLA, we keep things simple and classy, so your title should be as it is, with no need for bold or underline. Capitalize all of the words in your title except for small words like articles, conjunctions, and prepositions.
When it comes to headings and subheadings, there are no strict rules – you only need to be consistent with it. The entire body text should be left-aligned, and for each paragraph, the first sentence should be indented. You can easily set this by using the ruler at the top of the document – simply drag the blue rectangle to have an inch or 1.27 centimeters.
Finally, don’t forget the works cited page, which should start on a separate page. Click ‘insert break’ and select ‘page break’. The works cited title should be center-aligned, and the citations should be alphabetically sorted. You can use Scooper’s free MLA citation generator to generate sources easily – simply copy the entry and format them. For citations that have more than one line of text, make sure to use hanging indents. Use the ruler again – pull the arrow to half an inch, then the rectangle back to zero.
And there you have it – a fully-formatted MLA paper on Google Docs! If you want to know more about how to cite in MLA, check out the article linked below.