MLA (Modern Language Association) format is the commonly accepted form of writing an English paper. It has definitive guidelines on formatting, font, font size, titles, headers, page numbers, and everything in between. It is crucial that every student of English be VERY comfortable with these guidelines. During the course of the year, this skill will become second nature; however, I will include the proper MLA formatting guidelines below. This skill will follow you right into college, as all English papers will be expected to be formatted this way.
Margins
Spacing
Heading
Title
Font and Size
Page Numbers
Here's what it looks like on a paper:
Margins
- Leave the margins set on the default
- Don't try to push the margins in to make the paper appear longer (I will notice immediately)
Spacing
- Double space the entire document
- I recommend doing this immediately upon opening a new Word document
Heading
- Your name
- Your teacher's name
- Class name (Literacy 8)
- Date (ex: 9 September 2012)
Title
- Center (and bold) your title under your heading
Font and Size
- Your entire document will be 12 point Times New Roman font - NO EXCEPTIONS!
Page Numbers
- If your paper is more than one page double spaced, you should include a header and page number
- Top right hand corner (Last name #)
Here's what it looks like on a paper: