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MLA Paper Templates

Below you will find templates for MLA Style papers. Click the link to make a copy of the file. 

  • Google Docs: To make a copy of this template you must first sign in to your Google account. After you’re signed in, click file and then click “make a copy.”
  • Microsoft Word: To make a copy of this template, simply download the file. 

MLA Style Papers

Things to know before you begin

The information in this guide comes directly from the MLA Handbook (9th Ed.). Instructors may have requirements that differ from this so always be sure to consult your assignment guidelines for course-specific formatting.

  • Font: An easily readable typeface (Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, etc...) that is maintained throughout the paper.
  • Font Size: 11-13 point 
  • Margins:  1 inch
  • Paragraphs: All paragraphs should be indented.
  • Spacing: All of the text in your paper should be double-spaced.

Typical MLA style papers have two sections:

  1. Main Body
  2. Works Cited

See the tabs below for a breakdown of how each portion should be formatted.

Sample of an accurately formatted MLA style main body page

Always consult your assignment guidelines for course-specific formatting.

 

  • Your paper should have your name, your instructor's name, the class name, and the due date in the top left corner of the page. It should be double spaced and use the same font type and size as the rest of your paper.
  • The title of your paper should be centered on the first line after your heading. It should be in Title Case and use the same font type and size as the rest of your paper.
  • Place your last name and page numbers in the header in the same font type and size as the rest of your paper. Be sure to use the header function, do not type this into the body of your paper.

Sample of an accurately formatted MLA style Works Cited page

  • Center the words "Works Cited" on the first line of a new page. If you only have a single reference, use "Work Cited" instead.
  • Your citations should be alphabetical.
  • All entries should be double-spaced with no extra lines between them.
  • Be sure to use a hanging indent for any citations that require more than one line. 

Sample Papers

Below you will find an example of an accurately formatted MLA Style student paper. 

 

When to Use Italics

How do I format the title of a book in my paper?

Copy the title as it is written on the book's title page making sure to use Italicized Title Case. (See section 2.89 of The MLA Handbook 9th edition)

ex: Othermindedness: The Emergence of Network Culture was written by Michael Joyce, and first published in 2001. 

 
These types of materials have italicized titles*: Examples:
Apps Twitter, Spotify
Books & plays Kiss of the Spider Woman, Hamlet
Court cases Marbury v. Madison
Films & Movies The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Journals, magazines, periodicals, & newspapers Media, Culture & Society, Harvard Business Review, The Boston Globe
Music albums or compilations When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, The Ring Cycle
Podcasts & radio programs Serial, All Things Considered
Television or streaming series The Good Place, Good Omens
Video games (but not board or card games) Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Visual and performing arts (do not italicize the type of visual art) We Come in Peace (sculpture), The Nutcracker
Websites Merriam-Webster, Nike, YouTube

* See section 2.107 of the MLA Handbook (9th edition) for a complete list of materials that should be italicized.

When to Use Quotation Marks

How do I format the title of an article in my paper?

Copy the title as it is written on the article itself making sure to use Title Case and place the "Title of the Article" in quotation marks.

ex: Melissa Healey's 2019 article in the Los Angeles Times, "Opioid Addiction can be Overcome with Mindfulness, Study Suggests," discusses ways in which individuals are treating their addictions. 

 

 
These types of materials have titles in quotation marks*: Examples:
Articles (journals, magazines, periodicals, & newspapers) "It's Not Such a Small World After All: Introducing Older Adults to Virtual Reality"
Book chapters “The Caribbean, or the Feminine Face of Multiculturalism”
Encyclopedia entries "Etruscan"
Episodes of television or streaming series "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers"
Lectures "The Future of the Public Mission of Universities"
Poems "The Hill We Climb"
Short stories "The Lottery"
Songs & music videos "What a Wonderful World"
Web pages “Central America: Haiti”

* See section 2.109 of the MLA Handbook (9th edition) for a complete list of materials that should be in quotation marks.

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