1. Does my paper need a cover page?
No. The Modern Language Association (MLA) does not require you to create a cover page when you complete your research paper. If your instructor requires a cover page, simply follow the instructions here: MLA cover page.
2. Should I bold, italicize, or underline my research paper’s title?
Your research paper’s title should not be bold, italicize or underline. It should be in the same text as your paper. Visit here for an example, under “the opening page“.
3. Do I have to put my last name and page number on every page?
Yes, you must put your last name and page number on every page, including the first page (the opening page) and your Works Cited pages.
4. Do I have to double-space the whole paper?
Yes, you must double-space the whole paper, including the heading, the title and the Works Cited pages. Simply double-space everything, but do not add extra spaces besides the double-space.
5. Do I have to use Times New Roman font?
The MLA does not require you to use Times New Roman as long as the font you choose is easily readable.
6. How do I handle the citation when one author quotes another?
This happens frequently. As in Donald Kagan‘s book, The Peloponnesian War, which often quotes Thucydides. Using MLA format, you may write:
Kagan approvingly quotes Thucydides, who says that Athens acquired this vital site “because of the hatred they already felt toward the Spartans” (qtd. in Kagan 14).
In your Works Cited, you include Kagan but not Thucydides.
7. Some MLA citations, such as newspaper articles, use the names of months. Which ones should I abbreviate and which ones should I spell out?
Use three-letter abbreviations for all but the short names: May, June and July.
8. Instead of Works Cited, can I use Bibliography?
No. The MLA requires your Works Cited page to begin with Works Cited, centered, one inch top margin. Visit here for an example, under #3, the Works Cited page.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Question: On my first page, do I enter my paper’s due date or the day I turn my paper in?
Answer: You enter your paper’s due date, not the day you turn in your paper. Take care.
What is the proper format for both in text reference and Works Cited if a Kindle is used as your book source. I thought the in text was supposed to be (Author, Chapter #, Para. #) and then the works cited was:
Last, First Title Kindle Web. Pub. Date
I was trying to quote my textbook as the source in my paper and apparently my “citations need fixing”. Did I leave something out?
Thanks
How do I cite lecture notes in my paper and in Works Cited?
Eliza
Hello Eliza,
For MLA citations, please visit here http://mlaformat.org/mla-citations/
Works Cited Examples:
Class Notes: Lecturer last name, first name. Class Notes. Course. Location. Date of lecture.
Stewart, Ms. Class Notes. English 3 Honors/IB. Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo. 26 Sept. 2003
Lecture: Speakers Last Name, First Name. “Title of Presentation.” Sponsoring Organization. Location. Date.
Harris, Muriel. “Writing Labs: A Short History.” 2003 Writing Center Conference. National Writing Centers Association. La Swank Hotel, Seattle. 28 Mar. 2003.
Source: Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Cool thanks for the response! :/
I saw under FAQs that it is not permitted to use bibliography instead of works cited. I was wondering who came up with that ‘rule’? Bibliography is the proper term to use when talking about works referred to in the paper.
A paper in MLA, we must use “Works Cited”. It is a MLA Format rule created by the Modern Language Association.
A teacher has requested the paper in MLA-format and asked for an abstract. My understanding is there is not an abstract in an MLA-style paper, only APA. Can you elaborate on this? If it is acceptable in MLA style, should it appear on page 2, as in APA?
Hi Katie,
You are right, the abstract page is available in APA but not in MLA. If your teacher requires you to have one, it is better to check with him/her for advice to make sure you have your paper done exactly as your teacher’s expect. If your paper has a cover page, placing the abstract page on page 2 looks good. Take care!
Where can I find the rule about formatting a movie, book, or article title in my paper? I know some are underlined, italicized, or put in quotes. What is the rule?
Please visit here => see under the subtile “MLA Format Works Cited Templates”. You can also use a generator to generate the Works Cited list automatically for you.
Do the same rules apply for works cited as in the actual paper? My intro includes reference to a movie, an article, a song, and a TV commercial. I’m looking for resources on how I need to differentiate.
In your paper, you would use in-text citations. See examples here.
If I am using several sentences in a row that are paraphrased and from the same source and page, do I have to cite each individual sentence or just the last sentence? It seems wrong to have 3 sentences in a row have the same citation.
If your quote ends in a ? or !, do you put a period after the brackets. ex. “oedipus and willy loman are men!” (luke 1).
Is that right or should there be no period?
Can I use a question as the title of my paper?
Hi Wilson! The title should not be a question. Depending on instructors, you may get a reduced score if you do.