MLA 9 Formatting Checklist

Page setup

• Margins: 1 inch on all four sides
• One legible font throughout, most commonly Times New Roman 12 (any readable font where the regular and italic styles clearly differ)
• Double-spaced everywhere, including the heading block and the Works Cited page
• Paragraph “Space Before/After” set to 0 pt (the #1 silent error — Word adds space after paragraphs by default)
• First line of every body paragraph indented 0.5″
• Body text left-aligned with a ragged right edge (do not justify)

First page (MLA has no title page)

no separate title page — the heading block goes on page 1

• Heading block in the top-left of page 1, flush left and double-spaced: your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date
• Date written day-month-year (for example, 15 July 2026)
• Title centered below the heading block, in title case, plain text — no bold, italics, underline, or quotation marks
• Body starts on the next double-spaced line under the title

Header & page numbers

• Your last name and the page number in the top-right of every page (for example, Smith 3), 0.5″ from the top

Headings (optional in MLA)

MLA sets no required heading system — use them only if a longer paper needs them

• Short essays usually use no headings at all
• If you do use headings, MLA prescribes no fixed levels or styles
• Keep any heading scheme you choose consistent in font, size, and placement throughout

In-text citations

• Author–page format with no comma: (Smith 42)
• If you name the author in your sentence, cite just the page: (42)
• No year in an MLA in-text citation (that is APA)
• Every in-text citation has a matching Works Cited entry (and vice versa)

Works Cited page

• Starts on a new page; the title Works Cited centered and in plain text (not bold)
• Entries alphabetized by the first author’s last name
• Hanging indent on every entry — first line flush left, the rest indented 0.5″ (the most-missed rule; it looks fine until an entry wraps)
• Double-spaced, with no extra blank lines between entries
• Italicize titles of longer works (books, journals, websites); use quotation marks for shorter works (articles, chapters, web pages)
• Follow the MLA 9 core-elements order and end each entry with a period