At one time another, whether for a college writing assignment, to publish a groundbreaking research paper, or when working in a professional environment, you may be asked to write something in the MLA format.

Not sure what the MLA format is? Don’t worry, that’s what this article is about! Keep reading to learn all about this writing structure, how to use it successfully, and how CloudApp can help.

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What is MLA Format?

The MLA format is a document organization structure that was developed and popularized by the Modern Language Association; a collection of American scholars that “promotes the study and teaching of literature.”

The MLA format was first introduced in 1951 as a way for all researchers, scholars, students, and others in the fields of language and literature to structure their research papers and assignments. By adopting one uniform approach to structure, the Modern Language Association hoped to make the consumption of information as easy and streamlined as possible.

The MLA format style guide was most recently updated in 2016. This is the eighth version published by the Modern Language Association since the format was first developed.

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How to Do MLA Format

Now that we have a shared understanding of what the MLA format is, we can begin discussing how to use it. The following nine simple steps will teach you how to craft a document using this formatting structure — no matter which word processor you choose to use.

1. Set your document’s page margins to one inch if they aren’t set to this figure already. One inch is standard for all MLA formatted documents.
2. Choose “Double” for the line spacing of your document. This addition of white space is used to make the consumption of content easier.
3. Select a clear and easily legible font such as Times New Roman and make sure to set it to size 12, the standard font size for all MLA formatted documents.
4. Create an appropriate header that includes your full name, your instructor’s name (if applicable), the course name (if applicable), and the date. You’ll also want to ensure that each page is automatically numbered in the upper right-hand corner.
5. Below the header, type the title of your document and center it. You should use sentence case, which means only the first word of your title and all proper nouns are capitalized.
6. As you write, be sure to indent each new paragraph ½ inch, leave one space after periods and other punctuation points, and only use italics when absolutely necessary. Do not use bold letters or underline your words.
7. You should also know that MLA format in text citation is” done via parenthetical citations and is the same regardless of container (i.g. book or article.)” Each MLA format citation should include the author’s name and the page number.
8. The Modern Language Association also has strict guidelines when it comes to works cited. Fortunately, the good folks at bibme have created an extensive guide. We suggest viewing and following it to the letter.
9. Finally, once your document is written and structured in the MLA format, you can distribute it. Depending on the purpose of your paper, you may be able to do this digitally. But if a hard copy is needed, use white paper (not off-white or ivory) and choose a high-quality, non-cardstock version for printing purposes.

There you have it! Follow these nine easy steps and you’ll be able to submit all of your research papers, class assignments, and other documents in a perfect MLA format.

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MLA Format Examples

It can be difficult to grasp the MLA format without seeing it first hand. With that in mind, we’ve included a couple of MLA format examples for you to view below. Notice how each of the elements previously discussed is included.

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Purdue University