Format Buddy

MLA Format Guide

Master the Modern Language Association (9th Edition) formatting with our comprehensive guide

EssentialsStructureCitationsExamples

The Essentials

These fundamental rules form the backbone of MLA formatting. Master these, and you're halfway there!

Font & Size

Times New Roman, 12pt

This is how your text should look

Spacing

Double-spaced throughout

No extra spaces between paragraphs

Margins

1 inch on all sides

Indentation

½ inch →

First line of each paragraph

Paper Structure

Each element of your paper has its place. Here's how to arrange them perfectly.

Smith1

Student Name

Professor Name

Course Name

Date (Day Month Year)

Creative Title Here

First paragraph of your essay starts here...

Header with last name and page number appears on every page

Citations Guide

Properly credit your sources with these citation formats.

In-Text Citations

Direct Quote:

“The study revealed groundbreaking results” (Smith 42).

Paraphrase:

The research suggests a strong correlation between the variables (Johnson 156).

Multiple Authors:

Recent studies indicate significant findings (Smith and Johnson 23).

Works Cited Entries

Book Format

LastName, FirstName. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

Smith, John. The Digital Age. Tech Press, 2023.

Website Format

LastName, FirstName. “Title of Page.” Website Name, Date, URL.

Johnson, Mary. “Climate Change Effects.” Environmental Science, 15 Jan. 2024, www.example.com/climate.

Live Examples

See MLA formatting in action with these interactive examples.

PaperWorks CitedCitations
Smith 1
John Smith
Professor Johnson
English 101
15 March 2024
“The Impact of Social Media on Modern Communication”
Social media has fundamentally transformed how people communicate in the modern world. According to researchers, “over 4.9 billion people use social media globally” (Wilson 23). This unprecedented level of connectivity has created new opportunities and challenges for interpersonal communication...

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