Creating an MLA Format Template
This is a blank Word Document (in 2021)
You will be doing most of your work off of this top toolbar:
The first step, from the Home tab, is to format your Font off of this menu. This is the Word default font.
For MLA format, you’ll likely want to switch this font to 12 point Times New Roman using the drop-down menus.
NOTE: Double check with your teacher before switching to Times New Roman font. The 12-point font is standard, but some teachers may give you the option of keeping the font Calibri, or, because Calibri is more ADA compliant, the teacher may prefer Calibri. Always give the teacher the font that is asked for in the instructions/rubric.
The next step to making this an MLA paper is changing the spacing. Still in the Home tab, the spacing change is done through the Paragraph menu located about the middle of the top-of-the-page bar.
Notice that tiny little box in the lower right-hand corner with an arrow pointing down and to the right. Click that box, and you’ll get this menu:
About two-thirds of the way down this box, you’ll see the spacing options. This is the default:
In order to make your paper MLA compliant, you’ll need to change the settings to these, and check the “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style” box, and then click the OK button at the bottom of the menu:
The next, and perhaps most difficult step, is to insert a header that will appear at the top of every page except the first one. In order to do that, you must first click the Insert tab in your toolbar. It’s located next to the Home tab.
Just to the right of the midway point, you’ll notice a Header & Footer option.
Click on the Header option, and you’ll get a dropdown menu. The best way to insert the header properly is to drop down to the second option, “Blank (Three Columns)” and click that. Once you’ve selected that option, the top of your page should look like this:
Highlight the first two [Type text] options and hit the delete key to delete those brackets. It’s very important that you delete those two columns because if you don’t, then your final paper will have those bracketed words on the top of every page, which will be a penalty. Once you’ve deleted those two brackets, your header should now look like this:
Next, highlight within that bracket and type in your LAST NAME ONLY. Do not include your first name. Then TAP THE SPACE KEY ONE TIME. Your header should now look like this:
NOTE: Type your actual last name. DO NOT type in the words “Last Name.”
In MLA format, you will want your pages numbered consecutively. Staying on the header, you’ll notice that this box has moved to the far left of the toolbar. Click on the Page Number option.
You’ll get another drop-down menu. In the drop down menu, go down to the fourth option to select “Current Position.” Another dropdown menu will appear, and you’ll select “Plain Number.” In MLA format, you do not want any kind of a fancy header. Your header should now look like this (of course it will have your last name, not mine):
Next, in MLA format, the header DOES NOT appear on the first page. Therefore, you’ll need to make that header disappear on the first page. That’s easy. On your toolbar while still in the header tab, look for this box just below the Header & Footer Tools tab, check the “Different First Page” option, and watch your header vanish!!
Once you’ve completed these steps, you can now exit the header so that you can type your paper. To exit the header menu, just look for one of these big red buttons on the far right of the toolbar and click it. You’ll be back in your document again.
Your paper is now correctly formatted in the MLA style. You can go ahead and type your paper knowing that you will get full credit for the formatting portion of the rubric.