What Is MLA Format?
While your instructor may have specific requirements, the general guidelines for MLA format are as follows:
Size 12 Times New Roman fontDouble-spaced text with no extra spaces between paragraphsOne-inch page margins on all sidesA header with your last name and a page number in the top-right of every pageYour full name, the instructor’s name, the course name, and the due date in the top-left of the first pageA centered title above the body textBody paragraphs begin with a 1/2 inch indentA Works Cited page at the end of the paper
How to Use an MLA Format Template in Google Docs
Google Docs has some templates available that can help users get a jump on formatting documents. The Google Docs Report MLA add-on is one such template. To set up MLA in Google Docs using this template:
How to Do MLA Format on Docs
If you don’t trust using a template, or if you have an altered version of MLA format you must stick to, then you can also set up MLA format in Google Docs manually. Once you’ve set it up, you can also save it as your own, customized template so you don’t have to do it again the next time you need the format.
How to Set MLA Works Cited in Google Docs
The last page of your paper should begin with the words “Works Cited” (without quotation marks) centered below the heading. The format for each works cited entry is different depending on the format of the source. For example, use this format for articles found on the web:
Author name (last, first). “Title.” Publication, Date (day, month, year). URL. Accessed date.
Therefore, an entry for an online news article may appear as follows:
Kelion, Leo. “Coronavirus: UK contact-tracing app is ready for Isle of Wight downloads.” BBC News, 4, May, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52532435. Accessed 8 May 2020.
Sources should be alphabetized by the author’s last name. All works cited entries should have a hanging indent, which means that each line after the first is indented.
How to Create a Hanging Indent in Google Docs
To get a hanging indent in Google Docs for your Works Cited page:
