MLA 9th Style Guide: How should I start?

Step 1 – Set up your paper as an MLA paper before you start to write. Microsoft Word can help you start your paper in the MLA format. To do this:

1. Click “File”
2. Click “New”
3. Type “MLA” in the Microsoft Word templates search box and hit Enter.

Step 2 – Before you begin to write the essay, make a list of all the sources you have found through research that you will use in the essay. This page is called the Works Cited page.

Step 3 – Write a rough draft of the essay and mark where you used information (ideas, quotations, or paraphrasing) from a source. This is called in-text citation. See examples in this guide.