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MLA Format Google Docs

This tutorial will show you how to do MLA Format using Google Docs on Google Drive. It is very easy and we are going to accomplish the following settings:

There are two methods:

– Method 1, to use a Google Template with settings pre-configured
– Method 2, to perform the settings yourself (recommended)

Method 1: Using a Google Template:

  1. On the Google Docs menu, click on File => New => From Template.
    googledocs-mlatemplate
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see many professional templates.
  3. Scroll all the way down
  4. Under the Education category, click on the template that says “Report MLA
  5. The template will be copied to your Google Drive and you are ready to type your essay.

Method 2: How to Perform all of the Settings Yourself:

I. How to Set the Font and Size:

  1. When you create a new document, the default font is Arial and size 11.
    googledocs-fontandsize
  2. Click on the font and change it to Times New Roman.
  3. Click on font size 11 and change it to font size 12.
    googledocs-fontandsize2

II. How to Set the Margins in Google Docs:

Google uses the default margin of 1 inch for all top, right, bottom & left so there is no need to change.

If you would like to verify the margins, here are the steps: click on File => Page Setup

googledocs-pagesetup-margins

III. How To Create a Header in Google Docs:

  1. Click on Insert => click on Header & page number => click on Header.
    googledocs-header
  2. Notice the font on the Header is NOT Times New Roman => change the font to Times New Roman and font size 12.
  3. Notice the cursor is blinking on the left, click on the Right Align icon to align the cursor to the right.
    googledocs-header2
  4. Press the Enter key on your keyboard twice.
  5. Type your Last Name => press the Spacebar key on the keyboard once.
  6. Click on Insert => Header & page number => Page number => then click on the first box.
    googledocs-header3
  7. Now click on anywhere below the Header line to close the Header.

IV. How to Setup Line Spacing to Double Spaced:

  1. Click on the Line Spacing button => Choose Double.
    googledocs-line-spacing-doublespaced

V. How to Enter the First Page Information:

  1. Type your full name => press Enter.
  2. Type your professor’s name => press Enter.
  3. Type course title => press Enter.
  4. Type your paper’s due date => press Enter.
  5. Click on the Align Center icon on the formatting toolbar (to center your blinking cursor) => Type the title of your paper, capitalizing the first letter and all major words and proper nouns. Do not use italics, boldfaced type, underlining, or all caps to format your title. Do not type a period at the end of the title => press Enter.
  6. Click on the Align Left icon (to bring your blinking cursor to the left).
  7. Click on the Tab key to indent 1/2 inch to begin your first paragraph. Use the Tab key on every next new paragraphs. Your completed setting should look like this:googledocs-firstpage-mla

VI. How to Setup the Works Cited Page:

Follow this how-to when you are ready to work on your Works Cited page. The Works Cited page has the following characteristics:

  • A heading “Works Cited” centered one inch below the top edge of a new page. Do not bold or underline this heading.
  • No indent on the first line of each entry. If an entry runs more than one line, indent the subsequent line or lines 1/2 inch from the left margin.
  • Alphabetize entries in your list of works cited by the author’s last name, using the letter-by-letter system.
  1. Immediately after typing the final line of your paper, click on Insert => Page Break (to begin a new page).
  2. Click on the align center icon so that the text is centered.
  3. Type Works Cited (do not underline, boldface, italicize, or enclose the title in quotation marks).
  4. Press the Enter key once to begin a new line.
  5. Click on the align left icon so that the text is aligned left.
  6. Now type your sources. Don’t worry about indentation on the subsequent line/lines yet.
  7. Once you are done typing your sources => highlight all your sources => click on the Left Indent icon and drag it to the 1/2 inch mark.
    googledocs-workscited-hangingindent
    googledocs-hangingindent2
  8. Now click on the First Line Indent icon and drag it to 0 inch mark. You are done setting the Hanging Indent for Google Docs.
    googledocs-hangingindent3

You are done with the settings. I hope you found this tutorial helpful. Take care!

{ 216 comments… add one }
  • Sicily Jenkins September 19, 2019, 8:45 pm

    This was extremely helpful for me to type my report correctly. I thought you would like to know that I appreciate the time it took for you guys to write this, and overall, thought this was very useful. Thank you.

  • Magdalene Rose September 18, 2019, 9:25 pm

    Cool beans. Thanks. This is very useful.

  • dora davis September 17, 2019, 2:20 pm

    thanks

  • Chris September 17, 2019, 8:49 am

    thanks

  • carol George September 15, 2019, 8:27 pm

    Thank you, it is very helpful.

  • Billson W. Emos September 12, 2019, 10:28 pm

    google doc is very helpful and it is faster then microsoft and it helps me get my works finish on due dates

  • Ruth Naisher September 11, 2019, 8:38 pm

    Very helpful, thank you!

  • melia landero September 9, 2019, 10:13 pm

    At first i didn’t understand anything at all but as long as i read and go through all the reading, i finally can make on my own. i am glad i know how to use MLA format and all the step that guide us to do our papers format.

  • RDD September 3, 2019, 11:16 am

    never would have figured out this alone, and thanks for making one about google docs and not a windows program!

  • Cole August 28, 2019, 6:50 pm

    Thank you so much, very helpful!

  • Valentina D Solis August 27, 2019, 8:41 pm

    You’re the best!!!!

  • John August 17, 2019, 9:03 pm

    Thank you

  • Jack August 5, 2019, 10:52 am

    I love you

    • Person September 3, 2019, 11:11 am

      U luv a website that just help u with 1 thing, alright then

  • matthew July 25, 2019, 6:26 pm

    very helpful

  • Jeff May 23, 2019, 12:41 pm

    thank you

  • Jakob Anguiano May 23, 2019, 11:58 am

    MLA was helpful

  • Ryan April 16, 2019, 9:54 pm

    Thanks so much! I needed this so badly for my paper recently.

  • Isaac Morgan April 10, 2019, 12:15 pm

    good

  • Christina Gideon March 18, 2019, 3:35 pm

    I think this link is a lot more easier and very simple to understand. Not only that is easy to understand so fast but it is helpful in many ways for student to format.

  • Billy March 18, 2019, 11:12 am

    OMG GUYS ME TOOOOOO!

  • Iklang Jacob March 17, 2019, 11:52 pm

    It is easy to use and we should apply or use it in our writing assignment. It’s totally helpful writing format.

  • Stephanie March 13, 2019, 7:17 pm

    This link helped a lot because it provided us steps into creating a MLA format document in Google Docs. I think using google docs will help us through our college career because when we have computer problems, our work will not be lost but automatically saved into google drive.

  • iklang Jacob March 11, 2019, 2:57 am

    I have read the link and i see that it is very helpful.

  • Michael Bailor March 4, 2019, 5:54 pm

    This is my first time in making a MLA format . And it does give me explanation and steps. It is good because this college mostly used MLA format to make assignments.

  • Kimoko February 25, 2019, 11:10 pm

    Useful for any student using MLA format!

  • Roselynn Joseph February 13, 2019, 11:17 pm

    thank you

  • Fancy February 12, 2019, 7:06 pm

    After all I read now I know how MLA is very important to me.. Also I just know how to used MLA formatting, headlines, how to setup to cited, included front and size.

  • Ayri February 11, 2019, 10:28 am

    thanks this really helped me meet my assignment

  • Mije Joutha February 6, 2019, 6:05 pm

    MLA is helpful

  • chanelle Laukon February 4, 2019, 4:02 pm

    Easy to understand! although we think its hard, but by reading the MLA format, it simple gives us the steps of how to do and the ways of doing our papers!
    It briefly gives an understandable steps and explanation of setting the work cited page which is at the end, including the headings, their font size and inches etc…

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