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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 }
  • Joanna February 19, 2020, 4:55 pm

    Google document helps me a lot.

  • Wilson Luke February 19, 2020, 3:24 pm

    Very helpful thank you very much!

  • Chris Heine February 18, 2020, 4:49 pm

    I found out, that this is very helpful.

  • Geneia Aiaj February 18, 2020, 1:44 am

    Using google docs is very convenience than using Microsoft word. It is easier to do works; saves times and is very safe to use in terms of sudden power outages. All your works will automatically saved. Also it is very easy to cite the sources.

  • Carlton Kiluwe February 12, 2020, 5:58 pm

    I find this helpful, I mean it was kind of confusing, because usually I use Word processing but I’m glad I learned to do Formatting Styles using Google Docs today.

  • Cyril Kiluwe February 12, 2020, 5:56 pm

    Google Doc work better for because it much easier and more faster rather then I using Word doc. Google doc can be really useful for me for when the time come.

  • Zachaias February 12, 2020, 5:55 pm

    I think that Google Docs is more convenient than MS Word for writing research papers.

  • Brandon Obet December 11, 2019, 10:10 am

    I think it is much easier when we use MLA style format in google doc because we don’t have to fill out the citation form on Microsoft Word. We can just click the
    create bibliography and it will automatic fill the citation form. There’s no hard work when it comes to google doc when we are making work cited. Thanks for making me realized that things on google doc is much easier.

  • Brandon Obet December 11, 2019, 9:33 am

    i find this very helpful

  • PRAISE JETNIL December 11, 2019, 5:25 am

    I find it helpful. It’ll really help students on how the MLA format is set up. It’ll help students in their English courses.

  • mina torelik December 8, 2019, 4:37 pm

    both Google Doc and MS word are useful when writing essay, references paper, love letter, and etc..

  • Rita Lewis December 3, 2019, 10:38 pm

    I find this very helpful.

  • Ruth Naisher December 3, 2019, 6:09 pm

    I feel like google doc would be my go to because it’s pretty easy to use. And it automatically saves your file!

  • Caroline Mazurek December 3, 2019, 2:41 pm

    So very helpful!

  • Mina Watak December 3, 2019, 7:34 am

    i think this is helpful

  • Bentoly Robert December 2, 2019, 8:07 pm

    For what I believe about MLA format Google Doc, it really similar to Word Document. but difference is that there are lots step to follow not like word document.

  • Roselina Lamille December 2, 2019, 7:28 pm

    This MLA tutorial helps me a lot because some of them i didn’t know to make.

  • Natalia November 22, 2019, 9:52 pm

    This helped me so much you don’t even understand, my teacher gave me a 5 page essay yesterday and it’s due today. I didn’t understand anything she was trying to explain to us and this helped soooo much. THANK YOU!!!!

  • reham majed November 22, 2019, 9:54 am

    Thank you so much…it helped me a lot. This time I’m getting an A+ for sure.

  • Carl Gallagher November 7, 2019, 8:30 pm

    helps alot

  • Jimmy November 1, 2019, 5:37 pm

    Hey, that’s pretty good!

  • Jose Rodriguez October 27, 2019, 9:42 pm

    Loved it was so specific and gave photos. Thanks a lot

  • someone who writes October 24, 2019, 6:40 pm

    Thanks! So detailed and helped me when writing in MLA format. My English teacher sent us this link so a lot of people are seeing this. Super helpful.

  • jack daniels October 22, 2019, 8:49 pm

    good. help me do work. thank. you.

  • Calista Ward October 11, 2019, 11:24 am

    This was a very helpful thing to read, I’m grateful that my teacher said that this might help us whenever we need to use the MLA format correctly.

  • elizabeth crofty October 1, 2019, 9:40 pm

    Y’all are very helpful in allowing me to properly write my first college paper. Keep doing what y’all doing!

  • cindy kotton September 27, 2019, 7:15 am

    there are many ways you can say when compering and contracting between MS and Google docs. these two program are same because they both allow you use document word with many style even MLA. also they use almost all same font. you can even installed Google docs to use as a word document. they both can be use when offline. but in some ways Google docs is way up better than MS. this is because Google docs has more offer for users than MS. Its also easy to use when it comes to online and makes sources. google docs can be better than MS in a way you use when saving files. its more safety than MS.

  • cindy kotton September 25, 2019, 12:04 am

    Mmm this really makes me want to use Docs more than WS when writing my essay or letter or anything.

  • Danny Jack September 24, 2019, 4:24 pm

    Wow! It seems like I am having more understanding on how to use google doc. The directions make me feel more understand google doc process.

  • pizza rolls September 21, 2019, 1:44 pm

    very helpful thank you very much !!!

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