MLA Thesis Format and Structure Explained with Examples

We have explained these formatting rules in detail below; they are worth reading if you want to master these principles to write your MLA thesis.

MLA format is a formatting and citing style that provides composition guidelines for your thesis and other academic papers, just like other structuring styles like APA and Chicago. MLA format is usually used for humanities subjects like arts, philosophy, and languages. However, some topics use APA (education, psychology) and Chicago formatting (history). As MLA thesis format is a commonly used structure and citation style in humanities, you might need to write it at some stage of your degree.

In this article, we will discuss the major rules of composing your thesis in MLA formatting. It may seem simple, but it is quite technical and challenging to get it right. You need a deep understanding of the formatting rules and practice to write a winning MLA format thesis.

You can join us while we discuss formatting rules for different parts of academic papers in order to write an excellent thesis. However, if you lack structuring and style knowledge and do not have time to develop this skill, it is worth getting help from professional Thesis Writing Services UK. Experts know the writing principles and styles competently. Plus, they possess enough experience to write a winning thesis promptly. Before we hop to the paper formatting and citation guidelines, here’s something about the MLA layout.

What is an MLA Format?

MLA format is a layout technique designed to help academics in humanities fields format their papers and cite the sources in a uniform way. However, specific guidelines for each paper component are provided in this format, including:

1. Margins
2. Font size
3. Headings
4. Citations
5. Spacing

The primary purpose of the MLA thesis format created by the Modern Language Association is to develop a standard arrangement style for all humanities academic papers and make them look professional.

What Are the General Guidelines for Thesis Format in MLA Style?

Here are some general but essential paper guidelines for you to follow while styling:

1. The MLA layout recommends writing your thesis on an 8 ½ x 11-inch Word document before you print it on a standard page.
2. It is also recommended that you use double-line space for your academic paper.
3. You are suggested to use a legitimate and easily readable font, and the format recommends Times New Roman at 12 pt.
4. You are suggested to leave one line space after punctuation marks and periods (follow the instructions of your instructor if available)
5. Margins from all sides of the document should be 1 inch.
6. Move the first line of the paragraph one-half inch from the margins.
7. Instead of pressing the space bar five times, press the tab eye.
8. The upper right corner of the paper header must display all the page numbers sequentially and be one-half inch from the top. (Your instructor might require you to skip the number from the first page of the paper)
9. MLA thesis format requires you to add a separate page for end notes.
10. Using title case, capitalization is recommended.

How to Format Header and Title

To start writing your thesis, you need to set up the header and title of the document first. Every formatting style has different styling rules; however, the MLA thesis format has the simplest pattern. You must add critical details to give your instructor an overview of the paper’s topic and author details.

You need to add these basic details to your header (left aligned).

• Your complete name
• Your instructor’s complete name
• Your course name or number
• Due submission date of the thesis

Once you format your header, press “enter” once and add the page title of the document. Your title must be center-aligned and capitalized in the title case. If you want to add multiple authors to your thesis, use a separate title page for each author.

How to Format Quotations in MLA

We mostly use quotes in a thesis to provide evidence of a claim and to strengthen our argument and stance. Lengthy quotes (over four lines) must be formatted in MLA block quotes. We use multiple quotes from different sources to support our ideas. Giving reference to the original writer of the text is important and ethically correct.

We usually use these different ways to give credit to the original writer:

• Prose Citation: Using the author’s name within the bounds of the sentence is instructed.
• Parenthetical Citation: using the author’s name in the sentence is prohibited in this type of referencing style.
• Block Quote is commonly used for quotes of four lines or more.
• Endnotes and Footnotes: these are effective and acceptable formats for the references.

Footnotes and endnotes are used when we need to cite multiple sources and authors. They are also helpful to add additional information that doesn’t come in the dimensions of your paper but might be beneficial for the reader.

How to Format Works Cited Page for MLA

Pages where you cite all the sources, quote, or take inspiration from have to be formatted separately and have certain rules, but the layout remains the same as the rest of the MLA thesis format paper.

These are the basic things to look out for.

• The page title must be center-aligned and in plain text; any formatting, such as underlining, italics, or bold text, is prohibited.
• Arrange the entries in alphabetical order by the last name of the author.
• Entries that cover additional lines should be used, with hanging indent on them.
• If one reference is longer than one line, the following lines must be indented by ½ inch.
• All the reference entries must be double-spaced as the rest of the paper format.

Laying out the works cited page in MLA thesis format is the most crucial part; adding the right citations is the key. If you get your references wrong, you might be accused of plagiarism, which can risk your academic career. If you are not confident enough in your formatting knowledge and experience, acquiring thesis writing help from a professional writer is a great option to save your degree.

How to Format Tables and Figures in MLA

Tables, figures, and any type of illustration must be positioned close to the relevant text. The MLA thesis format has certain guidelines for including them in the thesis.

Let’s have a look at those principles:

MLA Format for Tables

• Tables must be numbered and labeled and have explanatory titles.
• The title and label are to be placed upside the table on different lines (has to be bold)
• It must contain the sources as a caption below the table (in case it’s inspired)
• Apart from the caption and notes, it must have title capitalization and double spacing.

MLA thesis Format for Figures

Illustrations or images added to the thesis paper also needed to be numbered and labelled, but this time, they were incorporated into the illustrations’ captions. Captions will also be centre-aligned.

You will use the abbreviation for the “figure” as “fig,” followed by the image number and a full stop. The entire caption can provide either the complete source information or just a basic description of the image, like title, year, or author name.

In-Text Citations in MLA

The citations in MLA thesis format are of two types: narrative and parenthetical. Parenthetical citations are often concise or condensed references that only include minimum information like the last name of the author, exact page number, line count, and time stamp, although the timestamp is optional.

Narrative citations cite the writer’s name repeatedly in the reference. So, if you are going to mention the location and page number in the reference, only narrative citations are required.

However, both citation styles need full reference of the sources cited. Remember, if the author’s name is not available, you can use the working title in the citation.

How Are MLA Format Citations Arranged

Here are a few guidelines of MLA thesis format for arranging the citations:

• The citations in the MLA format are generally arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name (in case of multiple authors, use the first writer’s last name)
• If you are arranging multiple papers by the same author, you should arrange them alphabetically by the title of each paper.
• While citing works by group authors and associations, alphabetize them by the first significant word of the organization’s name (do not include any article before the name of the organization)
• If the work does not contain a name, the alphabetical order will follow that of the title, ignoring the articles used before.

What Is the Structure of an MLA Thesis Format?

The structure of the MLA thesis remains the same as the common thesis hierarchy.

Here is the structure of a MLA thesis:

• It starts with an abstract
• Introduction of the topic
• Detailed literature review
• Research methods
• Findings
• Discussions
• Conclusion
• Citation list

Following this structure will help you write a coherent and defendable thesis.

MLA Thesis Format Examples

This section provides an example of an MLA-format thesis, which will enhance your understanding of MLA thesis structure and writing style.

Conclusion

To wrap the topic up, MLA thesis format is a demanding and technical task that requires a deep understanding of the citation style and general rules. There are separate rules for general paper formatting, quotations, works cited pages, illustrations, tables, and citations. One has to master these principles in order to write a winning MLA thesis format.

In this article, we have explained almost everything about MLA format rules and structuring. We have also covered the common questions about formatting and arrangement. If you are still being reasonable and realize that you cannot master the formatting rules by just reading them, you need to practice them; you are suggested to seek help from an expert thesis writer from a respected platform to help you with this important academic assignment. At the same time, you focus on practicing the rules and preparing for the thesis defense.