Abstract in MLA Style

Use standard white 8.5”x11” paper, double spaced, with a 12-pt legible font. Generally, Times New Roman or Calibri are perfectly acceptable. Put in 1-inch (2.5 cm) margins all around and be sure to set the text to left justify. Use an automatic function to ensure the page numbers are automatically set as you add new pages.

The abstract is a short paragraph used by academics and researchers in order to quickly and efficiently decide if a specific work is useful to his or her own study. These are usually placed at the beginning of the work; but as this is formatted in MLA, most instructors prefer the abstract to be written as a separate page attached to either the back or in the front of the work.

The abstract should be no more than 250 – 300 words maximum and should directly and concisely describe what your work is about. Rewrite your thesis statement and provide a few sentences detailing the exact talking points in the body paragraphs. Provide one more sentence summarizing your findings. Place this short paragraph about a third of the page down with the simple header “Abstract” to signal the readers what the content is about.