English Composition 1
Inserting Headers into Essays
According to the MLA (the Modern Language Association), each page of an essay, including the first page, should include the writer's last name and the page number inserted as a header in the upper right corner of the page, as illustrated below:
The header should not be typed where the text of your papers should be. It should be inserted as a header in your word processor so that your last name and the page number appear slightly above the first line of text on each page.
For most word processors, you use the same basic procedure for inserting a header. This page explains how to insert a header using recent versions of Microsoft Word or Microsoft Works. The procedure explained below may vary depending on your word processor, but the you should be able to follow the basic steps outlined below to add a header in more word processors.
How to Insert a Header in Microsoft Word and Works
Begin by opening in your word processor the document in which you want to add the header.
Then, pull down the "View" menu and click "Header and Footer."
On the left side of the screen is illustrated the process for adding headers to a document in Microsoft Word. The same process for Microsoft Works is illustrated on the right.
You will then see dashed lines forming a box near the top of your document. This is the space where you should type the header. Check the font type and size in the toolbar near the top of the page: you should have 12-point Times New Roman fonts.
Your header should appear on the upper right of each page, so click the "Align Right" button of one of the toolbars that runs across the top of your word processor, illustrated below.
After the cursor moves to the right side of the box to indicate that your header will be aligned to the right, type your last name, followed by one space. Then, to insert the page number, click the "Insert page number" icon. This icon has a number sign (#) on it. The images below illustrate the "Insert page number" icon in both Word and Works. After clicking "Insert page number," you will see a page number added after your last name.
Important: Do not type the page number into the header. If you do so, the same page number will appear on every page of your paper. If you click the "Insert page number" icon, then the page number will automatically change for each page of your paper.
After you have aligned the header to the right, typed your last name, and clicked the "Insert page number" icon, simply click the "Close" button.
If you do not see the header added to your document after you click "Close," the problem most likely is the "View" you are using. If you are using Word, you will need to pull down the "View" menu and choose "Print layout" view to see the header.
If you need to make changes to your header after you have added it, either pull down the "View" menu again and choose "Header and Footer" or double left mouse click near the header.