Nine out of ten times a writing instructor can, before he or she even reads the actual words of your paper, recognize your essay's grade simply by the "look" of your manuscript. By "look," I am referring to the correct MLA format, the correct use of MLA Citations, a correct 12 Times New Roman Font, big (a third of a page, even a half a page) paragraphs, about 120-150 words, a crisp dark copy (no faded ribbon or ink cartridge), and correct stapling in the upper left corner. You should make a good first impression and strive for a professional, polished look, which will "set the stage" and put the professor in a more amenable mood as he or she grades your paper.