MLA 9th edition uses author-page citations in the text, such as (Okafor 12), and a Works Cited list at the end. It is the standard style in English, modern languages and cultural studies.
Rather than a separate rule for every source type, MLA builds each entry from the same set of core elements. Learn those, and you can cite almost anything. This guide shows how, with examples.
MLA 9th in Thirty Seconds
- In text: author's surname and page number, no comma: (Okafor 12).
- Works Cited: alphabetical, double-spaced, with a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
- Titles: short works in quotation marks; long works and containers in italics.
- Three or more authors: first author followed by "et al."
- Dates: day, month, year, with most month names abbreviated: 4 Mar. 2023.
The Core Elements
Every Works Cited entry draws on up to nine elements, in this order, each followed by the punctuation shown. Leave out any that do not apply.
| Element | Example |
|---|---|
| 1. Author. | Okafor, Amara. |
| 2. Title of source. | "Feedback and Motivation." |
| 3. Title of container, | Teaching in Universities, |
| 4. Contributor, | edited by Laura Ford and Tariq Ahmed, |
| 5. Version, | 2nd ed., |
| 6. Number, | vol. 30, no. 4, |
| 7. Publisher, | Northgate Press, |
| 8. Publication date, | 2021, |
| 9. Location. | pp. 45–62. |
A container is the larger work that holds your source: a journal holds an article, a website holds a page, a book holds a chapter. A source can sit in a second container too, such as a journal article accessed through a database.
In-Text Citations
| Situation | Example |
|---|---|
| One author | (Okafor 12) |
| Author named in the sentence | Okafor argues that spaced practice works (12). |
| Two authors | (Lee and Patel 515) |
| Three or more authors | (Lee et al. 515) |
| No author | ("Rising Seas" 4), using a shortened title |
| No page numbers | (Grant) |
| Two works by one author | (Okafor, Learning 12) |
Prose quotations longer than four lines are set as a block, indented 0.5 inches, without quotation marks, with the citation after the final punctuation.
Citing Poems, Plays and Novels
Literature essays often cite primary texts dozens of times. MLA has some extra conventions so readers can find passages in any edition.
- Poems: cite line numbers rather than pages. Use the word "lines" in the first citation, then numbers alone: (lines 5–8), then (12–14).
- Short verse quotations: show line breaks with a forward slash, with a space either side.
- Verse plays: cite act, scene and line numbers separated by full stops, such as (Hamlet 3.1.56).
- Novels: give the page number, and you may add a chapter after a semicolon, such as (112; ch. 9), to help readers using other editions.
Once it is clear which text you are discussing, you can drop the author's name and give only the locator.
Works Cited Examples
Book
Okafor, Amara. Learning That Lasts. 2nd ed., Northgate Press, 2020.
Journal Article from a Database
Lee, Hana, and Ravi Patel. "Self-Scheduling and Burnout in Hospital Nurses." Journal of Nursing Management, vol. 30, no. 4, 2022, pp. 512–20. Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.0000/example.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Mensah, Kofi. "Feedback and Motivation." Teaching in Universities, edited by Laura Ford and Tariq Ahmed, Northgate Press, 2021, pp. 45–62.
Web Page
Grant, Sam. "How Sleep Affects Memory." Study Health Hub, 4 May 2023, www.example.org/sleep-memory.
Three or More Authors
Lee, Hana, et al. "Night Shifts and Medication Errors." Nursing Practice Today, vol. 12, no. 2, 2021, pp. 88–97.
All names, publishers and links are illustrative.
Works Cited Page Rules
- Title the page "Works Cited", centered, without bold or italics.
- List entries alphabetically by the first word, usually the author's surname.
- Double-space throughout, with a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
- Invert only the first author's name; later authors appear first name first.
- Abbreviate "University Press" as "UP", as in Oxford UP.
- Leave out a publisher for journals and for websites whose name is the same as the publisher.
Basic Paper Format
| Element | MLA 9th rule |
|---|---|
| Heading | Top left: your name, instructor, course, date, each on its own line |
| Title | Centered, in title case, no bold, italics or underline |
| Page header | Your surname and page number, top right |
| Spacing and margins | Double-spaced, 1-inch margins |
| Font | A readable font such as 12-point Times New Roman |
MLA does not require a separate title page unless your tutor asks for one.
Common MLA Errors
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
| A comma between author and page | Write (Okafor 12), not (Okafor, 12) |
| Adding the year in text | MLA in-text citations use the page, not the year |
| Listing every author for three or more | Use the first author and "et al." |
| Bold or italic Works Cited title | Plain, centered text |
| Article titles in italics | Put short works in quotation marks |
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Frequently Asked Questions
MLA 9th kept the core elements from the 8th edition and added fuller guidance on topics such as inclusive language, notes and citing a wider range of sources.
No. MLA uses the author's surname and page number, such as (Okafor 12).
Give the author only, such as (Grant), or a paragraph or section number if the source numbers them.
Yes, for online sources, usually without https://. Use a DOI when one is available.
Yes, double-spaced with a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
No, unless your tutor asks for one. Use the four-line heading on the first page instead.
They are optional, but recommended when a web source has no publication date.