MLA Style Guide

Complete guide to MLA 9th edition citation style for humanities papers

MLA Style (9th Edition)

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is the standard citation format for literature, arts, and humanities disciplines.

Quick Reference

In-Text Citations

Basic Format

The evidence supports this claim (Smith 45).

(Smith and Jones 23)

(Smith et al. 67)

Special Cases

Multiple works by same author:

(Smith, First Title 23)
(Smith, Second Title 45)

No page numbers (web sources):

(Smith)

No author:

("Article Title" 12)

Indirect source:

(qtd. in Smith 45)

Multiple sources:

(Smith 23; Jones 45)

Works Cited Page

General Format

• Title: "Works Cited" (centered)
• Order: Alphabetical by author's last name (or title if no author)
• Spacing: Double-spaced
• Indent: Hanging indent (0.5 inch)

Core Elements (in order)

1. Author.
2. Title of source.
3. Title of container,
4. Other contributors,
5. Version,
6. Number,
7. Publisher,
8. Publication date,
9. Location.

Book

Single author:

Author Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publisher, Year.

Example:

Smith, John. Understanding Literature. Academic Press, 2023.

Two authors:

Smith, John, and Mary Jones. Book Title. Publisher, 2023.

Three or more authors:

Smith, John, et al. Book Title. Publisher, 2023.

Edited book:

Editor Last Name, First Name, editor. Book Title. Publisher, Year.

E-book:

Author. Book Title. E-book ed., Publisher, Year.

Chapter in book:

Author. "Chapter Title." Book Title, edited by Editor Name,
  Publisher, Year, pp. page range.

Article

Journal article:

Author. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. number, no. number,
  Year, pp. page range.

Example:

Smith, John. "The Role of Metaphor in Poetry." Modern Language
  Review, vol. 115, no. 3, 2023, pp. 234-56.

With DOI:

Smith, John. "Article Title." Journal Name, vol. 115, no. 3,
  2023, pp. 234-56, doi:10.1234/example.

Magazine:

Author. "Article Title." Magazine Name, Day Month Year, pp. pages.

Newspaper:

Author. "Article Title." Newspaper Name, Day Month Year, p. page.

Website

Webpage with author:

Author. "Title of Page." Website Name, Publisher, Date,
  URL.

Example:

Smith, John. "How to Write Essays." Writing Center, University
  Name, 15 Jan. 2023, www.example.com/essays.

No author:

"Title of Page." Website Name, Publisher, Date, URL.

No date:

Author. "Title of Page." Website Name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

Other Sources

Film:

Title. Directed by Director Name, Performance by Actor Name,
  Studio, Year.

YouTube video:

Author/Channel. "Video Title." YouTube, uploaded by Uploader,
  Day Month Year, URL.

Tweet:

@username. "Full text of tweet." Twitter, Day Month Year, Time, URL.

Interview:

Person Interviewed. Interview. Conducted by Interviewer Name,
  Day Month Year.

Podcast:

Host. "Episode Title." Podcast Name, season number, episode number,
  Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.

Formatting Guidelines

First Page

Heading (top left):

• Your name
• Instructor name
• Course name and number
• Date (Day Month Year format)

Title:

• Centered
• Standard capitalization (not bold, italic, or underlined)
• Double-space between heading and title

General Format

• Font: 12-pt readable font (Times New Roman recommended)
• Spacing: Double-spaced throughout (including Works Cited)
• Margins: 1 inch all sides
• Alignment: Left-aligned
• Indent: 0.5 inch for first line of each paragraph
• Page numbers: Last name + page number (top right)

Headings and Subheadings

MLA doesn't have strict heading levels, but use consistent formatting:

Level 1: Centered, Bold or Underlined

Level 2: Left-Aligned, Bold or Underlined

Level 3: Left-Aligned, Italicized

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Including "pp." for Page Numbers

❌ Wrong: (Smith pp. 45-46) ✅ Correct: (Smith 45-46)

2. Using First Names

❌ Wrong: (John Smith 45) ✅ Correct: (Smith 45)

3. Incorrect Date Format

❌ Wrong: 1/15/2023 or 15-01-2023 ✅ Correct: 15 Jan. 2023

4. Missing Periods

Each element in Works Cited should end with a period.

5. Capitalization

❌ Wrong: "the role of metaphor in poetry" ✅ Correct: "The Role of Metaphor in Poetry"

6. Using "&" Instead of "and"

❌ Wrong: Smith & Jones ✅ Correct: Smith and Jones

Examples by Source Type

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Penguin Classics, 2003.

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Norton Anthology of
  English Literature, edited by M. H. Abrams, 7th ed.,
  vol. 1, Norton, 2000, pp. 1659-1759.

Gladwell, Malcolm. "The Tipping Point." The New Yorker,
  3 June 2000, pp. 32-38.

Block Quotations

For quotes over 4 lines:

Smith argues:
     Long quotation indented 0.5 inches from left margin.
     No quotation marks are used. This continues for multiple
     lines until the end of the quote. (45)

Using MoreMind for MLA Style

When you select MLA style in MoreMind:

1. ✅ Parenthetical citations with page numbers
2. ✅ Works Cited page auto-generated
3. ✅ Proper alphabetical ordering
4. ✅ Hanging indents applied
5. ✅ Correct punctuation and spacing
6. ✅ Date format (Day Month Year)

Quick Comparison: MLA 8th vs 9th Edition

What Changed in MLA 9

• Containers: More flexible container concept
• URLs: No longer requires "Web" as medium
• Publication dates: More flexible date formats
• Optional elements: More guidance on when to include optional information
• Citing multiple versions: Better guidance for works in multiple formats

Most core formatting remains the same.

Additional Resources

• MLA Style Center
• Purdue OWL MLA Guide
• MLA Citation Generator
• Sample MLA Paper

Need help with MLA citations? Use our Citation Generator Tool or contact support.