MLA 9th Edition: Core Elements, Containers and Citations

MLA style, from the Modern Language Association, is commonly used in literature, languages, cultural studies and parts of the humanities, particularly in the USA. The current version is the MLA Handbook (9th edition, 2021).

Unlike styles that give a separate rule for every source type, MLA uses one flexible template. Once you understand it, you can build an entry for a journal article, a film or a website using the same logic. This guide explains that template. The official site, style.mla.org, and your library's MLA guide are the authorities, and your department may have its own preferences.

What markers look for in MLA citations

• Clear links between the text and the Works Cited list, so a reader can find each source quickly.
• Accurate page numbers for quotations and close paraphrases, which matter a lot in literary analysis.
• Consistent use of the core elements and their punctuation.
• Correct integration of quotations into your own sentences.

The core elements

Every MLA entry is built from up to nine core elements, in this order. You include the ones that apply to your source and leave out those that do not.

The final element present always ends with a full stop, whichever element it is.

Understanding containers

A container is the larger whole that holds your source. A journal holds an article; an edited book holds a chapter; a website holds a webpage; a television series holds an episode.

The source title usually goes in quotation marks when it sits inside a container, and the container title goes in italics. A source that stands alone, such as a whole book, takes italics itself.

Sometimes there is a second container. A journal article might be held by the journal (first container), which you accessed through a database (second container). In that case you add the second container's details after the first.

In-text citations

MLA in-text citations are short. Usually you give the author's surname and the page number, with no comma between them.

If your source has no author, use a shortened version of the title instead.

Works Cited format examples

The Works Cited list goes at the end on a new page, titled Works Cited (centred). Entries are in alphabetical order, double-spaced and with a hanging indent. Titles use title case.

The entries below are format examples with placeholder details. They are not real publications.

For two authors, write the first author reversed and the second in normal order: Author, Ann, and Ben Writer. For three or more, give the first author followed by "et al."

How to cite in MLA, step by step

1. Identify the source and its container(s). Ask what holds the source, and whether that is itself held by something else.
2. Collect each core element that applies: author, titles, contributors, version, numbers, publisher, date, location.
3. Assemble the entry in order, using the correct punctuation after each element.
4. Write the in-text citation using the first element of the entry (normally the author's surname), plus a page number where there is one.
5. Check that the in-text citation leads to the entry. The word in your brackets should be the first word of the matching Works Cited entry.
6. Format the list: alphabetical, hanging indent, double-spaced, titled Works Cited.

Common mistakes

• Putting a comma between author and page in the in-text citation, as in other styles.
• Writing "p." or "pg." before page numbers in the text. MLA uses the number alone.
• Italicising article titles instead of putting them in quotation marks.
• Forgetting the second container when a source was accessed through a database.
• Calling the list "Bibliography" or "References" when Works Cited is expected.
• Mixing MLA with APA habits, such as putting the year straight after the author.

MLA checklist

• In-text citations show author and page with no comma.
• Every in-text citation matches the first word of a Works Cited entry.
• Titles of sources inside containers are in quotation marks; containers are in italics.
• Core elements appear in the correct order with correct punctuation.
• Second containers (such as databases) are included where relevant.
• The list is titled Works Cited, alphabetical, double-spaced and with a hanging indent.
• I have checked any department-specific preferences, such as URLs or access dates.

Frequently asked questions

Should I include URLs in MLA?

MLA 9 generally recommends including a URL or DOI for online sources, as the location element. DOIs are preferred when available. Some instructors prefer no URLs, so follow their guidance.

What is the difference between MLA 8 and MLA 9?

MLA 9 keeps the core-elements template introduced in the 8th edition and adds more detailed guidance and examples, for instance on inclusive language and on formatting. If you learned MLA 8, most of your habits will still apply.

How do I cite a quotation from a play or poem?

MLA has specific conventions for verse and drama, such as citing line numbers instead of pages, or act, scene and line for plays. Check the MLA Handbook or your library guide for the exact format, as conventions differ by type of text.

Help with your citations

If your Works Cited list needs a second look, especially for containers and in-text page references, our citation and referencing support can point out inconsistencies for you to correct. You can also try the citation formatter to draft individual entries.