MLA 9th edition is the current version of the Modern Language Association's citation style, published in 2021 and used across English, languages, film and the wider humanities. It pairs brief author-page citations in the text with a Works Cited list.
Instead of a separate rule for every source type, MLA uses one set of core elements that you fill in for any source. This page explains that system, then gives in-text and Works Cited examples for the sources you will use most.
How MLA 9 Citation Works in Brief
In the text, give the author's surname and the page number in parentheses, with no comma: (Morrison 42). At the end of the paper, list every source alphabetically under "Works Cited", built from MLA's core elements in a fixed order.
Use a hanging indent of half an inch, double-space the list and leave out any element that does not apply.
The Core Elements and Containers
Every Works Cited entry is assembled from the same nine elements, in this order, each followed by the punctuation shown.
| Element | Punctuation after it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Author | Full stop | Hale, Rosa M. |
| 2. Title of source | Full stop | "Distance and Desire in Fitzgerald's Late Fiction." |
| 3. Title of container | Comma | Studies in Modern Fiction, |
| 4. Other contributors | Comma | edited by Tom Brennan, |
| 5. Version | Comma | 2nd ed., |
| 6. Number | Comma | vol. 31, no. 2, |
| 7. Publisher | Comma | Harbor Academic, |
| 8. Publication date | Comma | 2019, |
| 9. Location | Full stop | pp. 88-104. |
A container is the larger work that holds your source: a journal holds an article, a website holds a page, an anthology holds a poem. Some sources sit in two containers, such as an article in a journal accessed through a database. Add the second container's details after the first.
In-Text Citations
| Situation | Example |
|---|---|
| One author | (Morrison 42) |
| Author named in your sentence | Morrison argues that ... (42). |
| Two authors | (Gilbert and Gubar 77) |
| Three or more authors | (Okafor et al. 15) |
| No author | ("Reading the Archive" 9), using a shortened title |
| Two works by the same author | (Morrison, Playing 42) |
| No page numbers | (Okafor), or a numbered paragraph or section: (Okafor, par. 6) |
| Time-based media | (Parasite 01:12:30-01:13:05) |
The citation usually goes at the end of the sentence, before the full stop. For a block quotation, it goes after the final punctuation.
Works Cited Examples
Journal Article from a Database
Hale, Rosa M. "Distance and Desire in Fitzgerald's Late Fiction." Studies in Modern Fiction, vol. 31, no. 2, 2019, pp. 88-104. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz123.
Book
Morrison, Toni. Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination. Harvard UP, 1992.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Iqbal, Sana. "Voices from the Margins." New Readings in Postcolonial Poetry, edited by Tom Brennan and Lucy Ford, Harbor Academic, 2019, pp. 41-60.
Webpage
Okafor, Nia. "How Sleep Affects Revision." Study Health Hub, 12 Mar. 2024, www.example.org/sleep-revision.
Film
Parasite. Directed by Bong Joon Ho, CJ Entertainment, 2019.
When a DOI is available, use it in place of a URL. Write "UP" for University Press, and drop business words such as "Inc." from publisher names.
Author Rules in the Works Cited List
- One author: surname, first name: Morrison, Toni.
- Two authors: invert only the first: Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar.
- Three or more: first author plus "et al.": Okafor, Nia, et al.
- Organization: use the organization's name, unless it is also the publisher, in which case start with the title.
- Editors and translators as main contributors: add a label: Brennan, Tom, editor.
Works Cited Page Format
- Start on a new page, titled "Works Cited", centered, not bold.
- List entries alphabetically by the first word of each entry.
- Double-space throughout, with no extra lines between entries.
- Use a hanging indent of half an inch.
- Italicize titles of self-contained works and containers; put titles of shorter works in quotation marks.
- Use "Works Consulted" or "Bibliography" only if your instructor asks you to include sources you did not cite.
What the 9th Edition Clarified
MLA 9 kept the core elements system introduced in the 8th edition, so most citations look the same. Its main additions are fuller guidance rather than new rules.
- Expanded chapters on formatting papers, including title pages when an instructor requires one.
- Guidance on inclusive language.
- More detailed advice on notes, annotated bibliographies and citing many more source types.
- Access dates remain optional, recommended for undated online sources.
Common MLA Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| A comma between author and page: (Morrison, 42) | (Morrison 42) |
| "p." before the page in the text | Give the number only |
| Listing every author for three or more | First author plus "et al." |
| Full month names in Works Cited | Abbreviate months longer than four letters |
| Publisher written as "University Press" | Write "UP" |
| Bold or underlined list title | "Works Cited", plain and centered |
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Frequently Asked Questions
The MLA Handbook, 9th edition, published in 2021.
Give the author only, or use a paragraph, section or timestamp number if the source provides one.
Yes. Double-space the whole list, with a hanging indent of half an inch.
No, unless your instructor asks for one. MLA uses a heading on the first page instead.
One or two authors are listed in full. For three or more, give the first author followed by "et al.".
MLA recommends leaving out "http://" or "https://". Use a DOI instead of a URL when one is available.
No. It is optional, but useful for online sources with no publication date.
The larger work that holds your source, such as a journal, website, anthology or streaming service.