Struggling with MLA citations? We have prepared the ultimate cheat sheet for you to check and use to cite in MLA style perfectly. Before we get into the details, here is what you need for it.
Now, let’s look into the details in our easy MLA citation style guide, what MLA citations are, and how to cite sources in your papers and assignments perfectly.
MLA stands for Modern Language Association, and it is the standard method of acknowledging sources in academic and professional writing. MLA has two main components: in-text citations and a list of works cited.
The MLA citation style is commonly used in humanities, including for English, literature, and cultural studies. This style is simple, which makes it easier for the readers to understand the sources and references in your work.
Citing your sources properly using MLA citation styles ensures that the author credits the original creators of data. This gives the text credibility, and the author can prevent plagiarism.
Moreover, this showcases that the work is properly researched and supported by authoritative sources. Proper MLA citations also allow readers to trace the origins of the information, and they can engage with the topic more deeply.
If you are writing academic tasks such as essays and research papers on humanities subjects such as literature, language, culture, media, and art, the MLA citation reference style is predominantly used.
Some of the general guidelines for MLA citation style are listed below.
| Font and Spacing | A legible font, such as Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spacing |
| Margins and Indentation | 1-inch margins on all sides, indent the first line of each paragraph, and entries in the list of Works Cited by 0.5 inches. |
| Header | Include your last name and page number in the top-right corner of each page |
| Title | Centre the title on the first page without using bold, italic, or underline. |
There is a proper structure used in MLA citations so that the references of sources are clear and consistent. Here are the top main elements.
The author’s name is the starting point of an MLA citation. It follows the format: Last Name, First Name.
The title refers to the specific work that you are citing. It is styled based on the type of source.
For stand-alone works, you have to italicise the titles of books or movies. E.g. Lord of the Rings.
If there are shorter works, you can use quotation marks for chapters, articles, poems, or web pages. For instance: “The Tell-Tale Heart”
The container is the larger work in which the source is found, such as a journal, anthology, or website. To cite them, make sure you use italics for the container title. Examples include the Journal of Modern Studies (the journal containing the article) and Netflix (a streaming platform containing a movie).
If someone else has contributed to the work (e.g. editors and translators), you have to include their names after the title.
The version indicated the edition or the variation of the work. For example, 2nd ed. or Director’s Cut.
For sources like journals or multi-volume works, you also have to include volume and issue numbers like this vol. 5, no. 3.
The publisher is the company responsible for producing the source. Some examples include Penguin Random House and Harvard University Press.
There are a few exceptions in citing the publisher, such as for websites like YouTube or social media.
This element provides the data on the work that was published or made available. You have to use the most precise date available.
For online sources, if there is no publication available, you have to include the date of access (e.g., Accessed 5 Dec. 2024)
The location refers to where you found the source from.
In-text citation in MLA style citing provides a brief reference to the sources within the body of the paper. Through these citations, readers can be redirected to the complete details in the Works Cited list at the end of the document. The key features of MLA in-text citations include:
In the case where the author’s name is already mentioned in the sentence, you only have to include the page number in the parentheses. An example includes: As David suggested in the paper, including women in politics can be game changing (23).
In the list of Works Cited, you have to provide full details for all sources cited in your paper. It appears at the end of your document and includes eight main elements, which are discussed later in this blog.
Here are some instructions to follow for the MLA reference citation format list:
For specific types of sources, we have provided a list of the most commonly used, along with modern language association format and examples to make it easier for you to cite.
| In-Text Citation | (Author’s Last Name Page Number) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year of Publication. |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name Page Number) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pages. Database Name, DOI or URL. |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Web Page." Website Name, Publisher (if applicable), Date of Publication, URL. |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name Act.Scene.Lines) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Play. Editor (if applicable), Publisher, Year |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name Lines) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Poem." Title of Book or Collection, edited by Editor’s Name, Publisher, Year, pages. |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name Page Number) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Story." Title of Collection, edited by Editor's Name, Publisher, Year, pages. |
| In-Text Citation | (Title of Movie) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Title of Movie. Directed by Director's Name, performances by Main Actors, Production Company, Year. |
| In-Text Citation | ("Episode Title") |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | "Episode Title." Title of Series, created by Creator's Name, performance by Lead Actors, season number, episode number, Production Company, Year. Streaming Service, URL. |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Video." YouTube, uploaded by Channel Name, Date, URL. |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name Page Number) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper, Date, pages. |
| In-Text Citation | ("Entry Name") |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | "Entry Name." Title of Dictionary, Edition, Publisher, Year. |
| In-Text Citation | (Interviewee's Last Name) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Interviewee's Last Name, First Name. Interview. By Interviewer's Name, Date. |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name Slide Number) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Presentation." Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation, Date. |
| In-Text Citation | (Artist’s Last Name) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Artist's Last Name, First Name. Title of Image. Year, Medium, Museum/Collection, Location. |
| In-Text Citation | (Artist's Last Name) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Artist's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Song." Title of Album, Record Label, Year. |
| In-Text Citation | (Host’s Last Name) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Host’s Last Name, First Name. "Title of Episode." Title of Podcast, season number, episode number, Publisher, Date, URL. |
| In-Text Citation | (Speaker’s Last Name) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Speaker’s Last Name, First Name. "Title of Talk." TED, Date, URL. |
| In-Text Citation | (Author's Last Name Page Number) |
|---|---|
| Reference List Entry | Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Document." Publisher, Year. PDF file. |
MLA citation is a referencing format created by the Modern Language Association. It is widely used in humanities disciplines.
No, MLA in-text citations do not include the year. It only mentions the author’s last name and page number (if applicable).
In MLA, in-text citations are used to briefly reference sources in the text.
In order to cite a book in in-text MLA, include the author’s last name and page number (David 23).
For websites, you have to use the author’s last name or the title of the webpage if no author is available. For example, (David) or (“Climate Change”).
MLA stands for Modern Language Association. The company developed the citation style.
Primarily, in MLA, in-text citations are used. Footnotes are optional for additional explanations, but not for citations.
The Works Cited list should be arranged alphabetically by the author’s name or title if no author is listed.
Yes, you have to include page number for sources with pagination. For instance, (David 23)
If there are three or more authors, use the first author’s last name followed by et al. e.g. (David et al. 45).
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