MLA stands for Modern Language Association.
The MLA Handbook is a style guide used primarily for writing and citing sources in humanities — especially literature, language arts, and cultural studies.
MLA 9th Edition
MLA 9th edition follows the core elements concept introduced in the 8th edition, focusing on flexible, consistent citation across various source types.
1. General Paper Format
-
Use 12-point, readable font (e.g., Times New Roman).
-
Double-space entire paper, including quotations, notes, and Works Cited.
-
Leave 1-inch margins on all sides.
-
Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inch.
-
Use a header with your last name and page number at the top right of each page.
2. Title and Heading
-
No separate title page (unless instructor requests).
-
On the first page, top left corner, include:
-
Your full name
-
Instructor’s name
-
Course name
-
Date (day month year format, e.g., 12 August 2025)
-
-
Center the paper’s title (no bold, italics, or underline).
-
Start your text on the next line after the title.
3. In-Text Citations
-
Always place citations close to the referenced text.
-
For block quotes (4+ lines), indent 1 inch from left, no quotation marks, citation comes after the period.
4. Works Cited Page
-
Title the page Works Cited (centered).
-
Entries use hanging indent: first line flush left, subsequent lines indented by 0.5 inch.
-
Alphabetize entries by the author’s last name or by title if no author.
-
Use italics for books, journals, websites; use quotation marks for articles, essays, chapters.
-
For multiple works by the same author, list entries alphabetically by title and replace author’s name with three hyphens (---) after the first entry.
5. URLs and DOIs
-
Include URLs without “http://” or “https://”.
-
DOIs should be formatted as: https://doi.org/xxxxx
-
Adding access date is optional but recommended if source content may change.
6. Capitalization and Punctuation
-
Capitalize major words in titles (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs).
-
Use sentence-style capitalization for article titles in quotation marks (capitalize first word and proper nouns).
-
Periods and commas go inside quotation marks.
-
Colons and semicolons go outside quotation marks.
7. Quotations
-
Use double quotation marks for quotes within text.
-
Use single quotation marks for a quote inside a quote.
-
For quotes longer than 4 lines, format as a block quote indented 1 inch, no quotation marks.
8. Numbers
-
Spell out numbers one through one hundred and any number beginning a sentence.
-
Use numerals for numbers above 100.
9. Italics
-
Use italics for titles of books, journals, films, websites, artworks.
-
Use quotation marks for titles of short works like articles, essays, poems, chapters, or songs.
Core Elements of a Works Cited Entry (Order and Format)
-
Author.
-
Title of source. (Italicized for books/whole websites; quotation marks for articles/chapters)
-
Title of container, (if source is part of a larger container)
-
Other contributors, (editors, translators, etc.)
-
Version,
-
Number,
-
Publisher,
-
Publication date,
-
Location. (page numbers, URL, DOI)
Book
Format:
Author’s Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Example:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Penguin, 2002.
Journal Article
Format:
Author’s Last name, First name. "Title of Article." Title of Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pages.
Example:
Smith, John. "Romanticism and Nature." Literary Review, vol. 10, no. 2, 2015, pp. 25–40.
Website
Format:
Author’s Last name, First name. "Title of Webpage." Website Name, Publisher, Publication date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Example:
Doe, Jane. "Shakespeare’s Influence." Literature Today, Penguin, 5 May 2020, www.literaturetoday.com/shakespeare-influence. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
