MLA 9 Style Guide
Modern Language Association (9th Edition)
Overview
MLA style is the standard citation format for high school and college courses in English literature, language studies, and the humanities. The 9th edition, published in 2021, emphasizes a flexible, container-based approach to citing sources across all media types.
When to use MLA: MLA is typically required for high school English classes, college literature courses, language and composition, cultural studies, and humanities research.
Basic Rules
Works Cited Page Format
- Title: "Works Cited" (centered, at top of page)
- Order: Alphabetical by author's last name (or title if no author)
- Spacing: Double-spaced throughout
- Indentation: Hanging indent (0.5 inches)
- Page numbers: Continue numbering from your paper
The Container Concept
MLA 9 organizes citations using "containers"—larger works that hold the source you're citing. For example, a journal is a container for an article; a website is a container for a webpage.
Container Examples:
- • Article → contained in → Journal
- • Webpage → contained in → Website
- • Episode → contained in → TV Series
- • Song → contained in → Album
Author Names
- Format: Last name, First name.
- Multiple authors: Last, First, and First Last.
- Three+ authors: First author, et al.
- Example: Smith, John, and Mary Johnson.
Punctuation & Formatting
- Book titles: Italicized
- Article titles: In "Quotation Marks"
- Container names: Italicized
- Publishers: Abbreviated (no "Inc." or "Company")
Citation Examples
🌐 Website
Example:
In-text citation: (Johnson) or Johnson argues that...
📚 Book
Example:
In-text citation: (Morrison 45) or Morrison writes that... (45).
📄 Journal Article
Example:
In-text citation: (Davis and Lee 240) or Davis and Lee found that... (240).
🎥 YouTube Video
Example:
In-text citation: ("Power of Vulnerability") or As shown in "The Power of Vulnerability"...
In-Text Citations
One Author
Parenthetical: (Smith 45)
Narrative: Smith argues that... (45).
Note: Include page number when available
Two Authors
Parenthetical: (Smith and Jones 23)
Narrative: Smith and Jones demonstrate... (23).
Note: Use "and" (not "&") in MLA
Three or More Authors
Use "et al.": (Smith et al. 67)
From the first citation, use only the first author's name + "et al."
No Author
Use title: ("Article Title" 12)
Shorten long titles: ("Long Article" 5)
Use quotation marks for article/page titles, italics for books/websites
Same Author, Multiple Works
Include shortened title: (Smith, "Climate" 45)
Alternative: (Smith, Book Title 67)
Special Cases
No Publication Date
Omit the date if not available. Include access date for websites: Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Access Dates
Optional for most sources, but recommended for web sources without publication dates or that may change.
Month Abbreviations
Abbreviate months with 5+ letters: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. Don't abbreviate May, June, July.
URL Format
Remove "http://" or "https://" from URLs. Keep "www." if present: www.example.com
Quick Tips
✅ Do
- • Use hanging indents for Works Cited
- • Italicize book and website titles
- • Use "and" (not "&") for authors
- • Include page numbers in citations
- • Use quotation marks for articles
❌ Don't
- • Don't use "http://" in URLs
- • Don't italicize article titles
- • Don't use "&" in citations (use "and")
- • Don't forget access dates for websites
- • Don't include "p." or "pp." before page numbers
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Wrong formatting
Smith, John. The Effects of Social Media. Publisher, 2023.
✅ Correct
Smith, John. The Effects of Social Media. Publisher, 2023.
❌ Wrong in-text citation
(Smith & Jones, 2023, p. 45)
✅ Correct
(Smith and Jones 45)
❌ Including http://
https://www.example.com/article
✅ Correct
www.example.com/article
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information about MLA 9 style. Always verify citations against the official MLA Handbook (9th ed.) or your institution's specific requirements.
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