Right here on Collegelearners, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on mla citation generator, mla in text citation example, mla format heading and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.
How To Write An Mla Citation
A standard MLA Works Cited entry is structured as follows: Author. “Title of the Source.” Title of the Container, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location. Only include information that is available for and relevant to your source.
In MLA style, the list of Works Cited (also known as a reference list or bibliography) appears at the end of your paper. It gives full details of every source that you cited in the text.
Like the rest of an MLA format paper, the Works Cited should be left-aligned and double-spaced with 1-inch margins.
You can use the free Scribbr Citation Generator to create and manage your Works Cited list. Choose your source type and enter the URL, DOI or title to get started.
Formatting the Works Cited page
The Works Cited appears at the end of your paper. The layout is similar to the rest of an MLA format paper:
- Title the page Works Cited, centered and in plain text (no italics, bold, or underline).
- Alphabetize the entries by the author’s last name.
- Use left alignment and double line spacing (no extra space between entries).
- Use a hanging indent on entries that run over onto additional lines.
- Include a header with your last name and the page number in the top right corner.
Creating a hanging indent
If an entry is more than one line long, each line after the first must be indented 0.5 inches. This is called a hanging indent, and it helps the reader see where one entry ends and the next begins.
In Microsoft Word, you can create a hanging indent on all entries at once.
- Highlight the whole list and right click to open the Paragraph options.
- Under Indentation > Special, choose Hanging from the drop-down menu.
- Set the indent to 0.5 inches or 1.27cm.
If you’re using Google Docs, the steps are slightly different.
- Highlight the whole list and click on Format > Align and indent > Indentation options.
- Under Special indent, choose Hanging from the dropdown menu.
- Set the indent to 0.5 inches or 1.27cm.
You can also use our free template to create your Works Cited page in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Examples of Works Cited entries
MLA provides nine core elements that you can use to build a reference for any source. Mouse over the example below to see how they work.The Core Elements of a Works Cited entry
Author. “Title of the Source.” Title of the Container, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.
You only include the elements that are relevant to the type of source you’re citing.
Examples for common source types
Book
The main elements of a book citation are the author, title (italicized), publisher, and year.
- Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Vintage International, 2007.
If there are other contributors (such as editors or translators), or if you consulted a particular volume or edition of a book, these elements should also be included in the citation.
Book chapter
If a book is a collection of chapters by different authors, you should cite the author and title of the specific work. The container gives details of the book, and the location is the page range on which the chapter appears.
- Andrews, Kehinde. “The Challenge for Black Studies in the Neoliberal University.” Decolonising the University, edited by Gurminder K. Bhambra et al., Pluto Press, 2018, pp. 149–144.
This format also applies to works collected in anthologies (such as poems, plays, or stories).
Journal article
Journals usually have volume and issue numbers, but no publisher is required. If you accessed the article through a database, this is included as a second container. The DOI provides a stable link to the article.
- Salenius, Sirpa. “Marginalized Identities and Spaces: James Baldwin’s Harlem, New York.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 48, no. 8, Jul. 2016, pp. 883–902. Sage Journals, https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934716658862.
If there is no DOI, look for a stable URL or permalink instead. Omit the “https://” prefix if using a URL or permalink, but always include it with a DOI.
Website
For websites (including online newspapers and magazines), you usually don’t have to include a publisher.
- Coates, Ta-Nehisi. “The Case for Reparations.” The Atlantic, Jun. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/.
If a web page has no publication date, add an access date instead.
What can proofreading do for your paper?
Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing.
See editing example
Authors and titles in the Works Cited list
There are a few important formatting rules when writing author names and titles in your Works Cited entries.
Author names
Author names are inverted in the Works Cited list. However, when a second author is listed, their name is not inverted. When a source has three or more authors, only the first author is listed, followed by “et al.” (Latin for “and others”). A corporate author may sometimes be listed instead of an individual.
- Smith, John.
- Smith, John, and David Jones.
- Smith, John, et al.
- Scribbr.
When no author is listed for a source, the Works Cited entry instead begins with the source title. The in-text citation should always match the first element of the Works Cited entry, so in these cases, it begins with the title (shortened if necessary) instead of the author’s last name.
Oxford Classical Dictionary. 4th ed., Oxford UP, 2012.
(Oxford Classical Dictionary)
Source and container titles
The titles of sources and containers are always written in title case (all major words capitalized).
Sources that are part of a larger work (e.g. a chapter in a book, an article in a periodical, a page on a website) are enclosed in quotation marks. The titles of self-contained sources (e.g. a book, a movie, a periodical, a website) are instead italicized. A title in the container position is always italicized.
If a source has no title, provide a description of the source instead. Only the first word of this description is capitalized, and no italics or quotation marks are used.
- Kafka, Franz. “The Metamorphosis.” The Metamorphosis and Other Stories, . . .
- Eliot, George. Middlemarch. . . .
- Mackintosh, Charles Rennie. Chair of stained oak. . . .
Ordering the list of Works Cited
Arrange the entries in your Works Cited list alphabetically by the author’s last name. See here for information on formatting annotations in an MLA annotated bibliography.
Multiple sources by the same author(s)
If your Works Cited list includes more than one work by a particular author, arrange these sources alphabetically by title. In place of the author element, write three em dashes for each source listed after the first.Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me: Notes on the First 150 Years in America. Spiegel and Grau, 2015.
———. “The Case for Reparations.” The Atlantic, Jun. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/.
———. The Water Dancer. One World, 2019.
The same applies to works by the same group of authors; replace the author element with three em dashes for subsequent sources.
Note, however, that two sources by “Smith, John, et al.” aren’t necessarily by the exact same authors; the authors represented by “et al.” could be different. Only use the three em dashes if the group of authors is exactly the same in each case; otherwise, repeat the author name and “et al.”
One author in combination with different coauthors
Sometimes, multiple entries will start with the same author, but in combination with different coauthors. Works by the author alone should come first, then works by two authors, and finally works by three or more authors (i.e., entries containing “et al.”).
Within this, sources with two authors are alphabetized by the second author’s last name, while sources using “et al.” are instead alphabetized by the title of the source.Smith, John. . . .
Smith, John, and Emma Jones. . . .
Smith, John, and David Wilson. . . .
Smith, John, et al. . . .
Sources with no author
If there is no author, alphabetize the source based on the title of the work. Ignore articles (the, a, and an) for the purposes of alphabetization. If a title begins with a number, alphabetize it as you would if the number was spelled out.
mla in text citation example
MLA in-text citation style uses the author’s last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith).
Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your reference list.
MLA in-text citation style uses the author’s last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith).
For more information on in-text citation, see the MLA Style Center.
Example paragraph with in-text citation
A few researchers in the linguistics field have developed training programs designed to improve native speakers’ ability to understand accented speech (Derwing et al. 246; Thomas 15). Their training techniques are based on the research described above indicating that comprehension improves with exposure to non-native speech. Derwing and others conducted their training with students preparing to be social workers, but note that other professionals who work with non-native speakers could benefit from a similar program (258).
References
Derwing, Tracey M., et al. “Teaching Native Speakers to Listen to Foreign-accented Speech.” Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, vol. 23, no. 4, 2002, pp. 245-259.
Thomas, Holly K. Training Strategies for Improving Listeners’ Comprehension of Foreign-accented Speech. University of Colorado, Boulder, 2004.
Citing Web Pages In Text
Cite web pages in text as you would any other source, using the author if known. If the author is not known, use the title as the in-text citation.
Your in-text citation should lead your reader to the corresponding entry in the reference list. Below are examples of using in-text citation with web pages.
Entire website with author:
In-text citation
Parents play an important role in helping children learn techniques for coping with bullying (Kraizer).
Reference entry
Kraizer, Sherryll. Safe Child. Coalition for Children, 2011, www.safechild.org.
Web page with no author:
In-text citation
The term Nittany Lion was coined by Penn State football player Joe Mason in 1904 (“All Things Nittany”).
Reference entry
“All Things Nittany.” About Penn State. Penn State University, 2006, www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html.
General Guidelines
In MLA style the author’s name can be included either in the narrative text of your paper, or in parentheses following the reference to the source.
Author’s name part of narrative:
Gass and Varonis found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (163).
Author’s name in parentheses:
One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (Gass and Varonis 163).
Group as author:
(American Psychological Association 123)
Multiple works: (separate each work with semi-colons)
Research shows that listening to a particular accent improves comprehension of accented speech in general (Gass and Varonis 143; Thomas 24).
Direct quote:
One study found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (Gass and Varonis 85).
Gass and Varonis found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (85).
Note: For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, display quotations as an indented block of text (one inch from left margin) and omit quotation marks. Place your parenthetical citation at the end of the block of text, after the final punctuation mark.
In addition to awareness-raising, practicing listening to accented speech has been shown to improve listening comprehension. This article recommends developing listening training programs for library faculty and staff, based on research from the linguistics and language teaching fields. Even brief exposure to accented speech can help listeners improve their comprehension, thereby improving the level of service to international patrons. (O’Malley 19)
Works by Multiple Authors
When citing works by multiple authors, always spell out the word “and.” When a source has three or more authors, only the first one shown in the source is normally given followed by et al.
One author: (Field 399)
Works Cited entry:
Field, John. “Intelligibility and the Listener: The Role of Lexical Stress.” TESOL Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 3, 2005, pp. 399-423.
Two authors: (Gass and Varonis 67)
Works Cited entry:
Gass, Susan, and Evangeline M. Varonis. “The Effect of Familiarity on the Comprehensibility of Nonnative Speech.” Language Learning, vol. 34, no. 1, 1984, pp. 65-89.
Three or more authors: (Munro et al. 70)
Works Cited entry:
Munro, Murray J., et al. “Salient Accents, Covert Attitudes: Consciousness-raising for Pre-service Second Language Teachers.” Prospect, vol. 21, no. 1, 2006, pp. 67-79.
