MLA 9

MLA 9 is one of the most commonly used citation styles in the humanities. The basic format uses the author's last name and page number separated by a space, for example (Bass 14). MLA 9 style papers include a Works Cited list at the end.

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In-text citation examples

  • Parenthetical Paper formatting is a source of frustration for students (Bass 84).
  • Narrative Bass demonstrates how formatting can be improved with technology (84).
  • Two authors (Bass and Wen 35) or Bass and Wen found that...technology (35).
  • Three or more authors (Bass et al. 35-41) or Bass et al. found that...technology (35-41).
  • No page number, just use the author's last name (Smith).
  • An organizational author (World Health Organization 18)
  • Citing more than one source (Smith 3; Wong 14; Patel 25).
harvard-guides
MLA 9 Reference List Basics

Some general rules are MLA style uses works cited lists not references, the author's last names are presented first followed by the entire first name and middle initial/name, your list should be in alphabetical order (A-Z), double space entries, use 1/2 inch hanging indentations on the second line of a source, leave out first set of repeated digits for page ranges for example (pp.134-8), use titles or organization names when no author is identified, all entries end with a period.

Most Common Reference Examples

Journal articles (Online)

Author1 last name, first name, Author2 last name, First name and First name Last name. (publication year). "Title of the article." Title of Journal, vol. 20, no. 5, Publicaiton year, pp.100-11, https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy. Accessed Day Month Year.

Books

Author last name, First name, Middle initial. Title of the book. City, Publisher, Publication year.

Webpage

Author last name, First name. "Title of the webpage." Website name, https://www.formatrexample.com/full/url/.

University lectures

Speaker last name, First name. "Title of the lecture." Title of the meeting, Name of organization, Venue, City, Type of presentation.

Common MLA mistakes
  • Missing author name or page number
  • Incorrect order of author’s names
  • Inconsistent use of quotation marks and italics
  • Missing punctuation
  • Incorrect works cited list title
  • Missing DOI or URL

Formatr automatically flags these errors in your reference list.

Checklist

Before submitting your paper, review our academic paper submission checklist

  • Check in-text citations
  • Match citations to references
  • Verify punctuation and italics
  • Ensure consistent author formatting
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