MLA is a common academic formatting style that is widely used by students, researchers, and individuals in academic papers and research proposals. It provides a comprehensive guideline for referencing original and credible sources so that your work showcases consistency, maintains academic integrity, and avoids plagiarism.
This citation style was developed by the Modern Language Association and is used in fields like humanities, literature, history, and philosophy. In short, MLA format was designed to make your written work clear and organised and give credit to authors whose work you are referencing in your research.
The latest version, the MLA Handbook (9th Edition), was released in 2021 and provides citation rules and formatting standards. In this blog, we will guide you on mastering the MLA format and the essentials for MLA formatting, which also include paper structure, in-text citations, works cited pages, and how to cite different sources according to the MLA format.
For every academic paper or literature review, you need to cite sources that mention where your evidence or points came from. This allows readers to understand your findings and conclusions and is also necessary to validate your ideas with proof.
According to the MLA handbook, “You must cite sources when the work of others informs your ideas.”
This also means that every word or thought that is not yours needs to be referenced accurately and separately, even if they are two in a sentence.
Before we understand how to format a paper in MLA style, let us take a look at the main components of every MLA citation:
| 1 | Author’s Name |
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| 2 | Title of Source |
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| 3 | Title of Container |
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| 4 | Contributor |
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| 5 | Version |
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| 6 | Publisher’s Name |
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| 7 | Date of Publication |
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| 8 | Source Location |
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Proper page formatting in MLA 9th edition is extremely important for clarity, readability, and uniformity of academic writing. This set of rules ensures a professional appearance while allowing readers to navigate easily.
Be it an essay, assignment, or research paper, it is important to properly format it according to the MLA style so that your paper looks professional and organised. Different citation styles, such as Chicago, Harvard, APA, etc., also have various formatting rules, and MLA 9th edition is no exception. Here are the page formatting rules of MLA style:
| Page Size | Standard 8.5” *11” paper |
| Margins | Use a 1” margin on all sides of the page to keep your text neat and organised. |
| Font Style | Times New Roman |
| Font Size | 12-pts |
| Line Spacing | The entire document, including headings, body texts, and the Works Cited Page, should be double-spaced. |
| Indentation | Start each new paragraph with a 0.5” first-line indent |
| Alignment | Left-Aligned |
| Running Header | Place it at the top-right corner of each page. Then, include the last name of the writer, followed by the page number. There should be a single space between the number and the page. |
| Title & Header | The MLA format does not include a separate title page unless instructed. However, you must include essential information in the header, such as:
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We make sure our essays are:
The proper formatting of paragraphs improves the text’s quality and enhances the clarity and flow of ideas in that text. Here are MLA formatting tips for beginners who struggle with formatting paragraphs:
Adding quotations is another way of including sources in your text. The MLA style differentiates between long and short quotations depending on their length and provides clear guidelines for citation.
Use double quotation marks for quotations of fewer than four lines of prose or three lines of verse (“”). Such quotations are written as part of the text and cannot be formatted separately. In other words, the rules for formatting short quotations are the same as for paragraphs.
For Example: “This is the quoted text” (John 45)
If quotations exceed four lines of prose or three lines of verse, they are to be written as block quotations. Here is how you can format block quotations:
Example:
To sum up, it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. If a man, holding a belief which he was taught in childhood or persuaded of afterwards, keeps down and pushes away any doubts which arise in his mind, purposely avoids the reading of books and the company of men that called into question or discuss it, and regards as impious those questions which cannot easily be asked without disturbing it – the life of that man is one long sin against mankind. (Clifford 186)
Headings and subheadings should always be differentiated so that your text can stand out from the other written paragraphs. It also gives readers a clear idea of your work and what you are addressing. The MLA style provides the following formatting rules for headings and subheadings:
| Level of Heading | Formatting |
|---|---|
| First-Level Heading | Flushed left, Italicized, Title Case Heading |
| Second-Level Heading | Flushed left, Italicized, Title Case Heading |
| Third-Level Heading | Bold, Centered, Title Case |
| Fourth-Level Heading | Italicized, Centered, Title Case |
| Fifth-Level Heading | Flushed left, Italicized, Title Case |
The in-text citation is used to give credit to the author or source that you have used in your work. These citations involve citing the source within the text right next to its reference and are written at the end of the sentence before the period. There are two types of in-text citations: parenthetical and narrative. Let us look at the guidelines for in-text citations in MLA style:
In MLA style, in-text citations are written in parentheses at the end of the paraphrased sentence or source quotation. It includes the name of the author and page number, although the time stamp, line number, and page number are optional. This rule is applicable to all kinds of sources, whether it is a book, article, or journal.
Example: This idea was groundbreaking (Garet 45)
Narrative in-text citations include the name of the author within the sentence. For this citation, you only need to include the page number at the end of the sentence. However, if the name of the author is unknown, then you can mention the title of the source.
Example: According to Garet, this idea was groundbreaking. (45)
If there is no page number, then you only have to mention the name of the author. For parenthetical in-text citations, you can follow this example:
Example: This idea was groundbreaking (Garet).
For narrative in-text citations with no page number:
Example: Garet argues that this idea was groundbreaking.
If the source does not have an author, the in-text citation in MLA style allows researchers to include the title of the source in parentheses.
Example: This is an example sentence. (“Innovations in Genetic Engineering” 16).
If you are citing a source with two or more authors, then separate their last names with “and.”
Example: The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark. (James and Smith 66).
If you are citing a source with more than two authors, then use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”
Example: The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark. (James et al. 66).
If you are citing multiple works by the same author, then you must include a shortened version of the title in your citation to differentiate between them. Here is an example for your understanding:
Example: (John, Economic Trends 74) and (John, Globalization 12)
The Works Cited Page provides a detailed list of sources that the author has cited in the document. It is important to properly format this page as it helps readers locate the sources that have been used in this paper. Here are the rules of MLA style for the Works Cited Page:
Different sources are cited differently and can have a few changes. Here is how you can cite all kinds of courses according to the MLA format:
To cite a book in MLA style, start with the last name of the author, followed by his first name. A comma separates the two. Then, write the title of the book you are using as a source. The publisher’s name and publication date come at the end of the citation.
Example: Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Bloomsbury, 1997.
The in-text citation for a book in MLA style is as follows:
In-Text Citation: (Rowling)
The format for citing websites in MLA style is simple. Begin this citation with the author’s last name, followed by the first name. The title of the web page will appear in quotation marks. Then comes the name of the website, which is italicised, followed by the publisher’s name and the publication date. The URL of the website comes at the end of the citation.
Example: Kenworthy, Lane. “Lane Kenworthy.” The Good Society, 4 Jan 2015, lanekenworthy.net.
The name of the author is known, which is why it is placed in parentheses. If there is no author, then the title of the webpage will be placed in parentheses with quotation marks.
In-Text Citation: (Kenworthy)
The format of citing an image or photograph in MLA style is: Last name, first name. “Title of image”, website name, year, and URL of an image if it is available online.
Example: Allen, Rita. “Sunset Over the Ocean”. Unsplash, 2023, www.unsplash.com/image123.
In-Text Citation: (Allen)
This citation begins with the author’s last name, followed by the first name. The title of the article will be written in quotation marks. Then comes the title of the journal, which is italicised, followed by the publisher’s name and the publication date. You can also mention the volume number if it is available. The page number from the articles comes at the end of the citation.
Example: Lee, Jennifer. “The Effects of Music Therapy on Anxiety and Depression.”Journal of Clinical Psychology, vol 76 no. 4, 2020, pp. 567-589.
In-Text Citation: (Lee 567-589)
Citing a PowerPoint presentation in MLA style includes the author’s last name, followed by the first name. The title of the presentation is placed in quotation marks, followed by the name of the event or conference if it is available. The date of the event and location come at the end of the citation, which is optional.
Example: William, Lisa. “The Evolution of Digital Marketing.” Marketing Strategies Conference. 15 Mar. 2023, New York City. PowerPoint Presentation.
In-Text Citation: (William)
The format for citing the work of Shakespeare in MLA style includes the name of the author. Name, followed by the title of the play, sonnet, or poem. The name of the collection comes afterwards, which is italicised. Then comes the name of the editor, publication date, and location of the source.
Example: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, W.W. Norton, 2016, pp. 2500-2560.
For in-text citations, use the play title, act, scene, and line instead of page numbers.
In-Text Citation: (Shakespeare 1.7.49) or (Macbeth 1.7.49)
Using MLA format as a citation style is not just about following the rules but also about maintaining academic integrity. However, you should avoid common mistakes so that you can easily master the MLA format. Always make sure that you follow the punctuation and formatting rules so that your research work’s credibility can be strengthened. Every idea, quote, or content that is not yours must be accurately cited to avoid plagiarism. By following the MLA citation guide with examples for in-text citations and a Works Cited Page, you can boost your academic writing.
The MLA format does not require a separate title page unless your teacher or course instructor asks for it. However, you can include your name, the instructor’s name, the course name, and the date in the header.
MLA format is commonly used for humanities and uses author-page in-text citations, whereas the APA citation style is used for social sciences and focuses on author-date in-text citations.
To cite an online PDF in MLA style, include the author’s last name, followed by first name. Mention the title of the PDF, the publisher’s name, and the date or year of publication. The URL of the PDF comes at the end of the citation.
Example: Jackson, Ann. Digital Marketing Strategies. Business Press, 2021, http://www.example.com/marketing.pdf.
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