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how to mla cite

To MLA cite a source, you need two things: in-text citations inside your writing and a Works Cited entry at the end that follows MLA’s core elements and order.

Core idea of MLA citations

MLA (9th edition) is used mostly in English and humanities classes and is built on a simple pattern: who wrote it, what it’s called, where it was published, and where to find it.

MLA uses nine core elements , in this order:

  1. Author
  2. Title of source
  3. Title of container (book, website, journal, etc.)
  4. Other contributors (editor, translator, etc.)
  5. Version (edition)
  6. Number (volume, issue)
  7. Publisher
  8. Publication date
  9. Location (pages, URL, DOI, timestamp)

You include as many as apply, in that order, separated by commas, and end the entry with a period.

In-text citations: how they look

In-text citations are short references in your sentences that point to the Works Cited list.

Basic format:

  • Put the author’s last name and page number in parentheses:
    • Example: (Smith45)(Smith45)(Smith45) after a quote.
  • If you mention the author in the sentence, only the page number goes in parentheses:
    • Example: Smith argues that poetry is political 454545.

Key rules:

  • No comma between name and page: write (Smith45)(Smith45)(Smith45), not (Smith,45)(Smith,45)(Smith,45).
  • If there are two authors: (SmithandLee102)(SmithandLee102)(SmithandLee102).
  • Three or more authors: (Smithetal.77)(Smithetal.77)(Smithetal.77).
  • No page numbers (like some websites): use just the name: (Smith)(Smith)(Smith).
  • Every in-text citation must match a full entry in your Works Cited list.

Works Cited: basic templates

Each full MLA citation on the Works Cited page follows the core-elements pattern and hangs (hanging indent: first line flush left, next lines indented).

Below are simple templates you can adapt.

1. Book (print or ebook)

General form: Author Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. Example: Smith, Jordan. Poetry in the Digital Age. Blue River Press, 2021.

If there are two authors, format like: Smith, Jordan, and Taylor Lee. Poetry in the Digital Age. Blue River Press, 2021.

Three or more authors: Smith, Jordan, et al. Poetry in the Digital Age. Blue River Press, 2021.

2. Journal article (from a database or online)

General form: Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal , vol. number, no. number, Year, pp. page–page. If it’s online and you have a DOI or stable URL, add it at the end:

... pp. 15–32. DOI or URL.

3. Web article or page

General form: Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Web Page or Article.” Title of Website , Publisher (if different from site name), Publication date, URL. If no author, start with the title of the page.

If no date, skip date and go right to URL; you can optionally include date of access if your teacher asks: Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.

4. Online video (e.g., YouTube)

General form: “Title of Video.” Website Name , uploaded by Channel Name, Day Month Year, URL. In-text, often you cite by a shortened title: (“Title”00:45–01:10)(“Title”00:45–01:10)(“Title”00:45–01:10) using a timestamp as the location.

5. Social media post (tweet, etc.)

General form (X/Twitter): Author Last Name, First Name [@username]. “First part of the post text…” X (Twitter) , Day Month Year, Time, URL.

For image-only posts, describe the content instead of quoting text.

Putting it together: simple example

Imagine you used a book and a website in your paper.

In-text citations

  • From page 120 of a book by Jordan Smith:
    • (Smith120)(Smith120)(Smith120).
  • From an online article with author Taylor Lee and no page numbers:
    • (Lee)(Lee)(Lee).

Works Cited entries

On a new page titled Works Cited , alphabetize by author last name.

  • Lee, Taylor. “How Poetry Went Viral.” LitOnline , 14 Mar. 2024, [www.litonline.org/poetry-viral.7]
  • Smith, Jordan. Poetry in the Digital Age. Blue River Press, 2021.

Quick HTML table: common MLA patterns

Since you asked for a “Quick Scoop,” here’s a compact HTML table with patterns you can reuse:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Source Type</th>
      <th>In-text Citation</th>
      <th>Works Cited Pattern</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Book</td>
      <td>(Smith 45)</td>
      <td>Smith, Jordan. <i>Title of Book</i>. Publisher, Year.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Journal article</td>
      <td>(Smith 120)</td>
      <td>Smith, Jordan. “Title of Article.” <i>Title of Journal</i>, vol. x, no. y, Year, pp. xx–yy.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Website article</td>
      <td>(Smith)</td>
      <td>Smith, Jordan. “Title of Web Page.” <i>Title of Website</i>, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Online video</td>
      <td>(“Short Title” 01:05–01:20)</td>
      <td>“Title of Video.” <i>Website Name</i>, uploaded by Channel Name, Day Month Year, URL.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Social media post</td>
      <td>(Smith)</td>
      <td>Smith, Jordan [@username]. “First part of post text…”. <i>Platform Name</i>, Day Month Year, Time, URL.</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

These reflect common MLA 9th edition patterns built from the core elements.

Fast checklist you can follow

Use this when you’re rushing before a deadline:

  1. In the text
    • Add (Authorpage)(Authorpage)(Authorpage) after quotes/ideas, or just (Author)(Author)(Author) if no pages.
  1. End of paper: title page
    • Start a new page titled Works Cited , centered.
  1. Entries
    • Alphabetize by author last name.
    • Use hanging indent for each entry.
  1. Core elements order
    • Author → Title of source → Title of container → Other contributors → Version → Number → Publisher → Date → Location.

If you tell me what kind of source you have (book, website, YouTube, tweet, etc.), I can format the exact MLA citation text for you. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.