MLA 9th Edition: A Complete Citation Reference

What Is MLA Style?

MLA style — developed by the Modern Language Association — is the standard citation format for the humanities. Literature, language studies, film studies, cultural studies, philosophy, art history, and comparative literature all commonly require MLA formatting. It is the citation system you are most likely to encounter in high school English classes and undergraduate humanities courses throughout North America and many international institutions.

The 9th edition of the MLA Handbook, published in 2021, is the current authoritative version. Unlike some style guides that issue minor updates, MLA 9 was a substantial revision that built upon the container model introduced in MLA 8. Understanding the principles behind MLA's approach — rather than just memorising rules — is the key to formatting any source correctly, even ones not explicitly covered in the handbook.

MLA differs from APA in several important respects: it uses page numbers rather than publication dates in in-text citations, it titles its bibliography "Works Cited" rather than "References," and it relies on a universal formatting template built around "core elements" rather than separate rules for every source type. This universal template is MLA's greatest innovation and makes the system more adaptable to new and non-traditional sources.

MLA 9 Core Principles: The Container System

The most important concept in MLA 9 is the container system. Every source exists within one or more "containers" — larger wholes that hold the individual work. A journal article is contained within a journal; a journal may itself be found within a database. A television episode is contained within a series; the series may be found on a streaming platform.

MLA 9 identifies nine core elements that apply to virtually every source type:

1. Author — the creator(s) of the work
2. Title of Source — the specific work you are citing
3. Title of Container — the larger whole (journal, website, anthology)
4. Other Contributors — editors, translators, illustrators
5. Version — edition, revised edition, director's cut
6. Number — volume, issue, episode number
7. Publisher — who produced the work
8. Publication Date — when it was published
9. Location — page numbers, DOI, URL, physical location

Not every element is present in every source. You include only those that are relevant and available. The punctuation between elements is prescribed: commas separate most elements within a container; a period ends one container before the next begins. This elegant system means you can format a TikTok video, a museum placard, or a Renaissance manuscript using the same nine-element framework.

In-Text Citations in MLA

MLA in-text citations use the author–page format. The author's last name and the relevant page number(s) appear in parentheses at the end of the relevant sentence. Note that there is no comma between the author's name and the page number — this is one of the most common errors students make when switching from APA.

Basic Author–Page Format

Or with the author's name in the sentence:

No Author

Use a shortened version of the title — the first noun phrase — in place of the author's name. Italicise titles of independent works; use quotation marks for titles of articles or web pages.

Two Authors

List both last names, separated by "and."

Three or More Authors

Use the first author's last name followed by "et al."

Multiple Works by the Same Author

Add a shortened title to distinguish between works.

Citing Multiple Pages

Use a hyphen for a continuous range; use a comma for non-consecutive pages.

Works Cited Formatting

The Works Cited page is the complete list of every source you have cited in your paper. It appears at the end, on a new page, with "Works Cited" as the centred heading (not bold, not underlined, not italicised in most institutional formats — though some instructors prefer bold; always check your assignment guidelines).

• Hanging indent: The first line of each entry is flush left; all subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches. This is the same as APA's hanging indent.
• Alphabetical order: Sort by the author's last name. If no author is given, alphabetise by the first significant word of the title (ignoring "A," "An," "The").
• Double-spaced: The entire Works Cited page is double-spaced, with no extra spaces between entries.
• Page header: Your last name and page number should appear in the top-right corner of every page, including Works Cited.
• URLs and DOIs: Include them when citing online sources. MLA does not require angle brackets (< >) around URLs in MLA 9.
• Access dates: Optional for most sources; include when the content is likely to change (e.g., websites, Wikipedia).

Citing Books

One Author

Two Authors

Three or More Authors

Edited Book

Translated Book

E-Book

Add the platform or format after the publication information as a second container.

Citing Journal Articles

Print Journal Article

Online Journal Article

Article from a Database

The database functions as a second container — include it after the journal information.

Citing Websites

Web Page with an Author

Web Page with No Author

Government Website

Online News Article

Citing Films, TV, and YouTube

Film (director-focused)

Film (title-focused, with key contributors)

Television Episode

YouTube Video

Citing Social Media and Tweets

MLA 9 treats social media posts like any other short work within a container. The container is the platform name (italicised).

Tweet

Instagram Post

MLA 9 vs MLA 8: What Changed?

MLA 8 (2016) was the edition that introduced the container system, which was a radical departure from the source-specific rules of previous editions. MLA 9 (2021) refined and clarified that system rather than replacing it. Here are the key differences:

In practice, if you learned MLA 8, you can use MLA 9 with minimal adjustment. The container system, the nine core elements, and the author–page in-text format are unchanged. The main improvements are stylistic and editorial rather than structural.

Common MLA 9 Mistakes

Mistake 1: Comma between author and page in in-text citation

Mistake 2: Adding "p." or "pp." before page numbers in in-text citations

Mistake 3: Putting "Works Cited" in bold or quotes

Mistake 4: Including "www." in URLs when not part of the address

Mistake 5: Italicising article titles

Mistake 6: Abbreviating publisher names incorrectly

MLA 9 has simplified publisher name abbreviations. You may abbreviate "University Press" as "UP" (e.g., "Oxford UP," "Harvard UP") but should not abbreviate other publisher names unless the abbreviation is part of the official name.

Generate MLA Citations Free with Bibloq

The container system and the nine-element template give MLA 9 a logical elegance, but applying them correctly to every source type still requires careful attention to detail. A missing comma, an italicised title that should be in quotes, or a forgotten URL can drop your grade on a paper that is otherwise excellent.

Bibloq's MLA 9 generator handles the formatting for you. Enter a URL for a web page, a DOI for a journal article, or an ISBN for a book, and Bibloq retrieves the metadata and formats the Works Cited entry according to MLA 9's rules. You can review the generated citation, make any adjustments, and copy it directly into your paper.

For sources that require manual entry — a handwritten letter, an archival document, a live performance — Bibloq's manual entry mode walks you through the nine core elements one by one, applying the right punctuation automatically.