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How to Cite an Essay in MLA

The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number(s).

Citing an Essay

Mla essay citation structure.

Last, First M. “Essay Title.” Collection Title, edited by First M. Last, Publisher, year published, page numbers. Website Title , URL (if applicable).

MLA Essay Citation Example

Gupta, Sanjay. “Balancing and Checking.” Essays on Modern Democracy, edited by Bob Towsky, Brook Stone Publishers, 1996, pp. 36-48. Essay Database, www . databaseforessays.org/modern/modern-democracy.

MLA Essay In-text Citation Structure

(Last Name Page #)

MLA Essay In-text Citation Example

Click here to cite an essay via an EasyBib citation form.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all MLA Examples

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To cite your sources in an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author’s name(s), chapter title, book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry for essay sources and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author on the first occurrence. For subsequent citations, use only the surname(s). In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author(s).

Citation in prose:

First mention: Annette Wheeler Cafarelli

Subsequent occurrences: Wheeler Cafarelli

Parenthetical:

….(Wheeler Cafarelli).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the chapter is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Cafarelli, Annette Wheeler. “Rousseau and British Romanticism: Women and British Romanticism.” Cultural Interactions in the Romantic Age: Critical Essays in Comparative Literature , edited by Gregory Maertz. State U of New York P, 1998, pp. 125–56.

To cite an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author(s), the essay title, the book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for citations in prose, parenthetical citations, and works-cited-list entries for an essay by multiple authors, and some examples, are given below:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author (e.g., Mary Strine).

For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Mary Strine and Beth Radick).

For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Mary Strine and others). In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Strine and others).

In parenthetical citations, use only the author’s surname. For sources with two authors, use two surnames (e.g., Strine and Radick). For sources with three or more author names, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”

First mention: Mary Strine…

Subsequent mention: Strine…

First mention: Mary Strine and Beth Radick…

Subsequent mention: Strine and Radick…

First mention: Mary Strine and colleagues …. or Mary Strine and others

Subsequent occurrences: Strine and colleagues …. or Strine and others

…. (Strine).

….(Strine and Radick).

….(Strine et al.).

The title of the essay is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name, et al. “Title of the Essay.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Strine, Mary M., et al. “Research in Interpretation and Performance Studies: Trends, Issues, Priorities.” Speech Communication: Essays to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Speech Communication Association , edited by Gerald M. Phillips and Julia T. Wood, Southern Illinois UP, 1990, pp. 181–204.

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Welcome

What kind of source is this.

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• Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Primary Sources
• Religious Texts
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• In-Text Citation
• Works Quoted in Another Source
• No Author, No Date etc.
• Works Cited List & Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography
• Powerpoint Presentations

What is MLA?

MLA style was created by the Modern Language Association of America. It is a set of rules for publications, including research papers.

There are two parts to MLA: In-text citations and the Works Cited list.

In MLA, you must "cite" sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:

• In the body of your paper where you add a brief in-text citation.
• In the Works Cited list at the end of your paper where you give more complete information for the source.

Core Elements of an MLA Citation

MLA 9th edition provides 9 core elements to complete any works cited entry. It is your job to try to fill in these core elements with the information you have about a source. If any element is missing or not applicable, you can skip that element.

The 9 Core Elements

(1) Author. (2) “Title of Source.” (3) Title of Container , (4) Other contributors, (5) Version,  (6) Number,  (7) Publisher, (8) Publication date, (9) Location.

For sources that are part of a larger work, you include core element (2) “Title of Source.” ​        ( e.g. journal articles from a journal, essays or chapters from a book, webpages from a website)

For sources that are self-contained, you skip core element (2).         (e.g. books, websites, or journals)

Other contributors includes people such as editors, translators, or directors.

Example 1. A source found within a larger work (a journal article)

Guillen, Jorge. "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?"  Emerging Markets Finance & Trade , vol. 52, no. 5, 2016, pp. 1145-1155.  Business Source Complete,  https://do.org/10.1080/1540496X.2015.1046337.

(1) Guillen, Jorge. (2) "Does Financial Openness Matter in the Relationship Between Financial Development and Income Distribution in Latin America?" (3) Emerging Markets Finance & Trade , (4) (5) (6) vol. 52, no.5, (7) (8) 2016, (9) pp. 1145-1155.   

Example 2.  A self-contained source (a book)

Kirsh, Steven J.  Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research.  2nd ed., Sage, 2006. 

(1) Kirsh, Steven J. (2) (3) Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research.   (4) (5) 2nd ed., (6) (7) Sage, (8) 2006.  (9)

Note on Publisher Information: 

According to p. 165 of the  MLA Handbook , you don’t need to include publisher information for:

• periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers)
• works published by an author or editor
• web sites whose title is the same as the name of the publisher
• a web site not involved in producing the work it makes (e.g. user-generated content sites like  YouTube )

Commonly Used Terms

Access Date: The date you last looked at a source. Do not provide an access date for sources from library databases. Access dates should be added to the end of citations for online sources that lack a publication date, or if a publication has been removed or appears to have been altered.

Citation : The details about one source you are citing.

Citing : The process of acknowledging the sources of your information and ideas.

In-Text Citation : A brief note in your paper or essay at the point where you use information from a source to indicate where the information came from. An in-text citation should always match more detailed information that is available in the Works Cited List.

Paraphrasing : Taking information that you have read and putting it into your own words.

Plagiarism : Taking the ideas or words of another person and using them as your own.

Quoting : Copying words of text originally published elsewhere. Direct quotations generally appear in quotation marks and end with a citation.

Works Cited List : Contains details on ALL the sources cited in a text or essay, and supports your research and/or premise.

MLA Citation Guide QR Code

Use this QR code to quickly access this guide on your phone.

Sample Paper & Works Cited List

• MLA Sample Paper Template

This sample paper includes a sample assignment page with an example of how to include your student information and a Works Cited list in MLA format.

It can be used as a template to set up your assignment.

MLA Interactive Practice Template

• MLA Practice Template Use this interactive webpage to see how the elements of a source are formatted and arranged in an MLA-Style citation.

Do You Need Citation Help?

Stop by the library and speak with a Librarian, or use the chat box below to chat with a Librarian from home. 

This citation guide is based on the MLA Handbook  (9th ed.). The contents are accurate to the best of our knowledge.

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This guide is used/adapted with the permission of Seneca College Libraries. For information please contact [email protected] .

Note: When copying this guide, please retain this box.

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MLA Citation Guide: Citing in the body of your paper

• "Works Cited" List Outlined
• Books and book chapters
• Periodicals
• Citing in the body of your paper
• MLA Online Tutorials

In-Text Citations (see pages 54 - 58, 116 - 128 of the MLA Handbook, 8th Edition)

In the body of your paper, use parenthetical documentation (Chapter 5 of MLA Handbook ). The purpose of your documentation is for your readers to be able to locate the sources which you cite in your text when they look at your bibliography ("Works Cited") located at the end of your paper. You give the minimum of information necessary for your readers to do this, such as just the author's last name and the page(s) to which you refer.

• When you omit the author's name in your sentence:

This point has already been argued (Tannen 178-85).

• When you include the author's name in your sentence:

Tannen has argued this point (178-85).

• When you cite more than one work by the same author (shortened version of title is acceptable, using first words:

Shakespeare's King Lear has been called a "comedy of the grotesque" (Frye,  Anatomy 237).

• When the work has more than one author:

Others hold the opposite point of view (e.g., Kerrigan and Braden 210-15).

• When the work has no author, use title (shortened form is ok) of article or book:

A New York Times editorial called Ralph Ellison "a writer of universal reach" ("Death").

• If your source uses explicit paragraph numbers rather than page numbers -- as some publications on the web do -- give the relevant number or numbers, preceded by the label par. or pars .  Change the label appropriately if another kind of part is numbered in the source instead of pages, such as sections ( sec., secs .) or chapters ( ch., chs .). If the author's name begins such a citation, place a comma after the name.

There is little evidence here for the claim that "Eagleton has belittled the gains of postmodernism" (Chan, par.41).

• When a source has no page numbers or any other kind of part number, no number should be given in a parenthetical citation.  Do not count unnumbered paragraphs or other parts.

"As we read we . . . construct the terrain of a book" (Hollmichel), something that is more difficult when the text reflows on a screen.

• In parenthetical citations of a literary work available in multiple editions, such as commonly studied novel, play, or poem, it is often helpful to provide division numbers in addition to, or instead of, page numbers, so that readers can find references in any edition of the work.

Austen begins the final chapter of Mansfield Park with a dismissive "Let other pens dwell," thereby announcing her decision to avoid dwelling on the professions of love made by Fanny and Edmund (533; vol.3, ch.17).

• For works in time-based media, such as audio and video recordings, cite relevant time or range of times.  Give the numbers of the hours, minutes and seconds as displayed on your media player, separating the numbers with colons.

Buffy's promise that "there's not going to be incidents like at my old school" is obviously not one on which she can follow through ("Buffy" 00:03:16-17).

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Work Cited Page

How to Create a Perfect MLA Works Cited Page

Published on: Apr 29, 2024

Last updated on: Apr 30, 2024

In This Guide

Using In-Text Citations According to MLA 9th Edition

How to Write an MLA Annotated Bibliography

MLA Paper Format: Guidelines With Examples for Students and Researchers

How to Format Your MLA Header Correctly

How to Format MLA Title Page: Learn with Examples

How to Format Block Quotes in MLA Style with Examples

How to Use MLA Footnotes & Endnotes in Your Academic Writing

Formatting MLA Source Titles - Easy Guide for Students

MLA Date Format: What You Need to Know

Writing papers and citing sources in MLA style can be frustrating. If you are writing a research paper or an essay on liberal arts or humanities, you may have been instructed to use MLA (Modern Language Association) style. 

In MLA style , you need to include a works cited page at the end of your document. This page lists all the sources that you have cited in your paper, giving full details of each source. 

But how do you format your works cited page in MLA correctly? When to use italics or quotation marks? And what are some common mistakes to avoid? 

In this blog post, we will answer these questions and provide some tips and examples to help you create a perfect MLA works cited page.

Formatting the Works Cited Page

According to MLA Handbook (9th Ed.), here is what you should know about citing your sources. 

• It should appear on a separate page at the end of your paper, with the title page “Works Cited” centered and in plain text (no italics, bold, or quotation marks).
• The work cited list should have one-inch margins and the same header (Author's Last Name Page Number) as the rest of your paper.
• It should list all the cited sources you have cited in your paper, alphabetically by the author’s last name. If there is no author, use the title instead.
• The page should use a hanging indent for each entry. The first line of each entry is aligned with the left margin, and the second and subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches.
• The entries should use double spacing throughout, with no extra space in between.

Here is an example of how a works cited page might look like:

Examples of Works Cited Entries

The format of each entry in your works cited page depends on the type of source that you are citing. 

MLA style has specific rules for different types of sources, such as books, articles, websites, etc.

Here are some common source types and how to cite them in your works cited page:

Citing a Book

A book is a written work that is published in print or electronically. To cite a book in MLA style, you need to provide the following information:

• Author’s last name, first name
• Title of Book (in italics)
• Year of publication

Here is an example of how to cite a book in MLA style:

Citing an Article in a Print Journal

A print journal is a periodical publication that is issued in print format. To cite a journal article in MLA format, you need to provide the following information:

• “Title of Article” (in quotation marks)
• Title of Journal (in italics)
• Volume number
• Issue number

Here is an example of how to cite an article in a print journal in MLA style:

Citing an Article Online

An online article is an article that is published on the internet, either on a website or in an online database. To cite an online article in MLA style, you need to provide the following information:

• Name of Database (if any)
• DOI or URL (without https://, if available)
• Date Accessed (optional)

Here is an example of how to cite an online article in MLA style:

Citing a Website 

A website is a collection of web pages that are accessible on the internet. To cite a website or a web page in MLA style, you need to provide the following information:

• Author’s last name, and first name (if any)
• “Title of Web Page” (in quotation marks)
• Title of Website (in italics)
• Date of publication or update (if any)
• URL (without https://)

Here is an example of how to cite a website or a web page in MLA style:

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When creating your works cited page, make sure to avoid these common mistakes:

Missing Information

Check that you have included all the relevant information for each source, such as the author, title, publisher, date, etc. Also, make sure that the information is accurate and consistent with the source. 

Incorrect Information 

Do not misspell the author’s name, change the title of the source, or use a different date than the one given in the source.

Inconsistent or Incorrect Formatting 

Follow the MLA style rules for formatting each source type, and use the same format for all sources of the same type.

Do not use different punctuation marks, capitalization, or abbreviations for different sources. 

Also, ensure that your entries are aligned and indented correctly and that you use double spacing throughout.

Mixing In-Text Citations and Works Cited 

Remember that in-text citations and works cited entries are not the same thing. 

• In-text citations are brief references that you include in the body of your paper, usually in parentheses, to indicate where you have used a source. 
• Works cited entries are full references you list at the end of your paper, giving all the details of each source. 

Do not confuse the two or use them interchangeably.

Final Thoughts!

Creating a perfect MLA works cited page is not difficult, but it requires attention to detail and adherence to the MLA style rules. 

By following the tips and examples in this blog post, you can ensure that your works cited page is accurate, consistent, and complete. This will help you avoid plagiarism and give proper credit to the sources that you have used in your paper.

Perfect Solution to Your Citation Problems 

Do all these citation rules sound confusing to you? Well, we have the perfect solution to your citation problems. 

Our citation machine is a free online tool that helps you create citations for websites, books, journals, and more. 

All you have to do is enter the details of your source in our citation machine MLA , and our tool will generate and format your references automatically with our works cited generator.

Try it out today and see the difference it makes!

Nathan D. (Literary analysis)

Introducing Nathan D., PhD, an esteemed author on PerfectEssayWriter.ai. With a profound background in Literary Analysis and expertise in Educational Theories, Nathan brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his writings. His passion for dissecting literature and exploring educational concepts shines through in his meticulously crafted essays and analyses. As a seasoned academic, Nathan's contributions enrich our platform, offering valuable perspectives and engaging content for our readers.

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How do I alphabetize a works-cited-list entry that begins with a hashtag or another symbol?

The MLA recommends that writers should “ignore symbols when alphabetizing” (“How”). This includes hashtags. Thus, if an entry begins with a hashtag or another symbol, start alphabetizing with the first letter that appears in the entry. The following provides examples:

Works Cited @AP. “ It’s been four years since the #MeToo movement took over social media. . . .”  X , 15 Oct. 2021, https://twitter.com/AP/status/1449019990741590025 . “#MeToo Poll: Many in US More Willing to Call Out Misconduct.” Associated Press , 15 Oct. 2021, https://apnews.com/article/sexual-misconduct-metoo-79688da3a0c3519d2a76b5b6e6b23ba7 . “#MeToo Protest in Amsterdam after Allegations at TV Show.” Associated Press , 29 Jan. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-arts-and-entertainment-netherlands-amsterdam-4bb589aae061e534b1a47ac453e9d85f .

“How Do I Alphabetize Tweets in My Works-Cited List?” MLA Style Center , 26 Jan. 2018, https://style.mla.org/alphabetizing-tweets/ .

How To Do In-Text Citations with Multiple Authors in APA Format

APA (or American Psychological Association) Style   was introduced in 1929 to establish a consistent style guide for scientific writing. It sought to make scientific works easier to read and understand. However, the style guidelines have expanded to include many disciplines, such as the humanities and health care.

The APA’s Publication Manual does not cover the general writing style rules in other editorial style guides, such as the MLA Handbook . APA Style seeks to create uniformity of common writing styles relevant to behavior and social sciences primarily.

Consistent formatting allows the reader to engage with the presented ideas rather than be distracted by the author’s personal formatting preferences. It also helps readers quickly review the document for references and sources to aid their research. Using APA Style keeps authors transparent by providing rules about citing their sources and giving credit for others’ ideas.

How to do in-text citations in APA

• Understanding “et. al.” usage in APA

Citing multiple authors in APA

• In-text citations for various author types in APA

Best practices and common mistakes

APA Style allows writers to credit and cite other works appropriately and avoid plagiarism through in-text citations. APA Style uses the author–date citation system, which requires notations to be included within the document to reference ideas, paraphrases and quotations from other bodies of work. Each in-text citation within the paper (or chart, footnote or figure) briefly identifies the cited work and guides the reader to a longer list of cited sources at the end of the document, called the reference list.

In-text citations can be written within a paper parenthetically or narratively. Both include the same information: the author’s last name and the publication date.

• Parenthetical citation : Great falls can be caused by sitting on tall walls (Dumpty, 1797).
• Narrative citation : Dumpty (1797) claims that great falls can be caused by sitting on tall walls.
• Reference list entry: Dumpty, Humpty (1797). Humpty Dumpty Sat on a Wall. Nursery Rhymes, 100.

APA Style requires citations to conform to a set of guidelines , which includes proper spelling of author names, consistency between the in-text citation information and its reference list entry and rules about crediting all facts and figures mentioned – especially those which are not common knowledge.

Understanding “et al.” usage in APA

Et al. is an abbreviation used to indicate multiple people. It’s the abbreviated version of “et alia,” a neutral plural version of “and others.” Most commonly, et al. indicates more than one contributor, such as multiple authors or editors, in a work.

In APA Style citations, et al. is used to indicate a cited work with three or more authors and serves as a way to condense the in-text citation to avoid confusion and unnecessary length. An APA in-text citation with three or more authors will include only the first author’s name plus “et al.” in every citation.

Citing multiple authors in APA Style is similar to MLA Style . For one or two authors, list the last name(s) followed by the year of publication. 

• One author: (Beyonce, 1997)
• Contributors: Daryl Hall and John Oates

To cite three or more authors using APA Style, use only the first author’s last name listed, plus “et al.” 

• Contributors: Earth, Wind and Fire

When two separate sources have the same abbreviated et al. form , spell out as many last names as needed to distinguish the sources from each other. It may include two last names followed by et al.

Similarly, when the first authors of separate sources share the same last name but have different initials, use their first initials in the in-text citations.

• Beyonce Knowles & Solange Knowles

In-text citation for various author types in APA

You may face a challenging situation where you must cite a group author , such as an institution or university, rather than a list of authors’ names. In this instance, you’ll list the group or organization.

• Group author: (Furman University, 2020)

If the group also has an abbreviation to its name, you may note the first and subsequent citations differently to be as concise as possible.

• Group author with abbreviation – 1st citation: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2024)
• Group author with abbreviation – 2nd citation : (APA, 2024)

The most common mistake when citing sources is forgetting to cite a source. One way to ensure you include all required sources is to document and manage your sources as you use their ideas within the document. This may mean you create the citations as you conduct your research, create your outline or type the final paper.

Some applications exist to help you manage and document citations, including EasyBib , Mendeley , EndNote and Zotero . Depending on your writing style, these applications can help you create citations, save your research sources, annotate documents and format references. 

Regarding best practices for in-text citations in APA Style, it’s good practice to proofread your citations and reference list together. When citing multiple authors, ensure all spellings are accurate and consistent throughout the document and reference list. Refer to the APA Style Publication Manual and other guideline reference documents to confirm your citing within the latest citation guidelines.

Giving credit to other authors who have shaped your research and ideas is incredibly important. You can do so without risking plagiarism accusations through in-text citations that are marked and referenced. Not only does it provide you with an honest and accurate reputation, but it also helps your readers gain more valuable knowledge from other sources.

Citing sources should not discourage you from sharing your knowledge within academic writing. Sooner or later, you’ll become a pro at in-text citations in APA style! The more you write, the more familiar you’ll become with the guidelines; you’ll no longer need to reference the style guides for help.

The perspectives and thoughts shared in the Furman Blog belong solely to the author and may not align with the official stance or policies of Furman University. All referenced sources were accurate as of the date of publication.

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