MLA referencing is the citation style of the Modern Language Association, used mainly in English, literature and the humanities. It uses brief in-text citations in the form (Author page number) and a full alphabetical list of sources called the Works Cited page at the end. UK universities use MLA in arts and humanities subjects where authorship matters more than date.
Key takeaways
- MLA stands for the Modern Language Association style, now in its 9th edition.
- In-text citations use (Author Page) with no comma, e.g. (Smith 23).
- Full sources are listed on a Works Cited page, not a bibliography.
- Entries are alphabetical by surname with a hanging indent.
- MLA is built from nine core elements applied to any source type.
What is MLA referencing?
MLA referencing is the system created by the Modern Language Association for writing in the humanities. It identifies sources with the author’s name and a page number, keeping in-text citations short so the writing flows. Every source is then described in full on the Works Cited page so readers can locate it.
How do MLA in-text citations work?
Place the author surname and page number in brackets, with no comma between them, e.g. (Austen 45). If you name the author in your sentence, give only the page number: Austen shows this clearly (45). For sources with no page number, use the author name alone.
How do you format an MLA Works Cited entry?
MLA 9 builds every entry from nine core elements: Author. “Title of Source.” Title of Container, contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date, location. Examples:
- Book: Smith, John. The Modern Novel. Penguin, 2019.
- Journal article: Brown, Aisha. “Reading Woolf.” Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 64, no. 2, 2020, pp. 210–28.
- Website: Green, Tom. “Studying Poetry.” The Poetry Hub, 4 Mar. 2024, www.poetryhub.example.
Quick MLA referencing examples
| Source | Works Cited format |
|---|---|
| Book | Smith, John. The Modern Novel. Penguin, 2019. |
| Journal | Brown, Aisha. “Reading Woolf.” Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 64, no. 2, 2020, pp. 210–28. |
| Chapter | Lee, Mark. “Tragedy.” A Guide to Drama, edited by P. Hall, Routledge, 2018, pp. 33–50. |
MLA Works Cited vs bibliography: what is the difference?
MLA uses a Works Cited page, which lists only sources you actually cited. A bibliography (used by some other styles) can include background reading you did not cite. In MLA, stick to Works Cited unless your tutor asks for an annotated bibliography.
Common MLA referencing mistakes to avoid
- Putting a comma between author and page: (Smith, 23) is wrong; use (Smith 23).
- Calling the list a “Bibliography” instead of “Works Cited”.
- Forgetting the hanging indent on Works Cited entries.
- Mixing MLA with Harvard or APA in one essay.
For broader help, see our guides on how to write an essay and how to write coursework, and the official rules at the MLA Style Center. For hands-on help, Projectsdeal offers an essay writing service, English literature assignment help and a dissertation editing service.
The MLA 9 Core Elements System
The biggest strength of modern MLA is its flexible “core elements” template, which lets you reference almost any source — even ones the guide never lists — by working through nine components in order: Author. Title of source. Title of container, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location. A “container” is the larger whole a source sits in, such as the journal that holds an article or the website that hosts a page. Include only the elements that apply, punctuate each with the mark shown in the template, and you can build a correct Works Cited entry for almost any source.
MLA In-Text Citations: Author and Page, Not Year
Unlike APA and Harvard, MLA in-text citations use the author’s surname and a page number with no comma and no year, for example (Smith 15). You can also use a narrative citation, naming the author in your sentence and putting only the page in brackets: “Smith argues… (15).” If a source has no page numbers, such as a website, give just the author. Every in-text citation must point clearly to a matching entry in your Works Cited list, so keep the first word of each citation identical to the first word of its full reference.
When Will You Use MLA Rather Than APA?
MLA is the standard in the humanities — English literature, languages, cultural studies, philosophy and the arts — where close reading of texts is central. If you also take social-science modules, you may be asked to switch to APA for those, since the two styles suit different kinds of evidence. Always check each module’s handbook rather than assuming one style covers your whole degree. If you are juggling more than one referencing style across your course, ProjectsDeal’s specialists can help you keep every assignment consistent and correct.
Frequently asked questions about MLA referencing
Is MLA referencing in-text or footnotes?
MLA referencing uses brief in-text citations in brackets, not footnotes. Footnotes are only used occasionally for extra explanatory comments.
What subjects use MLA referencing?
MLA referencing is used mainly in English, literature, languages, cultural studies and other humanities subjects.
Is MLA referencing easy to learn?
Yes. Once you learn the (Author page) pattern and the nine core elements for Works Cited, MLA referencing is straightforward to apply to any source.
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