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English 111

MLA Guidelines

MLA Format 9th Edition - The Basics

GENERAL GUIDELINES

  • Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
  • Double-space the text of your paper and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are each distinct from one another. The font size should be 12 pt.
  • Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise prompted by your instructor).
  • Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
  • Indent the first line of each paragraph one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the “Tab” key as opposed to pushing the space bar five times.
  • Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.)
  • Use italics throughout your essay to indicate the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, provide emphasis.
  • If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. Entitle the section Notes (centered, unformatted).

FORMATTING THE FIRST PAGE OF YOUR PAPER

  • Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested.
  • In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
  • Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. Write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.
  • Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text. For example: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as Morality Play; Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking"
  • Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
  • Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number. Number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit the last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)

MLA Format 9th Edition

In-Text Citations

Material

MLA Reference Format

Example

In-Text Example

Book with one author

 

Last Name, First Name.  Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

 

Goodwin, Doris. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Simon & Schuster, 2012.

(Goodwin 17)

 

Section of an edited book

 

Last name, First name. "Title of Entry." Title of Collection, edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry.

 

Harris, Muriel. "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers." A Tutor's Guide: Helping Writers One to One, edited by Ben Rafoth, Heinemann, 2000, pp. 24-34.

(Harris 26-28)

Book with two authors

 

Author, First, Second First Last. Title. Publisher, Year.

 

Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

(Gillespie and Lerner 39)

Books with three or more authors

 

Author, First, et al. Title. Publisher, Year.

 

Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition. Utah State UP, 2004.

 

(Wysocki, et al. 98)

Electronic Book

 

Author’s last name, First name. Title of the e-book. Publisher, Year of publication, Title of the web site or database, URL

 

Austen, Jane and Seth Grahame-Smith. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Quirk, 2015. Google Books, books.google.com/books/about/Pride_and_Prejudice_and_Zombies.html?id=x5xPaPeZzmUC

(Austen and Grahame-Smith ch. 7)

Online Reference  Entry with an Author

 

Last name, First Name. “Title of Entry”. Title of Reference Book, edited by First name Last name, Publisher, Year. Name of website, URL

 

Myers, Katherine Ann. “Juana Ines de la Cruz”. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, edited by Bonnie G. Smith, Oxford UP, 2008. Oxford Reference, www.oxfordreference.com

(Meyers)

Article from Database with DOI

 

Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. X, no. X, Year, page numbers. Name of Database, doi: xx. Xxxxxxxx. Accessed Day Month Year.

 

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical Journal, vol. 50, no. 1, 2007, pp. 173-96. ProQuest, doi:10.1017/S0018246X06005966. 

(Langhamer 177-80)

Article from Database No DOI

 

Last name, First name. “Article Title.” Journal Title, vol.X, no.X, Year, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

 

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. 

(Dolby)

Website Entry with author

 

Last Name, First. Title of Webpage. Website Publisher, Last date updated, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

 

Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003, www.cla.purdue.edu/english/theory/. 

(Felluga)

Website Entry

No Author

 

Title of webpage. Title of Website, Last date updated, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl. 

(“The Purdue OWL Family of Sites”)

Government Report

 

Country, Government Agency. Title of Report. Publisher, Year.

 

United States, Government Accountability Office. Climate Change: EPA and DOE Should Do More to Encourage Progress Under Two Voluntary Programs. Government Printing Office, 2006.

(“Climate Change”)

Newspaper article - online

 

Last Name, First. “Article Title.” Newspaper, Day Month Year, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.

 

Bernstein, Mark. “10 Tips on Writing the Living Web.” New York Times, 16 Aug. 2002, www.nytimes.com. 

(Bernstein)

YouTube Video with author

 

Last Name, First. “Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Screen name, day Month Year, URL.

 

McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube, uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

 

Note: If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploader, cite the author’s name before the title

(McGonigal)

YouTube Video – no author

 

“Title of Video.” YouTube, uploaded by Screen Name, day Month Year, URL.

 

“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.

(“8 Hot Dog Gadgets”)

Online Image with creator

 

Creator Last Name, First Name. “Title of Image.” Title of Website, Version (if available, Number (if available), Publisher, Publication Date, URL.

 

Gilpin, Laura. “Terraced Houses, Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico.” Library of Congress, Reproduction no. LC-USZ62-102170, 1939, www.loc.gov/pictures/item/90716883/.

 

(Gilpin)

Online Image No creator, no title, no date.

 

Description of image. Title of website. Publisher, URL.

 

Photograph of Coach K with Team USA. NBC Olympics, USA Today Sports, www.nbcolympics.com/news/rio-olympics-coach-ks-toughest-test-or-lasting-legacy.

(“Photograph of Coach K with Team USA”)

Interview

 

Interviewee. “Subject Line of Email.” Received by Name, Day Month Year of email. Email Interview.

 

Smith, Paula. "Re: Food and Family." Received by Joseph Tan, 20 May 2016. Email Interview.

(Smith)

Television Episode

 

“Episode Name.” Series Name, written by First Name Last Name, directed by First Name Last Name, Distributor, Year.

"The One Where Chandler Can't Cry." Friends: The Complete Sixth Season, written by Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen, directed by Kevin Bright, Warner Brothers, 2004.

(“The One Where Chandler Can’t Cry”)

Movie

 

Title. Directed by First Name Last Name, performances by First Name Last Name (if relevant), Distributor, Year.

 

Speed Racer. Directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski, performances by Emile Hirsch, Nicholas Elia, Susan Sarandon, Ariel Winter, and John Goodman, Warner Brothers, 2008.

(“Speed Racer”)

Podcast

 

“Title of Episode.” Title of Podcast from Name of Website, Day Month Year, URL.

 

“Best of Not My Job Musicians.” Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! from NPR, 4 June 2016, www.npr.org/podcasts/344098539/wait-wait-don-t-tell-me.

(“Best of Not My Job Musicians

Annotated Bibliography Video from the Purdue Owl

Sample MLA Annotated Bibliography Annotation