MLA Format (9th Edition): Heading, Works Cited and Examples

Key takeaways

• MLA papers use 1-inch margins, double spacing, a 12-pt readable font, and a header with your last name and page number in the top right corner.
• MLA papers don't use a title page. Put your name, instructor, course and date in the top left of page 1.
• In-text citations use author and page number with no comma: (Morrison 45).
• The last page is titled Works Cited, centered, with entries alphabetized and a 0.5-inch hanging indent.

MLA (Modern Language Association) style is standard in English, literature, languages, and many humanities courses. The current version is the MLA Handbook, 9th edition (2021).

Page setup

• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Font: 12-pt, easily readable (Times New Roman is the common choice)
• Spacing: double-spaced throughout, with no extra spaces between paragraphs
• Indent: 0.5 inch at the start of each paragraph
• Header: your last name and the page number, top right, 0.5 inch from the top (e.g., Garcia 1)

The first-page heading

MLA doesn't use a separate title page unless your instructor asks for one. In the top-left corner of page 1, list on separate double-spaced lines:

1. Your full name
2. Your instructor's name
3. The course name or number
4. The date in day–month–year format (e.g., 24 September 2026)

Then center the title on the next line in title case. Don't bold, italicize or underline it.

MLA format example (first page)

                                                        Garcia 1
Maria Garcia
Professor Lee
English 101
24 September 2026
             The Role of Memory in Toni Morrison's Beloved
     In Toni Morrison's Beloved, memory is not simply a record of
the past but a force that shapes the characters' present...

Everything is double-spaced, the header (Garcia 1) is in the top right of every page, and the first line of each paragraph is indented 0.5 inch.

In-text citations

MLA uses author–page citations:

• (Morrison 45), with no comma and no "p."
• Narrative: Morrison argues that memory shapes identity (45).
• Two authors: (Gilbert and Gubar 12)
• Three or more authors: (Burdick et al. 88)
• No page numbers (e.g., a website): (Nguyen)
• Two works by the same author: add a short title, e.g. (Morrison, Beloved 45)

Quotations longer than four lines of prose go in a block quote indented 0.5 inch from the left margin, with no quotation marks. The citation goes after the final punctuation.

The Works Cited page

• Start a new page titled Works Cited, centered and not bolded.
• Alphabetize entries by the first word (usually the author's last name).
• Use a 0.5-inch hanging indent and double spacing.

MLA 9 builds each entry from core elements in this order, each followed by the punctuation shown:

Author. Title of Source. Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location.

Examples

Book: Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Alfred A. Knopf, 1987.

Journal article: Smith, Jana. "Memory and Narrative in Contemporary Fiction." Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 67, no. 2, 2021, pp. 210–34. https://doi.org/xxxx

Webpage: Lee, Anna. "How Poems Work." Poetry Foundation, 3 Mar. 2022, www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/xxxx.

Book with two authors: Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic. Yale UP, 1979.

Chapter in an edited book: Walker, Alice. "Everyday Use." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction, edited by R. V. Cassill, Norton, 1990, pp. 1203–10.

Article from a database: Smith, Jana. "Memory and Narrative." Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 67, no. 2, 2021, pp. 210–34. JSTOR, doi.org/xxxx.

Newspaper article (online): Brown, Emma. "Schools Rethink Start Times." The Washington Post, 5 Sept. 2025, www.washingtonpost.com/xxxx.

YouTube video: "How to Write a Thesis Statement." YouTube, uploaded by Study Channel, 12 Jan. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxx.

Film: Little Women. Directed by Greta Gerwig, Columbia Pictures, 2019.

Source with no author: "Climate Report Summary." National Geographic, 2 Feb. 2024, www.nationalgeographic.com/xxxx.

More website examples in how to cite a website.

How to set up MLA format in Word or Google Docs

1. Font: select all text and choose Times New Roman, 12 pt.
2. Spacing: Line spacing → Double; set spacing before and after paragraphs to 0.
3. Margins: Layout (Word) or File → Page setup (Docs) → 1 inch on all sides.
4. Header: Insert → Header → align right → type your last name and a space, then Insert → Page number.
5. Indent: Paragraph settings → First line → 0.5 inch.
6. Works Cited hanging indent: select the entries → Paragraph settings → Special/Indentation → Hanging, 0.5 inch.

MLA format checklist

• ✓ 1-inch margins, 12-pt Times New Roman, double-spaced
• ✓ Last name and page number top right on every page
• ✓ Four-line heading top left on page 1, no title page
• ✓ Centered title, not bold or underlined
• ✓ In-text citations as (Author page), no comma
• ✓ Works Cited on a new page, centered title, alphabetical, hanging indent

MLA vs. APA at a glance

Other citation styles

Using a different style? See our guides to APA 7th edition, Harvard referencing, ASA format for sociology papers and how to cite a website in any style.

Frequently asked questions

Does MLA 9 require a title page?

No. MLA uses a first-page heading instead, unless your instructor asks for a title page.

How do I cite a source with no author in MLA?

Start the entry with the title. In the text, use a shortened title in quotation marks or italics: ("Climate Report" 4).

What does MLA format look like?

A double-spaced paper in 12-pt font with 1-inch margins, your last name and page number in the top right, a four-line heading (name, instructor, course, date) in the top left of page 1, a centered title, and a Works Cited page at the end.

Should I include URLs in MLA Works Cited?

Yes. MLA 9 recommends URLs for online sources, without the "https://" unless you use a DOI. Prefer a DOI when one is available.