MLA Tutorial

MLA Quiz

MLA Tips

📚 MLA 9th Edition Tips Carousel

Master MLA 9th Edition formatting with these interactive tips and examples!

🖌️ General Formatting

• Margins: 1-inch on all sides.
Default in Word/Google Docs.
• Line Spacing: Double-space entire document.
No extra spaces between paragraphs.
• Font: Legible, 11-13pt (e.g., Times New Roman, 12pt).
Times New Roman is widely accepted.
• Indentation: 0.5-inch indent for paragraphs.
Use Tab key for first line.

📋 Heading & Title

• Heading: Include name, professor, course, date (day month year, e.g., 15 October 2021).
Left-aligned, double-spaced, no commas in date.
• Running Head: Last name and page number, right-aligned.
Example: Smith 1
• Title: Centered, Title Case, no bold/italics unless citing a title.
Example: The Impact of Social Media
• Tip: Write title last to reflect paper’s content.
Keep it concise and descriptive.

📝 In-Text Citations

• Basic Format: (Author Page).
Example: (Smith 45)
• Narrative: Include author in sentence, page in parentheses.
Example: Smith argues... (45).
• No Author: Use shortened title in quotes.
Example: ("Global Trends" 23)
• Multiple Authors: (Smith and Jones 12) or (Smith et al. 89).
Use "et al." for 3+ authors.

📖 Works Cited

• Page Setup: Start on new page, title "Works Cited" centered, not bold.
Use page break after main text.
• Hanging Indent: 0.5-inch indent for each entry.
Example: Smith, John. Book Title. Publisher, 2020.
• Book Example: Author. Title. Publisher, Year.
Smith, John. Literature Today. MLA Press, 2021.
• Article Example: Author. "Title." Journal, vol., no., year, pp.
Jones, Mary. "Study Trends." Journal of Writing, vol. 10, no. 2, 2020, pp. 45-60.

🏷️ Headings & Subheadings

• Use Sparingly: Only when necessary to organize content.
Avoid overusing to compensate for poor structure.
• Multiple Instances: Each heading level needs at least two uses.
Example: Two Level 1 headings in paper.
• Formatting: Level 1 (e.g., bold, left-aligned), Level 2 (e.g., italics or smaller font).
Example: Introduction (Level 1), Background (Level 2).
• Flexibility: No strict rules; ensure prominence (e.g., bold for Level 1).
Adapt to signal subordination.

Created for LibGuides | Based on MLA 9th Edition | Visit MLA Style

MLA Reference Examples

📚 MLA 9th Edition Reference Examples

Explore MLA 9th Edition reference formats for traditional and modern sources!

📖 Books & Chapters

• Book: Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Smith, John. Literature Today. MLA Press, 2021.
• Edited Book Chapter: Author. "Title of Chapter." Title of Book, edited by Editor, Publisher, Year, pp. Pages.
Brown, Tara. "Cognitive Theory." Behavioral Science, edited by Robert Lee, Sage, 2021, pp. 45-67.
• E-Book: Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Year, Platform, URL.
Jones, Mary. Digital Writing. Penguin, 2020, Kindle, www.amazon.com.

📄 Articles

• Journal Article: Author. "Title of Article." Journal, vol., no., Year, pp. Pages, DOI.
Lee, Sarah. "Study Trends." Journal of Writing, vol. 10, no. 2, 2020, pp. 45-60, doi:10.1234/abcd.
• Magazine Article: Author. "Title of Article." Magazine, Day Month Year, pp. Pages.
Kim, David. "Tech in Education." Time, 15 Oct. 2021, pp. 30-35.
• Online Article: Author. "Title of Article." Publication, Day Month Year, URL.
Wilson, Emma. "Learning Online." The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2022, www.theatlantic.com/education.

🌐 Websites & Online Content

• Website: Author or Organization. "Title of Page." Website, Day Month Year, URL.
MLA Style Center. "Formatting a Paper." MLA Style Center, 10 Apr. 2021, style.mla.org/formatting-papers.
• No Author: "Title of Page." Website, Day Month Year, URL.
"Climate Change Facts." National Geographic, 20 Jan. 2023, www.nationalgeographic.com/climate.
• No Date: Author. "Title of Page." Website, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Smith, Alex. "Writing Tips." Grammarly, www.grammarly.com/tips. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

📱 Social Media

• X Post: Author or Handle. "Full text of post [up to 20 words]." X, Day Month Year, URL.
@SmartStudent. "Tips for MLA formatting!" X, 5 Feb. 2023, x.com/SmartStudent/status/12345.
• Instagram Post: Author or Handle. "Description of post [up to 20 words]." Instagram, Day Month Year, URL.
smartstudent_official. "Check out our MLA guide!" Instagram, 10 Mar. 2022, www.instagram.com/p/abc123.
• YouTube Video: Author or Channel. "Title of Video." YouTube, Day Month Year, URL.
Smart Student. "MLA 9th Edition Formatting." YouTube, 16 Oct. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G7YVHFD7h0.

🤖 AI & Modern Sources

• AI-Generated Text: "Description of output." Tool Name, version, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.
"Summary of MLA rules." Grok, version 3, xAI, 27 Aug. 2025, grok.x.ai.
• Podcast Episode: Host. "Title of Episode." Podcast Name, season, episode, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.
Doe, Jane. "Writing in MLA." Academic Talk, season 2, episode 5, NPR, 12 June 2022, www.npr.org/podcasts.
• Blog Post: Author. "Title of Post." Blog Name, Day Month Year, URL.
Clark, Tom. "Citing AI Tools." TechBit, 3 July 2023, www.techbit.com/ai-citations.

Created for LibGuides | Based on MLA 9th Edition | Visit MLA Style

MLA In-Text Citations

📝 MLA 9th Edition In-Text Citations

Learn MLA 9th Edition in-text citation formats with these interactive examples!

📖 Basic Citations

• Single Author: (Author Page)
Example: Research shows... (Smith 45).
• Two Authors: (Author and Author Page)
Example: The study found... (Smith and Jones 12).
• Three+ Authors: (Author et al. Page)
Example: Data suggests... (Smith et al. 89).

✍️ Narrative Citations

• Single Author: Author states... (Page).
Example: Smith argues that technology improves learning (45).
• Two Authors: Authors state... (Page).
Example: Smith and Jones note significant trends (12).
• Three+ Authors: Author et al. state... (Page).
Example: Smith et al. highlight key findings (89).

🔍 No Author & Quotes

• No Author: ("Shortened Title" Page)
Example: Trends indicate... ("Global Impact" 23).
• Direct Quote: (Author Page)
Example: "Education is evolving rapidly" (Smith 45).
• Narrative Quote: Author states, "Quote" (Page).
Example: Smith states, "Technology drives change" (45).

📱 Modern Sources

• Social Media (X Post): (Author or Handle)
Example: Social media impacts learning (@SmartStudent).
• YouTube Video: (Author or Channel Page)
Example: Formatting tips are clear (Smart Student 00:02:15).
• Website: (Author or "Title" Page)
Example: Guidelines are updated ("MLA Formatting" 2).

🤖 AI & Special Cases

• AI-Generated Text: ("Description")
Example: AI tools aid writing ("Summary of MLA Rules").
• No Page Number: (Author)
Example: Online content varies (Smith).
• Multiple Sources: (Author Page; Author Page)
Example: Studies align (Smith 45; Jones 12).

Created for LibGuides | Based on MLA 9th Edition | Visit MLA Style

MLA 9 - Helpful Links

Help Guide MLA 9 (PIMA)

English 112

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Contact the Library

Online Chat!

MLA Tutorial

MLA Quiz

🎉 MLA 9th Edition Quiz Challenge!

MLA Tips

📚 MLA 9th Edition Tips Carousel

🖌️ General Formatting

📋 Heading & Title

📝 In-Text Citations

📖 Works Cited

🏷️ Headings & Subheadings

MLA Reference Examples

📚 MLA 9th Edition Reference Examples

📖 Books & Chapters

📄 Articles

🌐 Websites & Online Content

📱 Social Media

🤖 AI & Modern Sources

MLA In-Text Citations

📝 MLA 9th Edition In-Text Citations

📖 Basic Citations

✍️ Narrative Citations

🔍 No Author & Quotes

📱 Modern Sources

🤖 AI & Special Cases

MLA 9 - Helpful Links