Tip: Check out this sample paper to find out what an essay in the MLA style looks like.

The examples found in the MLA section are based on the manual MLA Handbook, 9th ed., 2021.

General formatting

• Your full citations are listed at the end of your paper on a new double-spaced page titled “Works Cited”.
• If your list includes works that you consulted but did not cite, title it “Works Cited and Consulted”. If it’s an annotated bibliography, use the title “Annotated List of Works Cited”.
• List your citations in alphabetical order using the author’s names. If one of your sources has no author, use the title instead.
• If your citation is longer than one line, indent all the lines after the first one by 1.25 cm (this is called a hanging indentation).

Creating a citation

The MLA citation style uses a method of creating citations that can be applied to any source. There are 9 core elements that are to be included in a citation.

• When citing a source, look for these elements and list them in the order given.
• Use the punctuation as shown unless it’s the last element, because MLA style citations should always end with a period.

Each of these 9 core elements is explained in more detail on this site (see sidebar menu). A comprehensive list of examples is also provided.

Additional Resources

• Works Cited: A Quick Guide, from the MLA Style Center
• Purdue Online Writing Lab
• Create hanging indents using Word (Sacred Heart University Library)
• Practice copy of the MLA core elements template