Use double-spaced text with 1-inch margins on all sides
Use a readable font (typically Times New Roman, 12 pt)
Include a header in the top-left: your last name and page number (e.g., Smith 1)
Create a Works Cited page titled “Works Cited” (centered, no bold/italics/underline)
Use in-text citations in the format: (Author Last Name Page Number)
If there is no author, use the title (shortened) in the in-text citation: (“Title” Page Number)
If there is no page number, omit the page number: (Author Last Name)
For multiple sources by the same author, include a shortened title in the in-text citation: (Author Last Name “Title”)
Start each Works Cited entry at the left margin
Indent subsequent lines of each Works Cited entry by 0.5 inch (hanging indent)
Alphabetize Works Cited entries by the first key element (usually author’s last name)
Format author names as: Last Name, First Name
End each Works Cited entry with a period
Use MLA container formatting (include publication info in the correct order)
Book entry format:
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Journal article format:
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pages.
Website entry format:
Last Name, First Name (if available). “Title of Page.” Website Name, Publisher/Sponsor (if different), Publication date, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Article in a database format (if needed):
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pages. Database Name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Interview format:
Last Name, First Name. “Title/Description of Interview.” Interview by Interviewer Name, Date, URL or Publication Name.
Film format:
Title of Film. Directed by Director Name, performances by Performer Names, Studio/Distributor, Year.
Video/YouTube format:
Last Name, First Name (if available) or Channel Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube, Uploaded by Channel Name, Day Month Year, URL. Accessed Day Month Year.
Newspaper article format:
Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper, Day Month Year, pages.
Works Cited examples (quick templates):
Book: Smith, John. The Study of Writing. Academic Press, 2020.
Website: “How to Cite MLA.” Purdue OWL, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html. Accessed 2 June 2026.
Journal: Smith, John. “Writing in MLA.” Journal of Writing Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021, pp. 45-60.
In-text citation examples (quick templates):
(Smith 45)
(Smith)
(“How to Cite MLA”)
(Smith “Writing in MLA”)