A Simple Guide to MLA Formatting

Flashcards to help review MLA (Modern Language Association) style formatting, covering document layout, in-text citations, and works-cited list creation.

MLA Style

A formatting style (Modern Language Association) used in various humanities disciplines that regulates document format, in-text citations, and works-cited lists.

MLA Style Center

A website that provides additional instruction and resources for writing and formatting academic papers.

MLA Document Format (Paper Basics)

Papers should be typed on white 8.5" x 11" paper, double-spaced everything, use 12 pt. Times New Roman (or similar) font, and leave only one space after punctuation.

MLA Document Format (Margins & Indentation)

All margins should be set to 1 inch on all sides, and the first line of paragraphs should be indented one half-inch.

MLA Document Format (Header)

A header with page numbers should be located in the upper right-hand corner.

MLA Document Format (Titles)

Use italics for titles of container works (e.g., books) and quotation marks for sources within containers (e.g., chapters within books).

MLA Document Format (Endnotes)

Endnotes should be placed on a separate page before the list of works cited.

MLA First Page (Title Page)

No title page is required unless it is a group project. For group projects, list all names of contributors followed by the remainder of the header.

MLA First Page (Header)

Located in the upper right corner at half inch from the top and one inch from the right, listing your last name and page number.

MLA First Page (Upper Left Information)

List your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date in the upper left-hand corner, double-spaced.

MLA First Page (Paper Title)

Centered, using standard capitalization but no underlining, italics, quote marks, or bold typeface.

In-Text Citation

A brief, unobtrusive reference in your text that indicates the source consulted and directs readers to the entry in your works-cited list for that source.

MLA In-Text Citation (General Format)

The author’s last name (or abbreviated title) with a page number, enclosed in parentheses.

MLA In-Text Citation (Unknown Author)

Use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name; place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work or italicize it if it's a longer work, and provide a page number.

MLA Short Prose Quotations

Prose quotations of no more than four lines, put in quotation marks and incorporated into the text, with author and specific page citation provided. Punctuation marks (periods, commas, semicolons) appear after the parenthetical citation.

MLA Long Prose Quotations (Block Quotes)

Quotations of five or more lines of text, started on a new line, indented half an inch from the left margin, double-spaced, introduced by a colon (unless introductory wording does not require punctuation), with the parenthetical citation after the closing punctuation.

MLA Short Poetry Quotations (1-3 lines)

Quoted part or all of a line of verse (1-3 lines) put in quotation marks within your text; use a forward slash ( / ) for line breaks and two forward slashes ( // ) for stanza breaks; cite line numbers if provided.

MLA Long Poetry Quotations (Block Quotes)

Used for three or more lines of poetry, reproducing unique formatting as accurately as possible, with line numbers identified in the in-text citation if provided.

Works Cited List (Basics)

Each entry is made up of core elements given in a specific order, with each element followed by the specified punctuation mark.

Works Cited (Author Element)

Begins with the author’s last name, followed by a comma and the rest of the name, ending with a period.

Works Cited (Title of Source Element)

Books and websites are in italics; periodicals (journal, magazine, newspaper article), television episodes, and songs are in quotation marks.

Works Cited (Title of Container Element)

A larger work that contains the source (e.g., a book for a chapter, a website for an article, a TV series for an episode).

Works Cited (Publisher Element)

The entity primarily responsible for producing or making the work available to the public. Multiple publishers are separated by a forward slash (/).

Works Cited (Publication Date Element)

Indicates when the version of the work was published; if multiple dates exist, use the one most relevant to your research.

Works Cited (Hanging Indent)

A formatting style where the first line of each entry begins at the left margin, and subsequent lines are indented half an inch from the left margin.