how to mla cite

To MLA cite a source, follow these key steps: For the Works Cited list at the end of your paper, include core elements in this order, separated by punctuation:

1. Author’s last name, first name.
2. Title of the source (italicized if it is a whole work; in quotation marks if part of a larger work).
3. Title of the container (larger work that contains the source, if applicable).
4. Other contributors (editors, translators, etc.).
5. Version (edition).
6. Number (volume, issue, etc.).
7. Publisher.
8. Publication date.
9. Location (page numbers, URL, or DOI).

For example, a book citation:
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Vintage International, 2007. For MLA in-text citations (within the text of your paper), provide the author’s last name and page number:

• Example: (Smith 13)
  If the author is named in the sentence, just put the page number in parentheses:

• According to Smith, the idea is central to the argument (13).

If no author, use a shortened title in quotation marks or italics instead. MLA format also emphasizes paper formatting: one-inch margins, double spacing, and indented paragraphs with a heading on the first page.