Citation Styles Guide: Modern Language Association (MLA) - 9th ed.

For specific details and examples on in-text citations and on creating a Works Cited page, mouseover the "Modern Language Association (MLA) - 9th Edition" tab above and choose the appropriate subpage.

Some general formatting rules for writing a paper in MLA Style:

• Spacing: Double-spaced, including Works Cited section.
• Font: 12-point, standard font (e.g: Times New Roman, Arial, etc.).
• Margins: 2.54 cm (1 inch) on all sides.
• Page Justification: Only justify the text of your essay to the left-hand margin of your page. Do not right-justify your text.
• Numbering: In the top margin of every page (including the Works Cited section), justified to the right-hand side of the page, include your last name and the page number. If your paper is by multiple authors and all authors names cannot fit in the header, just include the page number.
• First page of your paper: Unless your professor specifically asks you to do so, do not create a title page for your paper. Instead, do the following:
  • On the first line of the the first page, justified to the left-hand side of the page, double-spaced, type your full name, your professor's name, the name of the class for which you're submitting your paper and the date you are submitting your paper, each on a new line. Then, centred on the next line after the date (still double-spaced), type the full title of your paper. Start your paper on the next line after the title. 
  • One exception to the no title page rule is for group projects. For group projects, follow the above instructions, listing every author of the project on a new line, then the professor on a new line, the name of the class on a new line, the date submitted on a new line, and the title centred on a new line. However, instead of starting the essay itself on the line after the title, start a new page. This format can also be used if your professor requests a title page for your work.
• Paragraphs: Each time you start a new paragraph, indent the first line by 1.27 cm (0.5" inches). Do not skip lines between paragraphs.
• Quotations: When quoting, you should always reproduce the source text exactly, including all capitalization and punctuation. If you need to make a change to a quotation, enclose your changes in square [ ] brackets. Changes to a quotation, however, is discouraged by MLA. It is preferred that your rewrite the prose of your paper to better integrate the quotation instead.
  • Prose (up to 4 lines): Incorporate the quotation into the main body of your paragraph and enclose it in quotation marks. The parenthetical reference/in-text citation can go immediately after the quotation or at the end of the sentence in your prose, as long as it is clear.
  • Prose (more than 4 lines): End your prose before the quotation with a colon. Start a new line and indent the entire quotation by 0.5 inches (1.27 cm). Do not place the quotation in quotation marks. Any parenthetical/in-text citation is placed immediately after the block quotation, with a space between. Continue the prose of your paper on the next line, but do not indent the line, unless you are starting a new paragraph.
  • Poetry/Verse (up to three lines): Incorporate the quotation into the main body of your paragraph and enclose it in quotation marks. Place a forward slash ( / ) between each line to indicate the line breaks. Mark stanza breaks in a quotation with two forward slashes ( / / ). The parenthetical reference/in-text citation can go immediately after the quotation or at the end of the sentence in your prose, as long as it is clear.
  • Poetry/Verse (more than 3 lines): End your prose before the quotation with a colon. Start a new line and indent the entire quotation by 0.5 inches (1.27 cm). If the lines have special formatting (e.g. certain lines start in the middle of a page, or there is a large break between two works in a line), attempt to reproduce this formatting in the quote. Do this as well if you are starting your quotation in the middle of a line of poetry. Do not place the quotation in quotation marks. Any parenthetical/in-text citation is placed immediately after the block quotation, with a space between. Continue the prose of your paper on the next line, but do not indent the line, unless you are starting a new paragraph.
  • Dialogue:
    • Drama: For dialogue from drama (plays, films, television, etc. . .), you can use the same guidelines for online chat or interview transcripts. Treat it as a longer quotation and end your prose before the quotation with a colon. Start a new line and indent the entire quotation by 0.5 inches (1.27 cm). Precede the dialogue with the name of the speaker in all caps, followed by a period. Indent subsequent lines of the dialogue with a hanging indentation. As soon as the speaker switches, start a new line and maintain the above pattern. Any parenthetical/in-text citation is placed immediately after the block quotation, with a space between. Continue the prose of your paper on the next line, but do not indent the line, unless you are starting a new paragraph.
    • Prose: For dialogue in non-dramatic prose, like novels, treat it as a longer quotation and end your prose before the quotation with a colon. Start a new line and indent the entire quotation by 0.5 inches (1.27 cm). Each character's speech starts a new line. Use double quotation marks for spoken words.
    • Poetry: For dialogue in poetry, treat it as a longer quotation and end your prose before the quotation with a colon. Start a new line and indent the entire by 0.5 inches (1.27 cm). Follow the line breaks of the poem. If the dialogue is less than three lines, you can integrate the poetry into your text, but you must include forward slashes (/) for line breaks or double forward slashes (//) for stanza breaks.

For a more in-depth discussion on formatting a paper in MLA Style, consult:

The MLA Handbook, 9th Edition, published by the Modern Language Association, is the definitive guide on MLA citation style. It was last updated in 2021. Copies of the Handbook are available at the Reserve Desk in the Library.

Additional information on MLA style may be found on the following websites: