how to cite a critical essay in mla format

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MLA Sample Paper

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This resource contains a sample MLA paper that adheres to the 2016 updates. To download the MLA sample paper, click this link .

MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition

• MLA Style, 9th Edition
• In-text citations
• Books - Multiple Authors
• Books - with editors, translators, etc.
• Book - Essay, Short Story, Poem, etc
• Books - later editions
• Articles - Multiple Authors
• Articles - from scholarly journals
• Articles - from newspapers
• Articles - from magazines
• YouTube Video
• Television Shows
• Images from the Web
• Works Cited: Websites
• Works Cited: Social Media / Informal Communication
• Works Cited: Conference Proceeding/Paper
• Don't See an Example for Your Source?!
• Report an Error / Question

MLA Handbook

For a complete list of style rules, consult the MLA Handbook at the Reference Desk:

Major Changes in the 9th Edition?

Thankfully, not to Works Cited Entries & In-Text Citations!

There is more guidance and examples on the existing rules and more emphasis on writing. There is also a new chapter on inclusive language.

MLA 9th Edition: Guiding Principles

The MLA Handbook provides a "universal set of guidelines" for citing sources across all format types. Luckily, the 9th edition mainly expands upon the rules listed in the 8th edition. There are no significant changes in Works Cited/In-Text Citations (whew!).

These guidelines state that, if given, these major elements should be included in the citation:

1. Author. 2. Title of Source. 3. Title of Container, 4. Other Contributors, 5. Version, 6. Number, 7. Publisher, 8. Publication date, 9. Location.

Sometimes, elements 3-9 will repeat again, if say, your journal was inside a database.

Putting it all together:

Goldman, Anne. "Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante."  The Georgia Review , vol.64, no. 1, 2010, pp.69- 

           88.  JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/41403188 .

Works Cited Page & Example

A Works Cited page is a n alphabetical  list of the sources you paraphrased or quoted within the text of your paper. Your parenthetical citations within the text of your paper should point to a corresponding entry on this page.

The Works Cited page should:

• Be at the end of your paper and be numbered consecutively with the rest of your paper
• Include the words Works Cited centered at the top of the page
• Include all sources paraphrased or quoted within you paper
• Be alphabetized by the source - usually this is by an author's last name but could be by title in entries where there are no authors.
• Have hanging indents, which means the lines after the first line of an entry are indented.

See the example below.

• Works Cited Page
• Next: In-text citations >>
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MLA Style Introduction

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MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is most commonly used to cite sources within the humanities.

The MLA Handbook provides guidance on formatting research papers, citing sources, and writing well.

NEW! Online access to the ninth edition 

• Next: MLA Style Examples >>
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Using MLA in-text citations

General information about parenthetical citations

How do I cite sources in my paper?

The following instructions are basically the same for print sources and electronic sources. When you quote or paraphrase a specific portion of a text in a source, give enough information—most typically the author’s last name and the page number —to identify the exact location of the borrowed material. If you are using two sources from the same author, then you’ll need to reference both the title of the piece along with the author’s name either in the sentence itself or in the parenthetical citation. Use a comma between the last name and the title of the source if both appear in the parenthetical citation.

The parenthetical information should not repeat information given in your text (e.g., if you mention the author’s name in your text, you do not include it in the citation). For more information and example citations, see: Citing books, articles, and other sources parenthetically in your paper.

How should I format my quotations and citation information?

For direct references, paraphrases, and quotations that are shorter than four lines, include the citation information in parentheses at the end of the sentence directly following any quotation marks and right before the sentence’s ending punctuation.

Use the block quotation format for quotations more than four lines long: indent one half inch from the left margin, double space the quotation, and do not use quotation marks. Place the parenthetical citation after the period (or other mark of punctuation) that closes the block quotation.

When it comes to referencing numbers in parenthetical citations, do not include the word “page” or “pages” or the abbreviations “p.” or “pp.”—just the page numbers themselves. If an electronic source uses paragraph or section numbers instead of page numbers, use the appropriate abbreviation (e.g., “par.”; do not count paragraphs if they are not numbered in the electronic source; if an electronic source does not include page or paragraph numbers, don’t include any numbers in your citation).

When referring to plays, poems, or modern prose works that call attention to other divisions, in the parenthetical citation first include the page number, then provide any other identifying information—abbreviating terms like “chapter” and “section”—and then include the appropriate number. For more information, see: Abbreviating references to your sources

Citing books, articles, and other sources parenthetically in your paper

In conjunction with the explanations about structuring and formatting in–text citations detailed here , this page provides example citations for how a range of different source types are correctly referenced according to MLA’s citation guidelines.

– Author’s name in text

Magny develops this argument (67-69).

– Author’s name in reference

This argument has been developed elsewhere (Magny 67-69).

– Quotation found in indirect or “secondhand” source

The philosopher Alain states that “admiration is not pleasure but a kind of attention. . .” (qtd. in Magny 66).

– Material found in indirect source

Alain’s words seem to dissociate admiration from pleasure (in Magny 66).

– Two authors’ names in reference

The most notorious foreign lobby in Washington is the “Sugar Mafia” (Howe and Trott 134).

– Reference to volume and page in multivolume work

As a painter Andrea was “faultless” (Freedberg 1: 98).

– Reference to whole volume

In his second volume, Freedberg gives an account of Andrea’s whole painting career.

– Two works by same author on list of works cited

Frye connects Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange to romance tradition ( Secular Scripture 110). And while this connection may be surprising given A Clockwork Orange ‘s themes and content, Frye’s unique perspective on the nature of genres sheds light on this unusual combination (“Rhetorical Criticism: Theory of Genres”).

– Two locations in same source

Dabundo deals with this problem (22, 31).

– Two sources cited

This controversy has been addressed more than once (Dabundo 27; Magny 69).

– Personal interview; name given in text

Parsons addresses the need for physical education teachers to understand the relationship between physical activity and fitness.

– Corporate author

Many different types of organizations in the United States are involved in mediation and dispute resolution (Natl. Inst. for Dispute Resolution).

– Quotation from a play with page numbers

In A Raisin in the Sun , Walter doesn’t hide his disdain for his sister’s attitude towards his mother’s money: “the line between asking and just accepting when the time comes is big and wide—ain’t it!” he levels at Beneatha (Hansberry 37; act 1, scene 1).

– Quotation from a play with division and line numbers

This is made clear by the Duke’s recommendation that the best response to grief is to move on ( Othello 1.3.208–209).

– Quotation from a poem

Amy Quan Barry asks piercingly, “What is it to know the absolute value / of negative grace . . .?”

– Quotation from a multi–page poem with line numbers

It is at this point that Eliot first introduces the women in the room “talking of Michelangelo” (line 14).

– Electronic source that uses paragraph numbers

The semiconductor workplace is highly toxic (Ross par. 35).

– Electronic source that uses chapter and section numbers

“Once we start using a tool extensively, it also starts using us” (Rawlins ch. 1, sec. 1).

Formatting quotations according to the MLA guidelines

Parenthetical citations appear at the end of the sentence in which the direct reference, summary, paraphrase, or quote appears.

For quotations that are shorter than four lines, include the citation after the final quotation marks and before the sentence’s concluding punctuation.

Use the block quotation format for quotations more than four lines long:

• In most cases, use a colon to introduce the quotation.
• Indent the quotation one half inch from the left margin.
• Double space the quotation.
• Do not use quotation marks.

Place the parenthetical citation (author and page number) after the period (or other mark of punctuation) that closes the block quotation.

Modern Language Association Documentation

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MLA Table of Contents

Orientation to MLA

Creating an MLA works cited page

Using MLA in–text citations

Abbreviating references to your sources