MLA Format Examples

This page shows MLA citation examples for the most common source types — books, journal articles, websites, videos, and more — formatted using MLA 9th edition.

If you're new to MLA, start with our MLA formatting guide for a breakdown of how in-text citations and Works Cited entries work together.

📘 Book Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Mariner Books, 2003.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Walker 45)
Narrative Walker writes that “it all connected in a blink” (45).
Repeated citation Use just the page number if the author is clear from context: (45)

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📱 Ebook Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. Kindle ed., Little, Brown, 2008.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Gladwell, ch. 3)
Narrative Gladwell argues that success is often the result of timing and opportunity (ch. 3).

Page numbers may not be consistent in all ebook formats. Use chapter or section if pagination is unavailable.

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📄 Journal Article Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Lee, Aimee, and Rachel Thompson. “Digital Empathy in Online Classrooms.” Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 34, no. 2, 2023, pp. 110–124. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/jet.342.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Lee and Thompson 112)
Narrative Lee and Thompson argue that digital empathy “builds stronger online communities” (113).

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🌐 Website Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
“Ocean Temperatures Are at an All-Time High.” BBC News, 12 May 2024, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-123456.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (“Ocean Temperatures”)
Narrative According to “Ocean Temperatures Are at an All-Time High,” warming trends continue globally.

Use the article or page title in quotation marks if no author is listed. Italicise the website name (e.g. BBC News ).

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📰 Newspaper Article Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Johnson, Rachel. “Universities Expand Digital Access.” The Guardian, 18 Apr. 2024, www.theguardian.com/education/digital-access.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Johnson)
Narrative Johnson reports that access initiatives are “a step forward in equity.”

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🎥 YouTube Video Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Khan Academy. “Introduction to Algebra.” YouTube, 4 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyz123.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Khan Academy)
Narrative Khan Academy explains algebraic functions in the video “Introduction to Algebra.”

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🎧 Podcast Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Grant, Adam, host. “The Psychology of Motivation.” The Mindset Lab, 14 Feb. 2023, mindsetlab.com/episodes/23.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Grant)
Narrative Grant explores “intrinsic drivers of success” in his episode on motivation.

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🐦 Social Media Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
NASA [@NASA]. “We're returning to the Moon! Artemis II will take humans deeper into space than ever before.” X, 14 Mar. 2024, twitter.com/NASA/status/1234567890.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (NASA)
Narrative NASA shared its return-to-the-moon announcement via X in March 2024.

Use square brackets to clarify handles or usernames, and italicise the platform name (e.g. X , Instagram ).

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📑 Lecture Slides Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Patel, Rina. “Introduction to Climate Policy.” Lecture Slides, University of York, 5 Mar. 2024, vle.york.ac.uk/slides/climate-policy.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Patel)
Narrative Patel outlines the stages of climate intervention in her slides on policy frameworks.

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🖼️ Image / Figure Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Moore, Lauren. Abstract Landscape. 2020, Digital image, www.artmoore.com/gallery/abstract.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Moore)
Figure caption attribution Figure 2. Abstract Landscape by Moore

If the image has no title, provide a brief description in plain text (not italics) where the title would appear.

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🎓 Thesis / Dissertation Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Nguyen, Minh T. Digital Pedagogy in Higher Education. PhD dissertation, University of Leeds, 2021. ProQuest, www.proquest.com/dissertations/digitalpedagogy.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Nguyen)
Narrative Nguyen argues that online delivery models require rethinking assessment methods.

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📚 Chapter in Edited Book Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Williams, Hannah. “Artificial Intelligence and Society.” Encyclopedia of Modern Technology, edited by Peter Brown, 3rd ed., TechBooks, 2021, pp. 45–49.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Williams 47)
Narrative Williams argues that AI systems “already influence many daily interactions” (48).

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👥 Multiple Authors & Special Cases (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Examples
Smith, Jane, and Robert Green. Designing Future Cities. Urban Press, 2020.

Smith, Laura. Sustainable Architecture. BuildBooks, 2020.

Taylor, James. Education Reform in the UK. Routledge, 2022.

Taylor, James. Inclusive Classrooms. Sage, 2022.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Case Example
Two authors (Smith and Green 58)
Three or more authors (Johnson et al. 102)
Same surname (L. Smith 112); (J. Smith 89)
Multiple works by same author (Taylor, Education Reform 45); (Taylor, Inclusive Classrooms 22)

Use author initials or abbreviated titles to avoid confusion when necessary.

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🧩 Nested Containers Citation Example (MLA Format)

📌 Works Cited Entry
Alvarez, Natalia. “Digital Literacy and Youth.” Journal of Media Studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 2023, pp. 45–62. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/medstud123.
📝 In-Text Citation Examples
Type Example
Parenthetical (Alvarez 49)
Narrative Alvarez notes the importance of “critical consumption” in digital environments (50).

The **first container** is the journal; the **second container** is the database (JSTOR). Use nested containers when the work is part of a larger source you accessed through a platform or repository.

Learn more: MLA nested container examples (coming soon) .

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Try Our MLA Citation Generator

Need to build a Works Cited page quickly? Our free MLA citation generator helps you create accurate references with editable in-text and full citations you can trust.

Generate an MLA Citation Now

Covers books, articles, websites, videos, and more — all formatted to MLA 9th edition.

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More MLA Resources and Help

Need extra support with MLA style? These resources explain how to structure citations correctly and apply MLA formatting to common and complex source types.

MLA Formatting Rules

Learn how MLA referencing works, including formatting rules, in-text citation tips, and Works Cited page structure.

Read the MLA Format Guide