MLA Style Sheet
Examples of Works Cited & In-Text Citations
Updated Spring 2012
Examples are from the World Book Online Reference Center, from the Purdue Online Writing
Lab (OWL), and from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition.
Please ask the librarian if you need additional help. You may also want to use an online citation site,
where you fill in a form depending on the type of resource, such as EasyBib (http://easybib.com) or
Son of Citation Machine (http://citationmachine.net/).
*** If there is one publisher but more than one city, use only the first city.
*** If the author's name and/or the title is clearly mentioned in the text near the parenthetical citation, the name
and/or title should be omitted within the parentheses. Often only the page number appears in parentheses.
Table of Contents
PRINT SOURCES
MEDIA SOURCES
Book with one author
Book with two or more authors
Book with no author
Book with an editor
Book with a translator
Article or chapter from an anthology
Article from a reference book
Introduction, foreword, or afterword
Sacred text
Non-English material
Chart
Article from a magazine
Article from a newspaper
Editorial in a newspaper
Film, DVD or videocassette
Radio or television program
Sound recording
Music score
Work of visual art
E-book
Performance or lecture
WORKS CITED & IN-TEXT CITATIONS
Works cited list
In-text citations
ONLINE SOURCES
Article from an online database
Web site
E-mail
Podcast
Online image
Online book
Online video
Tweet
Resource Examples
WC = Works Cited
ITC = In-Text Citation
PRINT SOURCES
Book with one author
Author's Last Name, First Name(s). Full book title. City of publication: Publisher's name,
year of publication. Print.
WC:
Gordon, Karen Elizabeth. The Transitive Vampire: A Grammar Guide. New York: Cahill, 1985. Print.
ICT: (Gordon 25)
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Book with two or more authors
First listed author's Last Name, First Name(s), and next listed author's First Name(s) Last Name. Full book title.
City of publication: Publisher name, year of publication. Print.
WC:
Garbarino, John S., Celeste Pinkerton, and Robert F. Sasso. Native American Heritage. London:
Waveland Press, 2010. Print.
ICT: (Garbarino, Pinkerton and Sasso 36-41)
The following book has four authors. List the first author, et al.
WC:
Lin, Betty, et al. Music Is My First Love. Guangzhou: American International School, 2012. Print.
ITC: (Lin et al. 50)
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How to cite a book with no author
Title. City of publication: Publisher's name, year of publication. Print.
WC:
Everyone's Favorite Teachers. London: School Press, 2010. Print.
ITC: (Everyone’s 650)
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How to cite a book with an editor
Editor's Last Name, First Name(s), ed. Full book title. City of publication: Publisher's name, year of
Publication. Print.
WC:
Govignon, Brigitte, ed. The Beginner's Guide to Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995. Print.
ITC: (Govignon 588)
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How to cite a book with a translator
Author's Last Name, First Name(s). Title of book. Trans. First Name(s) Last Name. City of
Publication: Publisher’s name, year of publication. Print.
WC:
Camus, Albert. The Plague. Trans. Stuart Gilbert. New York: Vintage, 1975. Print.
ICT: (Camus 201-210)
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How to cite an article or a chapter from an anthology or collection of essays
Author's Last Name, First Name(s). “Article or chapter title.” Title of book. Ed. Name of editor(s).
City of publication: Publisher’s name, year of publication. Print.
WC:
Kavanaugh, John. “The Death Penalty Violates the Sanctity of Life.” The Death Penalty: Opposing
Viewpoints. Ed. Mary E. Williams. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. 83-87. Print.
ITC: (Kavanaugh 85)
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How to cite an article from a reference book (encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.)
Cite as you would an article in a collection, but do not include publisher information if the work is
well-known, such as World Book or Encyclopaedia Britannica. If the work is organized
alphabetically, do not list the volume or page number. In an in-text citation, use page number(s)
only if you are citing a portion of a lengthy article.
Author's Last Name, author's First Name(s). "Article title." Publication title. Year of publication. Print.
WC:
McGrath, William J. "Vienna." The World Book Encyclopedia. 2012. Print.
ITC:
(McGrath)
Note: In World Book the author's name is usually found in small print at the end of the article.
Ask the librarian if you want to find the author for an Encyclopaedia Britannica article.
WC:
“Noisette.” The New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.
ITC:
Despite its unappetizing appearance, the noisette, “a chocolate made with hazelnuts” (“Noisette,” def. 2) is
remarkably rich and delicious.
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How to cite an introduction, foreword, or afterword from a printed book
Last Name, First Name(s). Foreword. Title. By First Name Last Name. City of publication: Publisher’s name,
year of publication. Page range of entry.
WC:
Yeager, Jeana. Foreward. Amelia Earhart: A Biography. By Doris L. Rich. Washington: Smithsonian, 1989. ix-x.
ITC: (Yeager ix)
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How to cite a sacred text (The Bible, Koran, Talmud)
Include the version of the sacred text you are citing, along with the Book name, chapter and
verse.
WC:
The New Jerusalem Bible. Ed. Susan Jones. New York: Doubleday, 1985. Print.
ITC: Ezekiel saw "what seemed to be four living creatures," each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an
eagle (New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1.5-10).
WC:
The Qur’an. Trans. Bob Smith. New York: Doubleday, 2010. Print.
ITC: (The Qur’an, al-Baqarah 2:177.4)
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How to cite a non-English material in Latin or non-Latin script
Books, magazines and newspapers that are in a language other than English should use the
Latin script with consistent transliteration (e.g., pinyin) and the translated title in brackets.
WC:
Tang, Dai. Zhongguo Jie [Chinese Festival]. Beijing: Zhongguo Shao Tian Er Tong Chu Ban She, 2009. Print.
ITC: (Tang 73)
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How to cite a chart
"Title of chart." Chart. Title of chart's source. City of publication: Publisher's name,
year of publication. Print.
WC:
"Public opinion on the moral acceptability of cloning animals, 2001-04." Chart. Cloning Animals, in "Moral
Issues," Poll Topics and Trends. New York: Facts On File, 2005. Print.
ITC: (“Public opinion”)
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How to cite an article from a magazine in print
Author's Last Name, First Name(s). "Article title." Publication title date of publication: page numbers. Print.
WC:
Maughan, Shannon. "The Kids Stay in the Picture." Publishers Weekly 6 Oct. 2003: 21-23. Print.
ITC: (Maughan 21)
WC:
Van Dyk, Jere. "The Long Journey of the Pacific Salmon." National Geographic July 1990: 3-37. Print.
ITC: (Van Dyk 20-25)
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How to cite an article from a newspaper in print
Author's Last Name, First Name(s). "Article title." Publication title complete date of publication, edition
[if given], section letter or number [if applicable]: page numbers. Print.
WC:
Keaten, Jamey. "Tears Fill Shipyard Town." Chicago Tribune 17 Nov. 2003, final ed., sec. 1:6. Print.
ITC:
(Keaten 1:6)
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How to cite an editorial in a newspaper
Author’s Last Name, First Name(s) [if given]. “Article title.” Editorial Publication title date: section. Print.
WC:
“Of Mines and Men.” Editorial. Wall Street Journal east ed. 24 Oct. 2003. A14. Print.
ITC: (“Of Mines and Men”)
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MEDIA SOURCES
How to cite a film, videocassette or videodisc (video or DVD)
Program title. Dir. Director’s First Name(s) and Last Name. Publisher, year of release. Medium.
WC:
America’s Endangered Species: Don’t Say Good-Bye. Dir. Robert Kenner. National Geographic Society, 1998.
Video.
ITC: (It is often preferable to include your citation within your text, rather than in a parenthetical citation.)
Kenner’s American Endangered Species includes evidence of this point.
WC:
An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2006. DVD.
ITC:
As stated in An Inconvenient Truth, glacier volume has been reduced by ten percent since 1995.
or:
Scientists in the field have ascertained that glacier volume has been reduced by ten percent since 1995
(Inconvenient Truth).
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How to cite a radio or television program
“Episode or segment title.” Program title. Name of the network. Call letters, city of local station [if any].
Broadcast date. Medium.
WC:
“Enter the Jury Room.” CBS Reports. CBS. 16 Apr. 2007. Television.
ITC:
Even CBS Reports has covered problems inherent in the jury system (“Enter the Jury Room”), giving various
points of view about a solution.
WC:
“A Rapper Ravaged by an Online Firestorm.” All Things Considered. NPR. 27 May 2012. Radio.
ITC: Tablo’s Ivy League education has not always been believed (“Rapper”) and online accusations have
hampered his career.
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How to cite a sound recording
Composer, conductor, ensemble, or performer’s Name. Title of recording. Manufacturer, year of issue [if known,
otherwise, n.d.]. Medium.
WC:
Holiday, Billie. The Essence of Billie Holiday. Columbia, 1991. CD.
ITC: (Holiday)
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How to cite a music score
Composer’s Last Name, First Name. Title of work. Year of composition. City of publication: Name of publisher,
date of publication. Medium. [If score is part of a series, include series.]
WC:
Donizetti, Gaetano. Don Pasquale: An Opera in Three Acts with Italian-English Text. 1842. New York: Belwin,
1969. Print. Kalmus Vocal Scores.
ITC: (Donizetti)
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How to cite a work of visual art
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of artwork. Date of composition. Medium. Institution that houses the work
[or Private Collection or Collection of …], City.
WC:
Van Gogh, Vincent. Vase with Sunflowers. 1889. Oil on canvas, 95×73 cm. Amsterdam, Van Gogh
Museum, Amsterdam.
ITC: (Van Gogh Vase)
For a reproduction of a visual work of art, include the above as well as the complete publication
information for the source of the publication you have used.
WC:
Van Gogh, Vincent. Wheatfield with a Reaper. 1889. Oil on canvas, 73x92 cm. Amsterdam, Van Gogh
Museum, Amsterdam. Kendall, Richard. Van Gogh’s Van Goghs: Masterpieces from the Van Gogh
Museum Amsterdam. New York: Henry N. Abrams, 1998. 148. Print.
ITC: (Van Gogh Wheatfield)
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How to cite an e-book
The medium is the type of electronic file, such as Kindle file, Nook file, EPUB file, or PDF file. If
you cannot identify the file type, use Digital file.
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of e-book. City of publication: Publisher, date. Medium.
WC:
Rowley, Hazel. Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage. New York: Farrar, 2010. Kindle file.
If the work is divided into stable numbered sections like chapters, the numbers of those sections
may be cited, with a label identifying the nature of the number, like ch. for chapter.
ITC: (Rowley, ch. 2)
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How to cite a performance or lecture
Title of performance or description of lecture. Role (creator or lecturer) First Name Last Name. Name of venue,
City. Date of performance. Medium.
WC:
The River. Chor. Alvin Ailey. Dance Theater of Harlem. New York State Theater, New York. 15 Mar. 1994.
Performance.
ITC: (River)
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ONLINE SOURCES
List the medium of publication as Web and follow with the date you last accessed. If no
publication date is given, write n.d. If no publisher or sponsor name is included, write n.p.
How to cite a full-text article through an online database (including World Book Online,
Ebscohost, Opposing Viewpoints, and other AISG library databases)
The URL may not be necessary when citing an online database. If you include it, make sure to
locate the stable (persistent) URL.
Author’s Last Name, First Name(s) [if given]. “Article title.” Title of database. Publisher, Publication
date. Web. Date of access. <URL>.
WC:
Ainley, David G. “Penguin.” World Book Student. World Book, 2011. Web. 2 Apr. 2012.
ITC: (Ainley)
WC:
Turner, Ken. “Twilight Is Good Literature.” Opposing Viewpoints. Gale, 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2011.
ITC: (Turner)
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How to cite a web site
Author’s Last Name, First Name(s) [if given, otherwise begin with the title of the web page].
“Title of web page.” Title of Web site. Publisher of the site, Publication date or last update. Web. Date of
access. <URL>.
WC:
Werner, Rich. “Ultimate Frisbee Is My Life.” Frisbee World. Throwing Objects Online. 8 May 2011. Web. 10 Oct.
2011. < http://www.ThrowingObjects.org>.
ITC: (Werner)
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How to cite an e-mail
Include the subject line of the e-mail in quotes or a description of the message.
Email Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Description of message.” Message to the author. Date of message. Email.
WC:
Takeuchi, Tomoka. “Sleep Paralysis Resources and Information.” Message to Daniel Green. 12 May
29, 2012. E-mail.
ITC: (Takeuchi)
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How to cite a podcast
Author’s Last Name, First Name. "Title of podcast." Title of overall Web site. Version or edition. Publisher or site
sponsor (use N.p. if not available), date of publication (use n.d. if not available). Web. Date of access.
WC:
"Just Breathe: Body Has A Built-In Stress Reliever." Morning Edition. National Public Radio, 6 Dec. 2010. Web.
31 May 2012.
ITC: (“Just Breathe”)
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How to cite an online image
Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of artwork. Date of composition. Medium. Institution that houses the work
[or Private Collection or Collection of …], City. Web. Date of access.
WC:
Géricault, Théodore. The Raft of the Medusa. 1818-19. Painting. Musée du Louvre, Paris. Web. 9 Dec. 2010.
ITC: (Gericault)
WC:
Douwma, Georgette. Clown Fish. n.d. Photo. Getty Images. Web. 30 Jan. 2012.
ITC: (Douwma)
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How to cite an online book
Author's Last Name, First Name(s). Full book title. Web site. Publisher's name,
year of publication. Web. Date of access. <URL>.
WC:
Milton, John. Paradise Lost: Book 1. PoetryFoundation.org. Poetry Foundation, 2008. Web. 14 Dec. 2009.
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/174002.
ITC: “They heard and were abash’d and up they sprung (Milton).
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How to cite an online video
From Curriculum Video On Demand (CVOD)
WC:
“Ancestral Voices.” Films Media Group, 1989. Classroom Video On Demand. Web. 30 May 2012.
<http://streaming.factsonfile.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=3100&xtid=4926>.
ITC: (“Ancestral Voices”)
From YouTube
WC:
Obama, Barack. “We Have a Lot of Work to Do.” Speech. 2 Nov. 2008. YouTube. Web. 23 June 2009.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfjQujYrfEk>.
ITC: (Obama)
WC:
“The Pips: Midnight Train to Georgia.” Gladys Knight, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey, Jr.
American Idol. 21 May 2009. YouTube. Web. 1 June 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj_BbsOp7wY.
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How to cite a Tweet
Last Name, First Name (twitter username). “Tweet in its entirety in quotations.” Date and time of posting. Tweet.
WC:
Brokaw, Tom (tombrokaw). "SC demonstrated why all the debates are the engines of this campaign." 22 Jan.
2012, 3:06 a.m. Tweet.
ITC: (Brokaw)
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WORKS CITED LIST & IN-TEXT CITATIONS DATA
How to create a works cited list
The Works Cited list is arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name (or by title, if there is no
author). Double space every line and indent any citations that run beyond one line.
Works Cited
Ainley, David G. "Penguin." World Book Student. World Book, 2009. Web. 2 Dec. 2009.
Aoki, Keith, et al. Bound by Law. Creative Commons, 2006. PDF.
"Enter the Jury Room." CBS Reports. CBS. 16 Apr. 2007. Television.
Everyone's Favorite Teachers. London: School Press, 2010. Print.
Glass, Ira. "Gossiping." This American Life. National Public Radio, Autumn 2008. Web.
2 Dec. 2009. <http://www.npr.org>.
Gordon, Karen Elizabeth. The Transitive Vampire: A Grammar Guide. New York: Cahill,
1985. Print.
An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2006.
DVD.
Lin, Betty, et al. Music Is My First Love. Guangzhou: American International School, 2009.
Print.
Maughan, Shannon. "The Kids Stay in the Picture." Publishers Weekly 6 Oct. 2003: 21-23.
Print.
Obama, Barack. Interviewed by Oprah Winfrey. “Oprah Talks with Barack Obama.”
Oprah.com. Harpo Productions, 1 Nov. 2004. Web. 25 Jan. 2010.
<http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Oprah-Winfrey-Interviews-Barack-Obama>.
Werner, Rich. “Ultimate Frisbee Is My Life.” Frisbee World. Throwing Objects
Administration. 8 March 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.
<http://www.ThrowingObjects.org>.
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How to create in-text citations
from http://www.library.cornell.edu/newhelp/res_strategy/citing/mla.html#citing
Citing sources in the text
In MLA style, references to sources are placed in the text of the paper in order to briefly identify
sources for readers and enable them to locate the source of the cited information in the Works
Cited list. There parenthetical references should be kept as brief and as clear as possible.

Give only the information needed to identify a source. Usually the author's last name and a
page reference are all that is needed.

Place the parenthetical reference as near as possible to the material being documented,
and where a pause would naturally occur, preferably at the end of a sentence.

Parenthetical material should complement, not repeat, information that is given in your text.
If you include an author's name in a sentence, you do not need to repeat it in your
parenthetical statement.

The parenthetical reference should precede the punctuation mark that concludes the
sentence, clause, or phrase that contains the cited material.

Electronic and online sources are cited just like print resources in references cited in the
text. If an online source lacks numbering, omit numbers from the parenthetical references.
If a source includes fixed page numbers or section numbering, such as numbering of
paragraphs (pars.), cite the relevant numbers.
Examples:
Author's name in text
Dover has expressed this concern (118-21).
Author's name in
reference
This concern has been expressed (Dover
118-21).
Multiple authors of a work
This hypothesis (Bradley and Rogers 7)
suggested this theory (Sumner, Reichl, and
Waugh 23).
Two locations
Williams alludes to this premise (136-39,
145).
Two works cited
(Burns 54, Thomas 327)
Corporate authors
(United Nations, Economic Commission for
Africa 51-63)
Works with no author
When a work has no author, use the work's title or a shortened version of the
title when citing it in text. (If abbreviating a title, omit initial articles and begin
with the word by which it is alphabetized in the Works Cited list.):
as stated by the presidential commission
(Report 4).
Online source with
numbered paragraphs
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(Fox, pars. 4-5)