How to Cite a Book in MLA 9th Edition Format
Introduction — what this format is and who uses it
MLA 9th Edition is the Modern Language Association’s current standard for documenting sources in the humanities, especially literature, language, and cultural studies. It provides a concise, author-centered citation style that emphasizes readability and consistent presentation of bibliographic data.
Students, instructors, and researchers in humanities disciplines commonly use MLA. This guide explains MLA 9 rules for citing books and several other common source types, with clear examples you can copy and adapt.
General Rules — key formatting rules
- Core elements (in order): Author. Title of Source. Title of Container, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.
- Use title case for titles (capitalize principal words). Italicize titles of books and containers; put article or chapter titles in quotation marks.
- Author names: Last name, First name. For two authors use “First Last and First Last.” For three or more, use “First Last et al.”
- Use periods after most elements and commas to separate sub-elements when needed. MLA uses minimal punctuation: place elements precisely as shown in examples below.
- Works Cited: start on a new page titled Works Cited (centered). Entries are double-spaced with a hanging indent of 0.5 inches.
- Include DOI or a stable URL for online sources. MLA prefers the DOI as a URL (https://doi.org/...), and an access date only when no publication date is available or the content is likely to change.
How to Cite by Source Type
1. Print Book (single author)
Format: Author. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Smith, Jane. The Poetics of Place. Greenwood Press, 2020.Actionable tip: Verify the publisher name on the title page or verso; omit business words like “Co.” only if common usage suggests it’s part of the name.
2. Two or More Authors
Two authors: list both names in full. Three or more: use first author + et al.
Brown, Alan, and Maria Lopez. Methods in Modern Criticism. University Press, 2018.
Chen, Li, et al. Global Narratives and Identity. Citywide Press, 2021.3. Chapter or Essay in an Edited Book
Format: Author of chapter. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book, edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
Nguyen, Hoa. “Urban Memory and Story.” Urban Lives, edited by R. Patel, Northside Press, 2019, pp. 45–62.4. eBook (with DOI or URL)
Include the eBook format only if relevant, then the DOI or stable URL.
Jones, Robert. American Folklore Today. E-book ed., Metro Publishing, 2017, https://www.example.com/ebook/jones.5. Journal Article (print and online)
Format (print): Author. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. xx–xx.
Lee, Hannah. “Rhetoric of Place.” Rhetoric Review, vol. 34, no. 2, 2020, pp. 112–129.Format (online with DOI): add the DOI as a URL.
Lee, Hannah. “Rhetoric of Place.” Rhetoric Review, vol. 34, no. 2, 2020, pp. 112–129, https://doi.org/10.1234/rhet.2020.002.6. Website
Format: Author (if given). “Title of Page.” Website Name, Publisher or sponsor (if different from website name), Publication date, URL. Access date only if necessary.
World Health Organization. “Mental Health and COVID-19.” WHO, 15 Mar. 2021, https://www.who.int/mental_health_covid19/en.7. Film or Multimedia
Format: Title. Directed by Director Name, performance by Performer, Production Company, Year.
Moonlight. Directed by Barry Jenkins, A24, 2016.In-Text Citations — rules and examples
MLA uses parenthetical author–page citations. Place the citation at the end of the sentence before the period (unless the author is named in the sentence).
- Single author: (Smith 23)
- Two authors: (Brown and Lopez 88)
- Three or more authors: (Chen et al. 154)
- No author: use a shortened title in quotation marks: (“Global Narratives” 45)
- No page number (e.g., for web content): (Smith)
Examples:
Recent studies show a shift in narrative form (Smith 47).
As Lee argues, “rhetoric shapes place” (112).
“Community memory” remains central to the argument (“Urban Memory” 50).Actionable tip: If you mention the author in the sentence, include only the page number in parentheses: Smith argues that place is “active” (47).
Reference List — formatting rules and example
In MLA the reference list is titled Works Cited and contains only sources cited in the text. Entries are alphabetized by the first word (usually the author’s last name). Use a hanging indent for each entry.
Basic formatting rules:
- Double-space the entire Works Cited page.
- Use a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches).
- Alphabetize by author’s last name; if no author, alphabetize by title (ignore initial articles a, an, the).
- Provide DOIs or stable URLs for online works; do not include database information unless the work is only available there.
Example Works Cited (formatted as you would list entries):
Works Cited
Brown, Alan, and Maria Lopez. Methods in Modern Criticism. University Press, 2018.
Jones, Robert. American Folklore Today. E-book ed., Metro Publishing, 2017, https://www.example.com/ebook/jones.
Lee, Hannah. “Rhetoric of Place.” Rhetoric Review, vol. 34, no. 2, 2020, pp. 112–129, https://doi.org/10.1234/rhet.2020.002.
Nguyen, Hoa. “Urban Memory and Story.” Urban Lives, edited by R. Patel, Northside Press, 2019, pp. 45–62.
Smith, Jane. The Poetics of Place. Greenwood Press, 2020.Actionable tip: Use an automated tool like Rephrasely’s free citation generator (https://rephrasely.com/citation) to create MLA 9 citations and then double-check each element against your sources.
Common Mistakes — 3–4 errors to avoid
- Incorrect author order or punctuation: MLA puts the author’s last name first, followed by a comma and the first name (Smith, Jane.). Don’t invert authors incorrectly for multiple-author entries.
- Missing or incorrect italics and quotation marks: Book and journal titles must be italicized; chapter and article titles go in quotation marks.
- Improper DOI/URL formatting: Provide a DOI as a URL (https://doi.org/...) and include a stable URL for web sources. Don’t include long tracking strings—use the permalink when available.
- Forgetting hanging indents and alphabetization: Works Cited must be alphabetized and use hanging indents—formatting errors can lower assignment scores.
Actionable fix: After you build each citation, paste it into your draft and check: author, title (italic vs. quotes), publisher, year, and location (page range, DOI, or URL). Use Rephrasely’s tools—/plagiarism-checker, /composer, and /ai-detector—to polish text, check originality, and ensure clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite an eBook with no page numbers in MLA 9th Edition?
When an eBook lacks stable pagination, use chapter or section numbers if available (e.g., Smith, ch. 2) or omit the page and rely on author name in the parenthetical citation. In Works Cited, provide the eBook format and a DOI or URL if available.
Should I include an access date for online sources in MLA 9?
Include an access date only when the source has no publication date or is likely to change. Otherwise, provide the publication date and the DOI or stable URL. Example: Accessed 12 Jan. 2024 (use sparingly).
Can I generate MLA citations automatically?
Yes—automated tools like Rephrasely’s citation generator (https://rephrasely.com/citation) can create MLA 9 citations quickly. Always verify each element (author, title, publisher, year) against the source and format the Works Cited page with hanging indents and double spacing.