Example of MLA Work Cited | Sample Entries And Layout

What An MLA Work Cited Page Includes

A works cited page in MLA sits at the end of the paper and lists every source you cite in your writing. The heading at the top of the page is Works Cited, centered and in plain text. Each entry starts at the left margin, with any wrap-around lines indented. The list is double-spaced with no extra blanks between entries, and sources appear in alphabetical order by the first element, usually the author’s last name. These layout rules come straight from standard MLA format guidance for the works cited page.

MLA 9 uses a single flexible template called the “core elements.” Every entry is built from the same ordered list: author, title of the source, title of the container, other contributors, version, number, publisher, publication date, and location. You only include the elements that apply to the source in front of you, but the order never changes, which keeps the page tidy and predictable.

Feature	MLA Requirement	Quick Note
Page Title	Use plain text “Works Cited,” centered at top	No bold, italics, or underline for the heading
Placement	New page at the end of the paper	Page number continues from main text
Spacing	Double-space every line on the page	No extra blank lines between entries
Order Of Entries	Alphabetical by author’s last name or first word	Skip “A,” “An,” “The” when alphabetizing titles
Indentation	Hanging indent for every entry	First line flush left, next lines indented 0.5 inch
Font And Margins	Same readable font and 1-inch margins as paper	No special styling just for the works cited page
Core Elements	Author, title, container, publisher, date, location	Use the fixed order from the MLA core template
In-Text Match	Every in-text citation matches an entry	No extra sources that you never cite in the paper

Once you see one clear example of mla work cited, these rules start to feel more like a pattern and less like a maze of small details. The next sections walk through that pattern using sample entries you can mirror for your own assignments.

Page Layout Rules For MLA Work Cited

Layout details matter because they help your reader scan the page fast. According to standard works cited page guidance based on MLA format, the page keeps the same one-inch margins and header style as the rest of the paper, with the student’s last name and page number in the upper right corner. The heading Works Cited appears one inch from the top, and the list starts one double-spaced line below. Every entry lines up neatly under that heading, which keeps the page easy to read even when you cite many sources.

MLA also insists on consistent punctuation. Titles of longer works such as books and full websites appear in italics, while titles of shorter works such as articles or web pages stay inside quotation marks. Commas and periods sit exactly where the handbook shows them in the core template. For a helpful summary of this template, you can check the MLA core elements quick guide provided by the Modern Language Association.

Hanging indents might feel technical, yet they have a simple purpose: they make the start of each entry stand out. In most word processors, you create a hanging indent by selecting the whole list, opening paragraph settings, and choosing “Hanging” at 0.5 inch. Many students forget this step, so it pays to set it once and keep it ready in a template for future papers.

Example of MLA Work Cited For Common Sources

This section gives full sample entries based on MLA 9 for the sources students cite most often: books, chapters in edited books, journal articles, web pages, and videos. Each sample follows the core elements order and the punctuation style used in the official guides.

Print Book By One Author

Basic pattern: Author. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year.

Sample entry:

Smith, John. Reading Poetry With Care. Greenfield Press, 2022.

Notice the pieces in order: last name, first name, the book title in italics with title case, the publisher name, and the publication year. No city is needed in MLA 9. If the book has two authors, list both names joined by “and.” If it has three or more, list the first author followed by “et al.”

Chapter In An Edited Book

Basic pattern: Author of chapter. Title of Chapter.Title of Book, edited by Editor Name, Publisher, Year, pp. page range.

Sample entry:

Lopez, Maria. Teaching Syntax With Short Stories.New Directions In High School English, edited by Carla Nguyen, Bright Star, 2021, pp. 45-63.

The chapter functions as the “source” and the book as the “container.” That is why the chapter title sits in quotation marks while the book title appears in italics. Page numbers start with “pp.” for a range.

Journal Article In A Database

Basic pattern: Author. Title of Article.Title of Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pp. page range. Name of Database, DOI or stable URL.

Sample entry:

Chen, Lian. Metaphor Use In Student Essays.Journal of Writing Studies, vol. 14, no. 2, 2020, pp. 89-110. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1234567.

The journal title and database title both appear in italics. Volume and issue numbers follow “vol.” and “no.”, and the page range again uses “pp.” When a DOI is available, MLA prefers the DOI over a standard URL.

Web Article On A News Or Education Site

Basic pattern: Author. Title of Page or Article.Title of Website, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.

Sample entry:

Nguyen, Alice. How Students Can Make Time For Reading.Campus Study Skills, Campus Press, 5 Mar. 2024, www.campusstudyskills.org/make-time-for-reading.

Sometimes the website name and the publisher match. In that case you list the name once. Access dates are optional in MLA 9 but can appear at the end when your teacher asks for them or when the content changes often.

Online Video Or Streaming Clip

Basic pattern: Author or creator. Title of Video.Website or Platform, uploaded by Account Name, Day Month Year, URL.

Sample entry:

StudyCorner. MLA Works Cited Page In Ten Minutes.YouTube, uploaded by StudyCorner, 18 Sept. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abc123xyz.

If the video lists a clear personal creator, you can place that person’s name in the author slot and keep the channel or account as the uploader. If not, the channel name can stand in as the author, as in the sample above.

Many library guides collect similar models in one place. A helpful starting point is the page of basic rules for a works cited page from Purdue OWL, which echoes MLA 9 while giving more samples for print and online sources.

How To Build Your Own MLA Work Cited Page Step By Step

When you have a stack of sources, the process feels easier if you work in a fixed order every time. This step list keeps you from skipping small details and turns each source into one neat entry on the page.

Step 1: Gather Source Details Early

As you read, note the pieces you will need later: author names, complete titles, publisher names, publication dates, volume and issue numbers, and stable URLs or DOIs. It takes far less effort to capture these details when the book or site is already open in front of you than to track them down at the end of the semester.

Step 2: Match Each Source To The Core Elements

Once you know where the author name, title, and container sit on the item, match them to the core elements list. Ask yourself: who created this? what is the title of the part I used? what larger work holds it? who released it, and when? where can someone else find it? Each answer maps directly to a slot in the works cited entry.

Step 3: Write A Draft Entry And Check Punctuation

Write the entry in a plain document before you paste it onto the works cited page. Pay attention to the order of commas and periods, the use of italics and quotation marks, and the placement of abbreviations such as “vol.”, “no.”, and “pp.” Compare the draft to a reliable sample that uses the same source type. One clear example of mla work cited beside your own draft works almost like a template that guides the eye.

Step 4: Arrange Entries And Apply Hanging Indent

After you finish drafting all entries, place them in alphabetical order. Use the author’s last name as the guide. When a source has no named author, use the first main word of the title, ignoring “A,” “An,” or “The.” Once the list sits in the right order, select the entire block and apply the hanging indent setting so that every wrapped line moves in by half an inch.

Step 5: Match In-Text Citations To Entries

Each in-text citation in your paper should point to one clear entry on the works cited page. Scan down the entries and look for every last name or shortened title that appears in your parenthetical citations. Fix any mismatch before you print or submit the paper. This last review pass saves readers from hunting through the list for names that never appear.

Quick MLA Work Cited Examples Table

The next table lines up several common situations side by side so you can compare patterns. Use it as a fast reminder when you cannot recall where the date or the database name should sit.

Source Type	Core Pattern	Sample Entry (MLA 9)
Print Book	Author. Title. Publisher, Year.	Lee, Hannah. Writing For College. Riverbend Press, 2020.
eBook On A Platform	Author. Title. Publisher, Year. Platform, URL.	Garcia, Raul. Digital Research Skills. Open Path, 2021. Kindle, www.amazon.com/dp/abc123.
Journal Article	Author. Title.Journal, vol., no., Year, pp. range. Database, DOI/URL.	O’Neil, Sara. Note Taking In Online Classes.Teaching Review, vol. 12, no. 1, 2019, pp. 15-34. Academic Search, doi:10.0000/abc123.
News Website Article	Author. Title.Site, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.	Patel, Amir. Study Habits That Work.Student Daily, Student Media, 9 Jan. 2023, www.studentdaily.com/study-habits-that-work.
Page With No Author	Title.Site, Publisher, Day Month Year, URL.	Using Library Databases.Central City Library, Central City Library, 2022, www.centrallibrary.org/database-guide.
Streaming Video	Creator/Channel. Title.Platform, uploaded by Name, Day Month Year, URL.	LitHelp. Quoting Poetry In MLA.YouTube, uploaded by LitHelp, 2 Feb. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyz789.
Online Reference Entry	Author. Entry Title.Reference Work, Publisher, Year, URL.	Brown, Kelly. Paradox.Encyclopedia of Literary Terms, Scholar House, 2020, www.scholarterms.org/paradox.

Common MLA Work Cited Mistakes To Avoid

Many students lose marks not because they used the wrong sources, but because the works cited page contains small slips. A quick list of trouble spots makes it easier to spot and fix them before you turn in your paper.

Mixing Italics And Quotation Marks

One frequent error is swapping the styles for titles. In MLA, longer works such as full books, full websites, journals, and films belong in italics. Shorter works such as articles, pages, and episodes belong in quotation marks. Moving these styles to the wrong place makes the entry harder to scan and can confuse readers about which part is the container and which part is the source.

Missing Or Misplaced Publication Dates

Another pattern is placing the date in the wrong spot or leaving it out. In the MLA core template, the publication date usually appears toward the end of the entry, close to the publisher name. Web pages can list several dates, so pay attention to which one represents the content you used. A library guide or the MLA site itself often shows how to read these dates for each source type.

Leaving Out The Location

The last core element in many entries is the location. For print texts, that often means the page range. For online material, that means a DOI, permalink, or stable URL. Omitting this part makes it harder for a reader or teacher to trace your source. When in doubt, include the location that best helps another person get to the exact version you used.

Forgetting To Match In-Text Citations

A clean works cited page always matches the author or short title in the in-text citation. If your paper refers to “Lopez 48,” the list should contain an entry that begins with “Lopez.” If you shorten a long title for an in-text citation, make sure the shortened form still clearly points to the right entry.

Practical Checklist For Your MLA Work Cited Page

Before you submit your paper, run through this short checklist. It turns a long style guide into a set of quick yes-or-no questions.

• Does the page start on a new sheet with the centered heading Works Cited?
• Do all entries use double spacing with no extra gaps between items?
• Did you apply a hanging indent to every entry?
• Are sources in alphabetical order by author’s last name or first main word of the title?
• Does each in-text citation match one clear entry on the page?
• Do longer works appear in italics and shorter works in quotation marks?
• Does each entry include as many core elements as the source allows: author, title, container, publisher, date, and location?

Once you can read a page and instantly spot a neat example of MLA work cited, you are much more likely to keep the same standard in your own writing. With solid habits, a clear pattern, and reliable models from MLA and trusted library guides, your works cited page turns into one of the most straightforward parts of the assignment.