Free MLA Citation Generator
Free MLA citations for every source type, formatted to MLA 9 and ready to paste into a Works Cited page.
MLA Citation Format Explained
MLA format requires specific formatting for Works Cited pages, including hanging indents, proper italicization, container elements, and contributor listings. Doing this manually is tedious and error-prone.
How to Generate MLA Citations Automatically
Our free MLA citation generator automatically formats your sources in MLA 9th edition style. Paste a URL or enter source details — get perfectly formatted citations instantly.
How it works
- Open your essay in Assignments Simplify
- Select MLA as your citation format
- Paste source URLs or enter details manually
- Citations are auto-formatted and added to Works Cited
- Export with a properly formatted Works Cited page
MLA 9 patterns for the sources students actually use
MLA 9 uses one flexible container model rather than a separate rule per source type. These are the patterns that cover the vast majority of undergraduate citations.
| Source | Works Cited pattern |
|---|---|
| Book | Last, First. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. |
| Chapter in edited book | Last, First. "Chapter Title." Book Title, edited by First Last, Publisher, Year, pp. 00–00. |
| Journal article | Last, First. "Article Title." Journal, vol. 00, no. 0, Year, pp. 00–00. |
| Journal with DOI | … pp. 00–00. Database, https://doi.org/10.xxxx/yyyy. |
| Web page | Last, First. "Page Title." Site Name, Day Month Year, URL. |
| Web page, no author | "Page Title." Site Name, Day Month Year, URL. |
| PDF report | Author or Organisation. Title. Publisher, Year, URL. PDF download. |
| YouTube video | "Video Title." YouTube, uploaded by Channel, Day Month Year, URL. |
In-text citations in MLA 9
MLA uses author and page, with no comma and no "p." — (Chen 214). Four cases cover almost everything:
- One author: (Chen 214)
- Two authors: (Chen and Park 214)
- Three or more: (Chen et al. 214)
- No page number (most web sources): (Chen) — do not invent one
If you name the author in your sentence, only the page goes in brackets: Chen argues that reef recovery stalls above 1.5 degrees (214).
Five MLA mistakes that cost marks
- Wrong list title. MLA uses Works Cited, not References or Bibliography. That is APA and Chicago respectively.
- No hanging indent. Every entry after the first line indents by 0.5 inches. Markers check this because it is visible at a glance.
- Not alphabetised. Entries run alphabetically by the first word of the entry, which is the author surname, or the title where there is no author.
- Inventing page numbers for web sources. If a source has no pagination, cite the author alone.
- An entry with no in-text citation. Every Works Cited entry must be cited somewhere in the body, and every in-text citation must appear in the list.
Want the method, not just the tool?
How to Write an RRL (Review of Related Literature) — The chapter students rewrite the most — because nobody teaches you to argue with sources instead of listing them. Structure, synthesis examples, and how to name your research gap.
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