MLA 8th edition (published 2016) introduced the "container" concept — a flexible framework where the same core elements apply to every source type, instead of memorizing separate rules for each one. It's used in humanities, literature, and languages courses.
What Is MLA 8th Edition?
MLA stands for Modern Language Association. The 8th edition, released in 2016, dramatically simplified citation format by introducing a unified "Works Cited" approach using nine core elements. If you're citing something published after 2016, your instructor will almost certainly require MLA 8 or MLA 9 (which was released in 2021 and makes minor updates).
The Nine Core MLA Elements
Every MLA 8 citation builds from these elements, in this order, using the punctuation shown:
Template
Author. Title of Source. Title of Container, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location.
Skip elements that don't apply. Not every source will have all nine elements. Only include elements that are relevant and available for your specific source.
MLA 8 In-Text Citations
MLA 8 uses parenthetical citations in the text. Include the author's last name and the page number (no comma between them):
Basic in-text format
(Smith 45)
When author is named in the sentence
According to Smith, the results were inconclusive (45).
No page number (website)
(Johnson)
Two authors
(Smith and Jones 112)
Three or more authors
(Smith et al. 78)
Works Cited Examples by Source Type
Journal Article
Format
Last, First, and First Last. "Title of Article." Journal Name, vol. X, no. Y, Month Year, pp. 00–00. DOI or URL.
Example
Chen, Liu, and Maria Rosales. "Climate Narratives in Contemporary Fiction." PMLA, vol. 135, no. 3, May 2020, pp. 567–584. doi:10.1632/pmla.2020.135.3.567.
Book
Format
Last, First. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Example
Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid's Tale. Anchor Books, 1998.
Website
Format
Last, First. "Title of Page." Website Name, Publisher, Date, URL.
Example
Garcia, Maria. "The History of Sonnet Form." Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 12 Mar. 2022, www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/sonnet-history.
Article in an Edited Book
Format
Last, First. "Title of Article." Title of Book, edited by First Last, Publisher, Year, pp. 00–00.
Example
Brooks, James. "Narrative Voice in Dystopian Fiction." Contemporary Genre Studies, edited by Sandra Lee, Routledge, 2019, pp. 88–104.
Build Your MLA 8 Works Cited Instantly
Select your source type, fill in the details, and our free MLA 8 citation generator formats everything correctly — no manual work required.
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MLA 8 Works Cited Page Rules
- Start on a new page at the end of the paper
- Center the heading "Works Cited" (not bold, not underlined)
- List entries in alphabetical order by author's last name
- Use a hanging indent: first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches
- Double-space all entries — no extra blank lines between them
- Italicize book titles, journal names, and website names
- Use "qtd. in" if you are citing a source quoted in another source
Common MLA 8 Mistakes
- Using MLA 7 format: MLA 8 dropped source-type-specific rules — no more separate formats for websites, films, etc.
- Missing containers: A journal article needs the journal as a container — title, volume, issue, and pages all belong
- Abbreviating months: Abbreviate months with 5+ letters (Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.) — May, June, July are written in full
- Comma in parenthetical: MLA uses (Smith 45) — no comma. APA uses (Smith, 2020) with a comma — don't mix them
- Wrong order: Works Cited must be alphabetical by author last name
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between MLA 8 and MLA 9?▼
MLA 9 (published 2021) makes refinements to MLA 8 — it adds guidance on inclusive language, clarifies citation for social media and streaming content, and makes the URL vs. DOI recommendation clearer. For most standard sources (books, journals, websites), MLA 8 and 9 citations look nearly identical.
How do I cite a source with no author in MLA 8?▼
Start the Works Cited entry with the title of the source. In the parenthetical in-text citation, use a shortened version of the title in quotation marks (for articles) or italics (for books). Example: ("Climate Change" 12) or (Wikipedia).
Should I include URLs in MLA 8 Works Cited?▼
MLA 8 recommends including URLs for online sources when they help readers locate the work. Omit http:// or https:// from the beginning. If your instructor requires access dates, add "Accessed [Date]" at the end of the citation.
Is there a free MLA 8 citation generator?▼
Yes — GradeEssays offers a completely free MLA 8 citation generator at
/citation-generator/mla-8. It supports all source types, generates properly formatted Works Cited entries, and includes URL/DOI auto-fill.
What is the "container" in MLA 8?▼
A container is the larger work that holds your source. For a journal article, the journal is the container. For a chapter in an edited book, the book is the container. For a Netflix film, Netflix is the second container. MLA 8 uses container logic to handle all source types with one consistent framework.