MLA Citation Style Guide - Preparing a List of Works Cited
Basic Guidelines
• The list of works cited appears at the end of the paper, on a new page.
• Centre the title, “Works Cited”, an inch from the top of the page and then double space between the title and
the first entry.
• Use a hanging indent after the first line of entries.
• Double-space the entire list, between and within entries.
• Alphabetize entries by author last name (or by title if author name is unknown).
• Medium of publication (print, web, etc) is now a component of the MLA entry.
• URLs for Web publications are provided only as supplementary information when necessary.
Non-periodical Print Publications – Such as books
Book by a Single Author
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title. Place: Publisher, Year. Print.
Schuster, Mark. Don DeLillo, Jean Baudrillard, and the Consumer Conundrum. Youngstown: Cambria
Press, 2008. Print.
Book by Two or More Authors
A correct embedded citation includes the first word of the Works Cited
entry followed by the page number. A citation for words or ideas taken
from page 14 of Mark Schuster’s book would look like this:
(Schuster 14). See back page of this handout if there is no author.
Author’s last name, Author’s first name, and Author’s first name Author’s last name. Title. Place:
Publisher, Year. Print.
Heer, Jeet, and Kent Worcester. A Comics Studies Reader. Jackson: UP of Mississippi, 2008. Print.
Book (with editor)
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. Title. Ed. Editor’s first name Editor’s last name. Place:
Publisher, Year. Print.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat. New York: Washington Square-Pocket,
1992. Print.
Work in an Anthology (such as a chapter, essay, short story)
Author (of work) last name, Author first name. “Title of work.” Title of Anthology. Ed. Editor’s first
and last name. Place: Publisher, Year. Pages of work. Print.
Raynor, Deirdre J., and*TDSB
Johnnella
E. Butler.
"Morrison
and thewith
Critical
Community."
The Cambridge
Student
Research
Guide, Adapted
permission,
2011, Toronto
District School Board
Companion to Toni Morrison. Ed. Justine Tally. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2007. 17-83. Print.
Article in a Reference Book (such as an encyclopedia or dictionary entry)
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Article title.” Title. Edition. Date. Print.
Hernandez, Tomas. "Portugal." The World Book. International ed. 1999. Print.
Newspapers
Newspaper Article
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Article Title.” Name of Newspaper Year or date of
publication: page numbers. Print.
Tower, Katie. "Sappyfest Draws 1,500 Music Fans From Across Canada." Sackville Tribune-Post 5 Aug.
2009: 12. Print.
Internet
Website
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. “Title of the work.” Title of Site. Publisher (if none, use
n.p.). date of publication (if none available, use n.d.). Web. Date of access.
Beers, David. “Michael Pollan, Garden Fresh.” Eat Right. Manitoba Farm Association. 12 June 2009. Web. 5 Aug.
2009.
Because websites do not have page numbers the embedded citation
includes only the first word of the Works Cited entry. A citation for
words or ideas taken from this website would look like this: (Beers). If
there were no author it would look like this: (“Michael Pollan, Garden
Fresh”)
Scholarly Journal in an Online Database (such as an article in a library database)
Author’s last name, Author’s first name. "Title of the Article." Original Source of Article. Date of
original source: page numbers. Name of the Database Used. Web. Date of access.
Harcum, Cornelia G. “A Statue of Aphrodite in the Royal Ontario Museum.” Art Bulletin. Jan. 1921: 45-58.
eLibrary. Web. 5 Aug. 2009.
Images
Last name, First name. Title of the work. Date. Type. Original Source. Web. Date of access.
Pawel Dwulit. CN Tower. 9 Oct. 2008. Photograph. The Toronto Star. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.
*TDSB Student Research Guide, Adapted with permission, 2011, Toronto District School Board
Reducing Acid Rain: A Success Story?
Acid rain is an environmental issue that affects plant and animal life, lakes and rivers, buildings and
structures, and human beings. Precipitation that contains acidic gases such as sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxide has
the potential to cause serious environmental problems. Since the 1960’s scientists have studied the harmful results of
acid rain and looked for ways to reduce harmful atmospheric pollutants (Howard and Johnston 16). In recent years,
efforts to reduce the negative effects have been successful. People have recognized acid rain as a serious
environmental threat and have taken steps to stop it (Anderson 121).
Laws reducing air pollution have helped to reduce the initial causes of acid rain. In the 1970s a drop in the
fish population and changes in lakes and forests alerted environmentalists to the problem (Lucas). In response, the
federal and provincial governments together created the Eastern Canada Acid Rain Program, aimed at reducing the
amount and type of pollutants allowed into the atmosphere (Thompson). In 1991 the Canada-US Air Quality
Agreement was signed, designed to control air pollution that would move from one country to another. A recent report
states that “in the Great Lakes region, there has been a 76% reduction in toxic substances and that greater numbers
and diversity of wildlife, including frogs, turtles muskrats and herons are reappearing in the area” (Thompson).
Public awareness of the dangers of acid rain to the environment has led to voluntary measures that have a
positive effect. Some large corporations have used technology to control dangerous emissions and are now using
energy more efficiently. Other companies have done their part by inventing and manufacturing environmentally
friendly products used by both industry and individuals (Lucas). There are many things that ordinary people are doing
in their homes and yards and while shopping and travelling, to reduce acid rain emissions.
Many people automatically turn off lights and electrical equipment, reduce their driving and select public
transportation or carpools, take up sports that do not require the use of fuel, make responsible choices when
shopping, recycle at home and at work, and express opinions to elected officials regarding environmental
policies. (Ferguson)
*TDSB Student Research Guide, Adapted with permission, 2011, Toronto District School Board
Works Cited
“Acid Rain.” The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 2002 ed. 2002. Print.
Anderson, Lynette. Acid Rain. New York: Gloucester Press, 1999. Print.
Ferguson, H.L. “Acid Rain.” Canadian and World Encyclopedia 2000 Online. Historica
Dominion. 2001. Web. 5 June 2003.
Howard, Ray and William Johnston. Poison in the Sky. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 2000.
Print.
Lucas, George. “How Healthy are Our Lakes?” Toronto Star 25 May 2000: 2. eLibrary. Web. 30
May 2004.
Thompson, Helen. “Working Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.”
Our Great Lakes. Preston Publishing. 12 Nov. 2000. Web. 20 May 2004.
No Author?
If an entry in your Works Cited page does not have the author’s name available, begin your entry with the title
of the work (see the first entry above).
When using parenthetical citations and there is no author, as is often the case with web pages, include either
the whole title of the work or use a shortened form of the title in parentheses.
Italicize the titles of books and place the titles of articles in quotation marks.
*TDSB Student Research Guide, Adapted with permission, 2011, Toronto District School Board