Alright, let’s talk about something that gives every student a mild headache at some point: the MLA Works Cited page. You know the drill. You’ve poured your soul into a research paper, and now you just need to list your sources. Seems simple, right? Then you open the MLA Handbook or try to find a decent **mla works cited page example** online, and suddenly it feels like deciphering ancient code. Italics here, periods there, hanging indents everywhere. Why is citing a website so much harder than writing the actual paper sometimes? I remember pulling my hair out trying to cite a weird Tumblr post my freshman year. Total nightmare.

Whether you're a high school student tackling your first big research assignment, a college undergrad drowning in deadlines, or even a returning student navigating online sources (seriously, how do you cite a Tweet correctly?), getting that **MLA works cited page example** right is crucial. It's not just about avoiding plagiarism (though that's mega important). It's about giving credit properly and making sure your reader can actually find that awesome source you quoted. Plus, that "A" looks better without points docked for formatting. Let's cut through the confusion together.

The Absolute Basics of an MLA Works Cited Page (No Jargon, Promise)

Imagine your Works Cited page is like a map for your reader. Every source you quoted, paraphrased, or even just borrowed a key idea from gets an entry. Each entry tells your reader exactly where to find that source themselves. The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is the set of rules we follow to make that map clear and consistent for everyone in the humanities – English, literature, cultural studies, that kind of stuff. Forget APA or Chicago for this one.

So, what makes this page tick? Here's the non-negotiable foundation:

• Starts on a New Page: Yep, right after your essay ends. Don't cram it onto the last paragraph.
• Title is "Works Cited": Centered. Plain text. No bold, no italics, no quotes. Exactly like that.
• Alphabetical Order: Sort those entries by the author's last name. No author? Use the title's first major word (ignore "A," "An," "The").
• Hanging Indent: This trips people up constantly. The first line of each entry starts at the left margin. Every line after that? Indented 0.5 inches. It’s like the opposite of a paragraph indent. Your word processor has a button for this! Seriously, find it. It’ll save you hours of hitting space.
• Double-Spaced: Everything. Every entry, every line within an entry. Consistency is key.
• Left-Justified: Everything lines up neatly on the left side. Ragged right edge is fine.

Setting this up in Word or Google Docs feels clunky at first. I used to manually tab for the hanging indent... big mistake. Learn the formatting tools early. Trust me.

Breaking Down the Pieces: MLA's Core Citation Elements

Think of each Works Cited entry like a puzzle built from pieces called "core elements." MLA 9th edition (the current one) organizes these logically. Not every source has every piece, and that's okay! You use what's available and relevant. Here’s what you’re looking for:

Show Me the Goods: Real MLA Works Cited Examples (Because Examples Save Lives)

Okay, enough theory. Let's look at some actual entries covering common source types. This is what you probably searched for – concrete **mla works cited examples**. I'll explain the tricky bits as we go.

Books & Chapters: The Classics

Simple Author-Book-Publisher-Year.

See? The story ("Title of Source" in quotes) is inside the anthology ("Title of Container," italicized). We note the editor, edition, publisher, year, and specific pages where the story appears ("Location").

Journal Articles: Digital and Print

Two authors! Volume and issue numbers included. Note the double container: the article is in the journal, and the journal is accessed via the database "Communication Source." DOI is the gold standard "Location."

Online journal article, no volume/issue needed here based on this site's structure. Accessed date? MLA 9 says it's optional unless your instructor wants it, or if the source has no publication date, or might change (like a wiki). Check if you need it! I included it here as it's still common practice.

Webpages & Websites: The Wild West of Citation

No author? Start with the page title. Organization is both the publisher and the container website here. Access date included.

Author, specific page title, container website, date, stable URL. No publisher needed as it's inherent.

Other Common Headaches (I Mean, Sources)

Film, director listed as author, performers noted, production company, streaming service as distributor/location.

Social media! Handle as author if real name isn't clear, actual post text as title, platform as container, full date and time, URL. Time is optional but helpful.

Personal communications like lectures, emails, interviews. Describe it clearly. No formal title? Make a descriptor like "Lecture on...". Include date and context.

Beyond the Basics: Formatting Tricks That Save Time & Sanity

Getting the core info is one battle. Formatting it flawlessly is another. Here's how to win:

• Hanging Indent Hero: Seriously, learn this in your word processor (Google "hanging indent [Word Docs Version]" or "hanging indent Google Docs"). Manually spacing is torture and looks messy.
• Italics vs. Quotes: Whole published works (books, websites, movies, albums, journals) = Italics. Parts of works (articles, chapters, poems, songs, webpage titles) = "Quotation Marks".
• Capitalizing Titles: Capitalize the first word, last word, and all major words in titles/subtitles. Don't capitalize articles (a, an, the), prepositions (to, by, for), or conjunctions (and, but, or) unless they start the title. (Example: "The Sound and the Fury", A Study of Modern Art Movements).
• Authors Galore:
  • One Author: Last Name, First Name. (Lee, Harper)
  • Two Authors: Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name. (King, Stephen, and Peter Straub)
  • Three or More Authors: Last Name, First Name, et al. (Gaiman, Neil, et al.)
  • Organization as Author: Use the organization name. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • No Author? Start with the source title. ("Global Warming Facts")
• Dates: Use Day Month Year format (e.g., 25 July 2023). Abbreviate months longer than 4 letters (Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.).
• URLs & DOIs:
  • DOIs (Digital Object Identifier) are best: https://doi.org/10.XXXX/XXXXX. Copy the full DOI link.
  • Permalinks/Stable URLs are next best. Look for a "share" or "permalink" button on database articles or websites.
  • Avoid long, messy search engine URLs. If you MUST use a URL, remove the "https://" part (MLA 9 recommendation: www.example.com/page is fine). Copy/paste carefully!

Top 5 MLA Works Cited Page Mistakes (And How to Dodge Them)

Grading papers, I see the same issues pop up constantly with MLA citations. Avoid these landmines:

Generators: Lifesaver or Trap?

Look, citation generators (like EasyBib, Citation Machine, Scribbr, Zotero, even Word's built-in tool) are tempting. Plug in a URL or ISBN, boom, done. I get it. Time is short. But here's the raw truth: generators mess up *all the time*, especially with containers, website authors, DOIs, and weird sources. They are a decent starting point, especially for simple books or articles with clear metadata. They can remind you of the general structure – a rough **mla works cited page example** template. BUT:

• NEVER trust them blindly. Always, always, ALWAYS double-check the output against the official MLA Handbook (your library has it!) or a truly reliable guide (like Purdue OWL's MLA section). Does it match the examples we looked at? Are containers included correctly?
• They often add superfluous information (like database names you don't need for a simple journal cite) or omit crucial elements (like the container for a journal article!).
• Formatting is frequently wonky (incorrect capitalization, messed up punctuation).

My advice? Use a generator for a first pass on straightforward sources if you're pressed, but immediately verify and correct the output manually. For complex sources (websites, social media, lectures, multimedia), build the citation yourself using the core element checklist. It's faster in the long run than fixing generator errors.

Your Burning MLA Works Cited Questions, Answered

Let's tackle some common head-scratchers. These pop up constantly when people search for an **mla works cited page example**:

Q: Do I need to cite EVERY single website I looked at?

A: No. Only cite sources you actually used in your paper – that means quotes, paraphrases, specific facts or ideas that aren't common knowledge. Just reading a page for background info doesn't earn it a spot on the Works Cited.

Q: What if there's NO author listed?

A: Start the entry with the Title of the Source (in quotes or italics, depending on what it is). Then proceed with the rest of the core elements. Alphabetize using the first major word of the title (ignore "A," "An," "The").

Q: How do I cite a source I found quoted in ANOTHER source (indirect source)?

A: This is tricky. MLA prefers you find the original source. If you absolutely can't, cite the source you actually read (the "indirect" source), but make it clear in your in-text citation who the original author was. Example in-text: (qtd. in Smith 45). On your Works Cited, ONLY list Smith (the source you actually read). Don't list the original source you didn't access.

Q: Do I need to include the access date for online sources?

A: MLA 9th edition says access dates are optional. Include one ONLY if:

• Your instructor requires it (always check their guidelines!).
• The source has no publication date listed.
• You suspect the source might change or be updated frequently (like a wiki page or a constantly updated dataset).

Q: Where do periods and commas go? It feels random!

A: It's not random, just precise! Generally:

• A period ends the core element unless the element ends in a question mark, exclamation point, dash, or URL/DOI (then no period after that element).
• A comma is used within elements where needed (like between author names, before the publisher, after the container title if the next element isn't a contributor starting with "edited by" etc.).

Q: How do I cite ChatGPT or other AI-generated text?

A: MLA has specific guidance! Treat the AI tool as the author. Describe the prompt you used as the "Title of Source." Identify the tool version, company, and date generated. URL if relevant. Example:

Putting It All Together: A Sample MLA Works Cited Page

Okay, let's see what a finished Works Cited page looks like, pulling together the examples we discussed earlier. Remember: "Works Cited" centered, alphabetical order, hanging indents, double-spaced throughout.

Feeling More Confident? You Got This.

Creating a perfect MLA Works Cited page isn't magic, and it definitely shouldn't be the most stressful part of your paper. It's a skill built on understanding a few core principles and paying attention to detail. Use this guide, bookmark it, and refer back to those **mla works cited page examples** when you hit a snag. Remember the checklist: Author, Title of Source, Title of Container, Other Contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication Date, Location. Get those in the right order, punctuated correctly, and formatted with hanging indents, and you're 95% there.

The biggest mistake is not double-checking. Did you miss a container? Forget the italics? Mess up the alphabetization? Take five minutes before you hit print or submit. Compare your entries to the examples here or in the MLA Handbook. Run your finger down the left margin – do all the author last names (or titles) align neatly? Are the second lines indented? It makes a huge difference.

Honestly, after you do a few correctly, it starts to feel less like a chore and more like just wrapping things up neatly. And that feeling when everything aligns perfectly? Almost satisfying. Almost. Now go finish that paper.