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How to Cite a Short Story in MLA Format

In 1951, the Modern Language Association (MLA) distributed its first style guidelines to help create consistency among papers and publications in the English, language and literary studies disciplines. Following today's MLA guidelines also helps you avoid charges of plagiarism, which can have serious consequences. Short stories are one type of source you might need to cite using MLA format.

According to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition), citations from a short story should typically follow the same format as those for other sources, including the author's last name, a space and the page number from which the quote or paraphrase comes, with no punctuation between:

(Smith 22).

For short quotes, put quotation marks around the information taken word-for-word from the story. The end quotation mark should appear before the citation, but the period should be placed after the parentheses.

For quotes that run more than four typed lines, indent the entire quote half an inch from the left margin. Leave off the quotation marks because the indent tells the reader it is a quote, and in this case put the period before the citation.

Works Cited Page

When citing a short story that appears in an anthology, start the Works Cited entry with the author of the short story. Start with his last name, put a comma after it, and then include his first name with a period after it. Write the title of the short story next, in quotation marks, capitalizing the first word and any important words within it. Then put the title of the collection, italicized, capitalizing the first word and important words, with a period at the end. Include the editor's name in regular name order after the word "Ed." (without the quotation marks) to indicate that this person is the editor. Follow this with a period.

Type the city of publication, a colon, the name of the publishing company, a comma, and the year, followed by a period. Give the page numbers on which the story appears with a period at the end. Finally, include the medium of publication, such as "Print" (without the quotation marks), followed by a period. Your citation should look like this:

Smith, Sue. "The Story Name." The Book of Stories (italicized). Ed. Joe Jones. New York: Penguin, 2000. 354-360. Print.

For an online source, type the author name, the title of the story (in quotation marks) and the publisher information (if given). After the date, put the site name, italicized, followed by a period. Use "Web" as the publication medium and then list your access date by day, month and year.

For example:

Smith, Sue. "The Story Name." New York: Penguin, 2000. The Site of Stories (italicized). Web. 3 March 2013.

Inclusion of a URL is unnecessary.

Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator .

• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition); Modern Language Association

Kristie Sweet has been writing professionally since 1982, most recently publishing for various websites on topics like health and wellness, and education. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Northern Colorado.

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MLA Short Story Citation – Format & Examples

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In academic writing , it is crucial to cite short stories properly to maintain academic integrity and avoid plagiarism . The MLA style guide (Modern Language Association) has specific formatting rules for this. In MLA , specific components such as the author’s name, the story title within quotation marks, the anthology title in italics, and other details regarding publication like the page number or range, must be included. This allows the readers to find original sources and ensures proper credit.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 MLA Short Story Citation – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: MLA short story citation
• 3 MLA short story citation: Quoting & citing
• 4 MLA short story citation: Book
• 5 MLA short story citation: Newspaper or magazine
• 6 MLA short story citation: Online

MLA Short Story Citation – In a Nutshell

• MLA short story citation entails a proper introduction of the quoted content.
• Make sure to write the introduction in your own words.
• It is always followed up with an in-text citation in accordance with MLA guidelines
• An MLA in-text citation includes the author’s name and the page number of the quote.

Definition: MLA short story citation

The structure for MLA short story citation includes an introduction of the quote in your own words, followed by an in-text citation . The in-text citation should include the name of the author, followed by the page number from which you obtained the quote. See the format and an example of an MLA Works Cited entry below.

MLA short story citation: Quoting & citing

One key element you must consider during MLA story citation is the introduction quotation. The introduction should be done in your own words so it does not go against plagiarism regulations. After the introductory sentence, you can place a colon, then place an in-text MLA story citation immediately after.

Then the narrator speaks of his experience in first person as he refers to his background and influence: “I never saw my parents argue or have a misunderstanding in my presence.” (Andrew, 100).

Alternatively, you can integrate the quote in a different sentence. If you decide to name the author in the introductory quote, then the page number should appear in parentheses .

Andrew describes his childhood as peaceful and “without any parental conflict” (87).

Ensure to use block quote format when quoting more than four lines.

Citing the same story consecutively

When referring to the same story more than once, you do not need to include the author’s name repeatedly. However, you must clarify that you are citing the same source repeatedly. Instead of the author’s name, just add the page number in the MLA short story citation.

Andrews describes his childhood as peaceful and “without any conflict” (97). His narration includes descriptions of his father’s temperament, which is “calm and orderly” (101).

However, if you start a new paragraph or refer to a different citation, the above rule does not apply. The next MLA short story citation should include the name of the author.

MLA short story citation: Book

You can also cite a short story from a book containing a collection of stories. In this citation, you must include the author’s name, story title, book title, editor (s), year, and the page range where the short story is featured. Below are guidelines for MLA short story citation for a book source:

If the cited story is published in a collection from a single author and does not have an editor’s name, you can omit the editor from the MLA short story citation. Below is the format:

MLA short story citation: Newspaper or magazine

You must also follow MLA short story citation when referencing stories from a newspaper or magazine. In such a case, you must list the periodical’s name, publication date, and the page range where the content is sourced. Below is the MLA short story citation format for newspaper or magazine sources:

MLA short story citation: Online

When citing a short story published online, you must list the name of the website, the publication date, and the URL. If the page name is not available and the author’s name is mentioned in your sentence, then you only need a parenthetical citation .

What is the general format of an MLA short story citation?

The general format is as follows: Name of author, First name. “Title of Story.” Book Title , edited by Editor’s first and last name, Publisher, Year, pp. Page range

Can you cite a book chapter using MLA short story citation guidelines?

You can cite a specific chapter if each chapter has a different author or if the book is a collection of works. In this case, add separate works cited entries for each.

What should you include when citing short stories in magazines?

You must list the periodical’s name, publication date, and the page range where the content is sourced.

What are the guidelines for citing online-sourced stories?

When citing a short story that is published online, you must include the name of the website, the publication date, and the URL.

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Engl 184: the short story.

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Using In-text Citation

Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your reference list.

MLA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith).

Example paragraph with in-text citation

A few researchers in the linguistics field have developed training programs designed to improve native speakers' ability to understand accented speech (Derwing et al. 246; Thomas 15). Their training techniques are based on the research described above indicating that comprehension improves with exposure to non-native speech. Derwing and others conducted their training with students preparing to be social workers, but note that other professionals who work with non-native speakers could benefit from a similar program (258).

Derwing, Tracey M., et al. "Teaching Native Speakers to Listen to Foreign-accented Speech." Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, vol. 23, no. 4, 2002, pp. 245-259.

Thomas, Holly K.  Training Strategies for Improving Listeners' Comprehension of Foreign-accented Speech. University of Colorado, Boulder, 2004.

Citing Web Pages In Text

Cite web pages in text as you would any other source, using the author if known. If the author is not known, use the title as the in-text citation.

Your in-text citation should lead your reader to the corresponding entry in the reference list. Below are examples of using in-text citation with web pages.

Entire website with author: In-text citation Parents play an important role in helping children learn techniques for coping with bullying (Kraiser).

Reference entry Kraizer, Sherryll. Safe Child. Coalition for Children, 2011, www.safechild.org.

Web page with no author: In-text citation The term Nittany Lion was coined by Penn State football player Joe Mason in 1904 ("All Things Nittany").

Reference entry "All Things Nittany." About Penn State. Penn State University, 2006, www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html.

General Guidelines

In MLA style the author's name can be included either in the narrative text of your paper, or in parentheses following the reference to the source.

Author's name part of narrative:

Gass and Varonis found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (163).

Author's name in parentheses:

One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (Gass and Varonis 163).

Group as author: (American Psychological Association 123)

Multiple works: (separate each work with semi-colons)

Research shows that listening to a particular accent improves comprehension of accented speech in general (Gass and Varonis 143; Thomas 24).

Direct quote:

One study found that “the listener's familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (Gass and Varonis 85).

Gass and Varonis found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (85).

Note: For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, display quotations as an indented block of text (one inch from left margin) and omit quotation marks. Place your parenthetical citation at the end of the block of text, after the final punctuation mark.

In addition to awareness-raising, practicing listening to accented speech has been shown to improve listening comprehension. This article recommends developing listening training programs for library faculty and staff, based on research from the linguistics and language teaching fields. Even brief exposure to accented speech can help listeners improve their comprehension, thereby improving the level of service to international patrons. (O'Malley 19)

Works by Multiple Authors

When citing works by multiple authors, always spell out the word "and." When a source has three or more authors, only the first one shown in the source is normally given followed by et al.

One author: (Field 399)

Works Cited entry: Field, John. "Intelligibility and the Listener: The Role of Lexical Stress." TESOL Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 3, 2005, pp. 399-423.

Two authors: (Gass and Varonis 67)

Works Cited entry: Gass, Susan, and Evangeline M. Varonis. "The Effect of Familiarity on the Comprehensibility of Nonnative Speech." Language Learning , vol. 34, no. 1, 1984, pp. 65-89.

Three or more authors: (Munro et al. 70)

Works Cited entry: Munro, Murray J., et al. "Salient Accents, Covert Attitudes: Consciousness-raising for Pre-service Second Language Teachers." Prospect , vol. 21, no. 1, 2006, pp. 67-79.

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• Last Updated: Jun 16, 2023 12:24 PM
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When writing an academic essay, you can use various sources of information, inclusding short stories. 

To cite a short story in MLA format in your Works Cited, include the author's name, title of the short story in quotation marks, title of the collection or anthology in italics, name(s) of the editor(s), publisher, and year of publication. In-text, include the author's last name and page number(s) in parentheses after the quotation or paraphrased information. If the short story was accessed online, add the URL and date of access to the Works Cited entry.

There are several versions of short story citations depending on the source it is retrieved from.  Keep reading this article by our  college essay service  to see general structure for each citation along with practical examples.

Why Do You Need a Short Story MLA Citation?

Short story MLA citation is pretty useful! This material contains a brief and accurate plot with in-depth quotations and ideas that you can cite. But often, students ask themselves if they actually should include them cited within their work. And we absolutely encourage you to take advantage of it and provide an accurate citation of short stories. Each humanities work is rendered by MLA style specifically created for citation within this area. Additionally, it provides particular format rules each student should stick to.

MLA Short Story Citation: Printed Edition

MLA citation for short story involves entry elements incorporated within Works Cited and in-text citation. Short stories are typically gathered in a printed book or journal that should be cited too. Accordingly, such information as author and editor names, published date, title, and book/ journal title is presented within Works Cited. Keep following the next sections and learn applicable formulas.

How to Cite a Short Story in a Book in MLA

MLA citation short story in book discloses the principles of citing it from a book collection containing print information. Thus, more than a tale's title should be provided in the reference list and somehow within a text of paper. The general formula of bibliography is as follows:

If your story is not short and it is a Shakespeare masterpiece, for example, do not worry. Go to our library and find a blog about MLA citing Shakespeare . 

How to MLA Cite a Short Story in a Journal

On the other hand, such a source is often searched in journals, and you should provide a short story from a journal in MLA. An entry structure is quite the same with a difference in Journal Title. Thus, the general format looks like this:

If you need to cite journal article MLA , follow another guide. We prepared a special blog that will help you with this kind of citation.

MLA Citation for Short Story: Online Edition

Many sources are available in the network environment, and you can cite a short story online MLA. It is very convenient as you mustn't go to libraries and look for printed books. This way, the formula is different in some entry elements like website name and URL address. Accordingly, the general structure takes the following look:

It is a good idea to cite an interview in your work. Fortunately, we have a special well-detailed blog. It explains  how to cite an interview MLA .

Final Thoughts on Citing a Short Story in MLA

Whatever relevant information you find for your writing, now you know how to cite a short story MLA. You shouldn't limit yourself in sources because you don't know how to deal with a citation. Our article is created for you to succeed in your academic performance and help to provide quality work. MLA style is perfect for writing essays and citing short stories you find necessary to include within your paperwork. 

Check out our essay writing website for worthy insights! Our academic assistants will help you with anything, from simple advice to writing essays for you.

Emma Flores knows all about formatting standards. She shares with StudyCrumb readers tips on creating academic papers that will meet high-quality standards.

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MLA Works Cited Page: Books

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When you are gathering book sources, be sure to make note of the following bibliographic items: the author name(s), other contributors such as translators or editors, the book’s title, editions of the book, the publication date, the publisher, and the pagination.

The 8 th  edition of the MLA handbook highlights principles over prescriptive practices. Essentially, a writer will need to take note of primary elements in every source, such as author, title, etc. and then assort them in a general format. Thus, by using this methodology, a writer will be able to cite any source regardless of whether it’s included in this list.

Please note these changes in the new edition:

• Commas are used instead of periods between Publisher, Publication Date, and Pagination.
• Medium is no longer necessary.
• Containers are now a part of the MLA process. Commas should be used after container titles.
• DOIs should be used instead of URLS when available.
• Use the term “Accessed” instead of listing the date or the abbreviation, “n.d."

Below is the general format for any citation:

Author. Title. Title of container (do not list container for standalone books, e.g. novels), Other contributors (translators or editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs URL or DOI). 2 nd  container’s title, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).

Basic Book Format

The author’s name or a book with a single author's name appears in last name, first name format. The basic form for a book citation is:

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book . City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.

* Note: the City of Publication should only be used if the book was published before 1900, if the publisher has offices in more than one country, or if the publisher is unknown in North America.

Book with One Author

Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science . Penguin, 1987.

Henley, Patricia. The Hummingbird House . MacMurray, 1999.

Book with More Than One Author

When a book has two authors, order the authors in the same way they are presented in the book. Start by listing the first name that appears on the book in last name, first name format; subsequent author names appear in normal order (first name last name format).

Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring . Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

If there are three or more authors, list only the first author followed by the phrase et al. (Latin for "and others") in place of the subsequent authors' names. (Note that there is a period after “al” in “et al.” Also note that there is never a period after the “et” in “et al.”).

Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition . Utah State UP, 2004.

Two or More Books by the Same Author

List works alphabetically by title. (Remember to ignore articles like A, An, and The.) Provide the author’s name in last name, first name format for the first entry only. For each subsequent entry by the same author, use three hyphens and a period.

Palmer, William J. Dickens and New Historicism . St. Martin's, 1997.

---. The Films of the Eighties: A Social History . Southern Illinois UP, 1993.

Book by a Corporate Author or Organization

A corporate author may include a commission, a committee, a government agency, or a group that does not identify individual members on the title page.

List the names of corporate authors in the place where an author’s name typically appears at the beginning of the entry.

American Allergy Association. Allergies in Children . Random House, 1998.

When the author and publisher are the same, skip the author, and list the title first. Then, list the corporate author only as the publisher.

Fair Housing—Fair Lending. Aspen Law & Business, 1985.

Book with No Author

List by title of the book. Incorporate these entries alphabetically just as you would with works that include an author name. For example, the following entry might appear between entries of works written by Dean, Shaun and Forsythe, Jonathan.

Encyclopedia of Indiana . Somerset, 1993.

Remember that for an in-text (parenthetical) citation of a book with no author, you should provide the name of the work in the signal phrase and the page number in parentheses. You may also use a shortened version of the title of the book accompanied by the page number. For more information see the In-text Citations for Print Sources with No Known Author section of In-text Citations: The Basics .

A Translated Book

If you want to emphasize the work rather than the translator, cite as you would any other book. Add “translated by” and follow with the name(s) of the translator(s).

Foucault, Michel. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason . Translated by Richard Howard, Vintage-Random House, 1988.

If you want to focus on the translation, list the translator as the author. In place of the author’s name, the translator’s name appears. His or her name is followed by the label, “translator.” If the author of the book does not appear in the title of the book, include the name, with a “By” after the title of the book and before the publisher. Note that this type of citation is less common and should only be used for papers or writing in which translation plays a central role.

Howard, Richard, translator. Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason . By Michel Foucault, Vintage-Random House, 1988.

Republished Book

Books may be republished due to popularity without becoming a new edition. New editions are typically revisions of the original work. For books that originally appeared at an earlier date and that have been republished at a later one, insert the original publication date before the publication information.

For books that are new editions (i.e. different from the first or other editions of the book), see An Edition of a Book below.

Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble . 1990. Routledge, 1999.

Erdrich, Louise. Love Medicine . 1984. Perennial-Harper, 1993.

An Edition of a Book

There are two types of editions in book publishing: a book that has been published more than once in different editions and a book that is prepared by someone other than the author (typically an editor).

A Subsequent Edition

Cite the book as you normally would, but add the number of the edition after the title.

Crowley, Sharon, and Debra Hawhee. Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students . 3rd ed., Pearson, 2004.

A Work Prepared by an Editor

Cite the book as you normally would, but add the editor after the title with the label "edited by."

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre,  edited by Margaret Smith, Oxford UP, 1998.

Note that the format for citing sources with important contributors with editor-like roles follows the same basic template:

...adapted by John Doe...

Finally, in the event that the source features a contributor that cannot be described with a past-tense verb and the word "by" (e.g., "edited by"), you may instead use a noun followed by a comma, like so:

...guest editor, Jane Smith...

Anthology or Collection (e.g. Collection of Essays)

To cite the entire anthology or collection, list by editor(s) followed by a comma and "editor" or, for multiple editors, "editors." This sort of entry is somewhat rare. If you are citing a particular piece within an anthology or collection (more common), see A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection below.

Hill, Charles A., and Marguerite Helmers, editors. Defining Visual Rhetorics . Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004.

Peterson, Nancy J., editor. Toni Morrison: Critical and Theoretical Approaches . Johns Hopkins UP, 1997.

A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection

Works may include an essay in an edited collection or anthology, or a chapter of a book. The basic form is for this sort of citation is as follows:

Last name, First name. "Title of Essay." Title of Collection , edited by Editor's Name(s), Publisher, Year, Page range of entry.

Some examples:

Harris, Muriel. "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers." A Tutor's Guide: Helping Writers One to One , edited by Ben Rafoth, Heinemann, 2000, pp. 24-34.

Swanson, Gunnar. "Graphic Design Education as a Liberal Art: Design and Knowledge in the University and The 'Real World.'" The Education of a Graphic Designer , edited by Steven Heller, Allworth Press, 1998, pp. 13-24.

Note on Cross-referencing Several Items from One Anthology: If you cite more than one essay from the same edited collection, MLA indicates you may cross-reference within your works cited list in order to avoid writing out the publishing information for each separate essay. You should consider this option if you have several references from a single text. To do so, include a separate entry for the entire collection listed by the editor's name as below:

Rose, Shirley K, and Irwin Weiser, editors. The Writing Program Administrator as Researcher . Heinemann, 1999.

Then, for each individual essay from the collection, list the author's name in last name, first name format, the title of the essay, the editor's last name, and the page range:

L'Eplattenier, Barbara. "Finding Ourselves in the Past: An Argument for Historical Work on WPAs." Rose and Weiser, pp. 131-40.

Peeples, Tim. "'Seeing' the WPA With/Through Postmodern Mapping." Rose and Weiser, pp. 153-67.

Please note: When cross-referencing items in the works cited list, alphabetical order should be maintained for the entire list.

Poem or Short Story Examples :

Burns, Robert. "Red, Red Rose." 100 Best-Loved Poems, edited by Philip Smith, Dover, 1995, p. 26.

Kincaid, Jamaica. "Girl." The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories , edited by Tobias Wolff, Vintage, 1994, pp. 306-07.

If the specific literary work is part of the author's own collection (all of the works have the same author), then there will be no editor to reference:

Whitman, Walt. "I Sing the Body Electric." Selected Poems, Dover, 1991, pp. 12-19.

Carter, Angela. "The Tiger's Bride." Burning Your Boats: The Collected Stories, Penguin, 1995, pp. 154-69.

Article in a Reference Book (e.g. Encyclopedias, Dictionaries)

For entries in encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference works, cite the entry name as you would any other work in a collection but do not include the publisher information. Also, if the reference book is organized alphabetically, as most are, do not list the volume or the page number of the article or item.

"Ideology." The American Heritage Dictionary.  3rd ed. 1997. 

A Multivolume Work

When citing only one volume of a multivolume work, include the volume number after the work's title, or after the work's editor or translator.

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria . Translated by H. E. Butler, vol. 2, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980.

When citing more than one volume of a multivolume work, cite the total number of volumes in the work. Also, be sure in your in-text citation to provide both the volume number and page number(s) ( see "Citing Multivolume Works" on our in-text citations resource .)

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria . Translated by H. E. Butler, Loeb-Harvard UP, 1980. 4 vols.

If the volume you are using has its own title, cite the book without referring to the other volumes as if it were an independent publication.

Churchill, Winston S. The Age of Revolution . Dodd, 1957.

An Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword

When citing an introduction, a preface, a foreword, or an afterword, write the name of the author(s) of the piece you are citing. Then give the name of the part being cited, which should not be italicized or enclosed in quotation marks; in italics, provide the name of the work and the name of the author of the introduction/preface/foreword/afterword. Finish the citation with the details of publication and page range.

Farrell, Thomas B. Introduction. Norms of Rhetorical Culture , by Farrell, Yale UP, 1993, pp. 1-13.

If the writer of the piece is different from the author of the complete work , then write the full name of the principal work's author after the word "By." For example, if you were to cite Hugh Dalziel Duncan’s introduction of Kenneth Burke’s book Permanence and Change, you would write the entry as follows:

Duncan, Hugh Dalziel. Introduction. Permanence and Change: An Anatomy of Purpose, by Kenneth Burke, 1935, 3rd ed., U of California P, 1984, pp. xiii-xliv.

Book Published Before 1900

Original copies of books published before 1900 are usually defined by their place of publication rather than the publisher. Unless you are using a newer edition, cite the city of publication where you would normally cite the publisher.

Thoreau, Henry David. Excursions . Boston, 1863.

Italicize “The Bible” and follow it with the version you are using. Remember that your in-text (parenthetical citation) should include the name of the specific edition of the Bible, followed by an abbreviation of the book, the chapter and verse(s). (See Citing the Bible at In-Text Citations: The Basics .)

The Bible. Authorized King James Version , Oxford UP, 1998.

The Bible. The New Oxford Annotated Version , 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2001.

The New Jerusalem Bible. Edited by Susan Jones, Doubleday, 1985.

A Government Publication

Cite the author of the publication if the author is identified. Otherwise, start with the name of the national government, followed by the agency (including any subdivisions or agencies) that serves as the organizational author. For congressional documents, be sure to include the number of the Congress and the session when the hearing was held or resolution passed as well as the report number. US government documents are typically published by the Government Printing Office.

United States, Congress, Senate, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearing on the Geopolitics of Oil . Government Printing Office, 2007. 110th Congress, 1st session, Senate Report 111-8.

United States, Government Accountability Office. Climate Change: EPA and DOE Should Do More to Encourage Progress Under Two Voluntary Programs . Government Printing Office, 2006.

Cite the title and publication information for the pamphlet just as you would a book without an author. Pamphlets and promotional materials commonly feature corporate authors (commissions, committees, or other groups that does not provide individual group member names). If the pamphlet you are citing has no author, cite as directed below. If your pamphlet has an author or a corporate author, put the name of the author (last name, first name format) or corporate author in the place where the author name typically appears at the beginning of the entry. (See also Books by a Corporate Author or Organization above.)

Women's Health: Problems of the Digestive System . American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2006.

Your Rights Under California Welfare Programs . California Department of Social Services, 2007.

Dissertations and Master's Theses

Dissertations and master's theses may be used as sources whether published or not. Unlike previous editions, MLA 8 specifies no difference in style for published/unpublished works.

The main elements of a dissertation citation are the same as those for a book: author name(s), title (italicized) , and publication date. Conclude with an indication of the document type (e.g., "PhD dissertation"). The degree-granting institution may be included before the document type (though this is not required). If the dissertation was accessed through an online repository, include it as the second container after all the other elements.

Bishop, Karen Lynn. Documenting Institutional Identity: Strategic Writing in the IUPUI Comprehensive Campaign . 2002. Purdue University, PhD dissertation.

Bile, Jeffrey. Ecology, Feminism, and a Revised Critical Rhetoric: Toward a Dialectical Partnership . 2005. Ohio University, PhD dissertation.

Mitchell, Mark. The Impact of Product Quality Reducing Events on the Value of Brand-Name Capital: Evidence from Airline Crashes and the 1982 Tylenol Poisonings.  1987. PhD dissertation.  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

List the names of corporate authors in the place where an author’s name typically appears at the beginning of the entry if the author and publisher are not the same.

Fair Housing—Fair Lending. Aspen Law & Business, 1985.

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Brain hemispheres and learning: everything you need to know, samsung galaxy tips and tricks you need to know, elevating user experience with address autocomplete api, how to teach students to make story maps: everything you need to know, addressing your child’s reading issues: everything you need to know, product review of the tribit xsound plus 2, teaching reading to struggling students: everything you need to know, rhyming capacity: everything you need to know, phonological awareness: everything you need to know, 3 ways to cite short stories in mla.

Introduction

Citing sources is an essential aspect of academic writing, and when it comes to the Modern Language Association (MLA) format, there are certain rules you need to follow. If you have to cite short stories within your work, you might wonder about the right way to do so. In this article, we will discuss three ways to cite short stories in MLA format: citing from an anthology, citing from an online source, and citing from a single-author collection.

1. Citing a Short Story from an Anthology

When you cite a short story in an anthology, you need to give credit to both the story’s author and the anthology’s editor. Here’s how the citation should look like:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Short Story.” Title of the Anthology, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year of Publication, Page Numbers.

Smith, John. “The Winter Night.” Great American Short Stories, edited by James Johnson, Penguin Classics, 2022, pp. 69-94.

2. Citing a Short Story from an Online Source

If you find a short story online and want to include it in your paper or project, follow this citation format:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Short Story.” Title of the Website or Database, Website or Database Publisher (if available), Date of Publication or Last Update (if available), URL.

Doyle, Arthur Conan. “A Scandal in Bohemia.” Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Database, 25 Mar. 2007,

www.gutenberg.org/files/1661/1661-h/1661-h.htm.

3. Citing a Short Story from a Single-Author Collection

When quoting a short story from a collection written by one author, cite the author and specify the title of the short story, followed by the collection’s title:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Short Story.” Title of the Collection, Publisher, Year of Publication, Page Numbers.

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, Barnes &Noble Books, 1993, pp. 309-329.

Knowing how to cite short stories in MLA format will ensure that your academic works are accurate and professionally structured. By citing from an anthology or single-author collection to an online source, you give proper credit to authors and honor their work. Mastering these citation techniques will improve your writing skills and contribute to your success in academia.

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• Book - Essay, Short Story, Poem, etc
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A work (e.g., essay, short story) in an anthology or compilation

When you are citing one work from a book in the text of your paper and the book has many different authors, you will list the information about that work (critical essay, short story from an anthology, etc) first.

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How to Cite a Short Story

Last Updated: April 1, 2021

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 121,294 times.

In many research papers, you may want to cite a work of fiction, such as a short story. Since short stories normally appear in collections or anthologies, you generally cite them the same way you would cite a chapter or an essay in a larger work. Your specific format will differ depending on whether you're using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago citation style.

Sample Citations

• Example: Moore, Lorrie.

• Example: Moore, Lorrie. "Community Life."

• Example: Moore, Lorrie. "Community Life." Birds of America ,
• If the larger work is an anthology or collection of stories by several authors, include the name of the editor after the title of the anthology or collection. Place a comma after the editor's name. For example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." The Heath Introduction to Literature , edited by Alice S. Landy,
• If the short story was published independently, such as on a website, skip this part of the citation and move on to the publication information.

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." The Heath Introduction to Literature , edited by Alice S. Landy, 5th ed., D.C. Heath, 1996,
• If you found the short story online, provide the direct URL for the story instead of print publication information.

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." The Heath Introduction to Literature , edited by Alice S. Landy, 5th ed., D.C. Heath, 1996, pp. 202-206.

• Example: (Poe 204).

• Example: Poe, E. A.

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996).

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996). The masque of the red death.

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996). The masque of the red death. In A. S. Landy (Ed.), The Heath introduction to literature
• If you found the short story by itself, online or elsewhere, skip this portion of the citation.

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996). The masque of the red death. In A. S. Landy (Ed.), The Heath introduction to literature (5th ed., pp. 202-206).

• Example: Poe, E. A. (1996). The masque of the red death. In A. S. Landy (Ed.), The Heath introduction to literature (5th ed., pp. 202-206). Washington, D.C.: Heath.

• Example: (Poe, 1996).
• If you directly quote the short story, include a page number after the year. For example: (Poe, 1996, p. 204).

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan.

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death."

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." In The Heath Introduction to Literature, ed. Alice S. Landy, 202-206.

• Example: Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death." In The Heath Introduction to Literature, ed. Alice S. Landy, 202-206. Washington, D.C.: Heath, 1996.

• Example: Edgar Allan Poe, "The Masque of the Red Death," in The Heath Introduction to Literature , ed. Alice S. Landy (Washington, D.C.: Heath, 1996), 204.

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• ↑ http://irsc.libguides.com/c.php?g=483085&p=3303416
• ↑ http://libguides.heidelberg.edu/chicago/book/chapter

About this article

To cite a short story using MLA format, write the author's last name, add a comma, and write their first name, followed by a period. Next, write the story's title in quotation marks using title case and put a period after it, inside the closing quotation marks. Then, type the title of the anthology or collection, the name of the publisher, the name of the publication, and the page numbers for the story. For tips on citing a short story using APA or Chicago format, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Format a Quote in MLA

Last Updated: April 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Annaliese Dunne and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Annaliese Dunne is a Middle School English Teacher. With over 10 years of teaching experience, her areas of expertise include writing and grammar instruction, as well as teaching reading comprehension. She is also an experienced freelance writer. She received her Bachelor's degree in English. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 49,683 times.

When writing a research paper or other report, you may find that you want to quote directly from a source. The Modern Language Association (MLA) has specific formatting guidelines for including direct quotes in your work. These guidelines differ depending on the length of the quoted material. Additional rules apply if you want to change or omit words from the quoted material so it flows well with your own writing. [1] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

Including Short Quotations

• If the source text includes material in quotation marks, change those quotation marks to single quotation marks.
• For example, you might write: Freud considered a dream to be "the fulfillment of a wish."

Tip: The length of a quote refers to the length as typed in your paper, not the length as printed in the original source.

• For example, you might write: Freud considered a dream to be "the fulfillment of a wish" (154).
• Remember to include a complete citation to the source in your Works Cited at the end of your paper.

• For example, you might write: "Is it possible that dreams may express "profound aspects of personality?" (Foulkes 184).

• For example, you might write: In his poem, "Harlem," Langston Hughes questioned what happens to a dream deferred, wondering if it might "dry up / like a raisin in the sun" (24).

Creating Blockquotes

• The entire blockquote is indented .5 inches (1.3 cm) from the left margin.
• Maintain double spacing in your blockquote just as in the rest of your paper.

Tip: If you're using Microsoft Word, type the entire blockquote into your paper, starting on a new line. Then highlight the entire quote and press the tab key once to indent it correctly.

• The sentence immediately before a blockquote typically ends with a colon rather than a period.

• As with all blockquotes, indent the first line with the character's name .5 inches (1.3 cm) from the left margin.

• When quoting more than one paragraph, indent the first line of any new paragraph an additional .25 inches (0.64 cm) from the left margin.

• If you're quoting concrete poetry or another form where the spacing is integral to understanding the poem as a whole, it might be better to include a digital image of the poem, rather than trying to replicate it yourself.

• As with short quotations, if you included the author's name in your introduction to the blockquote, there's no need to include the author's name in the parenthetical citation. Just include the page number or page range where the quoted text can be found.
• When quoting poetry, place the parenthetical citation at the end of the last quoted line, regardless of the punctuation. If the line doesn't have any closing punctuation, there's no need to add any either before or after your parenthetical citation.

Editing Quotations to Fit Your Writing

• For example, suppose you want to quote a source that says "While they excelled at individual projects, they struggled with group projects." Previous sentences indicate that "they" refers to "introverted students. Your quote would read: "While they [introverted students] excelled at individual projects, they struggled with group projects."

• Grammatical errors are more likely to come up in quoted speech than in a written and edited text. If a source has very many errors in the text, this may be an indication that it isn't reliable and probably shouldn't be used as a source at all.
• Avoid using "sic" to make a political or editorial statement about the language the source is using. For example, if your source includes the word "mankind," you would be making a political or editorial statement to include a "sic" after the word. Even though in your view the word "humankind" may be more appropriate, "mankind" isn't grammatically incorrect.

• For example, you might write: "Students who described themselves as highly introverted liked group projects the least" (Briggs 24, emphasis added).

• If the material you omitted occurs at the end of the sentence, retain the period at the end of the sentence. It will look like 4 ellipsis points instead of 3.
• If there is other punctuation, such as a comma or a semi-colon, in the source text, retain that after your ellipsis. For example, a quote might read "Students enjoyed the individual projects . . . ; however, they did not like working in groups." Note that you include a space before the first ellipsis point, as well as a space after the last ellipsis point.
• If you're quoting a source that uses ellipsis points as "suspension points," meant to indicate a hesitation or pause in speech rather than omitted words, put your own ellipsis points in brackets to distinguish them from the original text.

• For example, suppose you wanted to use the beginning of a sentence in the middle of one of your sentences. To change the initial capital letter, you might write: Percy Bysshe Shelley argued that "[p]oets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world."

Tip: If you have to make too many changes to the source text, it may look cluttered and will negatively affect readability. Consider recasting your sentence or only quoting snippets of the source text, rather than using the full sentence.

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Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Annaliese Dunne .

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_quotations.html
• ↑ https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/MLA9/in-text
• ↑ https://research.wou.edu/mla/mla-blockquote
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/mla-quotation-punctuation
• ↑ https://style.mla.org/when-to-use-sic/
• ↑ https://style.mla.org/cite-altered-quotation/
• ↑ https://depts.washington.edu/engl/askbetty/changing_quotations.php

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite an Essay in MLA

How to Cite an Essay in MLA

The guidelines for citing an essay in MLA format are similar to those for citing a chapter in a book. Include the author of the essay, the title of the essay, the name of the collection if the essay belongs to one, the editor of the collection or other contributors, the publication information, and the page number(s).

Citing an Essay

Mla essay citation structure.

Last, First M. “Essay Title.” Collection Title, edited by First M. Last, Publisher, year published, page numbers. Website Title , URL (if applicable).

MLA Essay Citation Example

Gupta, Sanjay. “Balancing and Checking.” Essays on Modern Democracy, edited by Bob Towsky, Brook Stone Publishers, 1996, pp. 36-48. Essay Database, www . databaseforessays.org/modern/modern-democracy.

MLA Essay In-text Citation Structure

(Last Name Page #)

MLA Essay In-text Citation Example

Click here to cite an essay via an EasyBib citation form.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

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• et al Usage
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• Page Numbers
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• MLA 8 Updates
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• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

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• View all MLA Examples

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To cite your sources in an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author’s name(s), chapter title, book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citations and a works-cited-list entry for essay sources and some examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author on the first occurrence. For subsequent citations, use only the surname(s). In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author(s).

Citation in prose:

First mention: Annette Wheeler Cafarelli

Subsequent occurrences: Wheeler Cafarelli

Parenthetical:

….(Wheeler Cafarelli).

Works-cited-list entry template and example:

The title of the chapter is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name. “Title of the Chapter.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Cafarelli, Annette Wheeler. “Rousseau and British Romanticism: Women and British Romanticism.” Cultural Interactions in the Romantic Age: Critical Essays in Comparative Literature , edited by Gregory Maertz. State U of New York P, 1998, pp. 125–56.

To cite an essay in MLA style, you need to have basic information including the author(s), the essay title, the book title, editor(s), publication year, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for citations in prose, parenthetical citations, and works-cited-list entries for an essay by multiple authors, and some examples, are given below:

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author (e.g., Mary Strine).

For sources with two authors, use both full author names in prose (e.g., Mary Strine and Beth Radick).

For sources with three or more authors, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Mary Strine and others). In subsequent citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “and colleagues” (e.g., Strine and others).

In parenthetical citations, use only the author’s surname. For sources with two authors, use two surnames (e.g., Strine and Radick). For sources with three or more author names, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”

First mention: Mary Strine…

Subsequent mention: Strine…

First mention: Mary Strine and Beth Radick…

Subsequent mention: Strine and Radick…

First mention: Mary Strine and colleagues …. or Mary Strine and others

Subsequent occurrences: Strine and colleagues …. or Strine and others

…. (Strine).

….(Strine and Radick).

….(Strine et al.).

The title of the essay is enclosed in double quotation marks and uses title case. The book or collection title is given in italics and uses title case.

Surname, First Name, et al. “Title of the Essay.” Title of the Book , edited by Editor(s) Name, Publisher, Publication Year, page range.

Strine, Mary M., et al. “Research in Interpretation and Performance Studies: Trends, Issues, Priorities.” Speech Communication: Essays to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Speech Communication Association , edited by Gerald M. Phillips and Julia T. Wood, Southern Illinois UP, 1990, pp. 181–204.

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MLA 9 Citation Style: Work in an Anthology or Edited Book

• Textbook With One Author
• Textbook With Two Authors
• Textbook With Three or More Authors
• Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book
• Textbook with One Author (Mobile)
• Textbook with Two Authors (Mobile)
• Textbook with Three or More Authors (Mobile)
• Textbook as an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Textbook Work Within an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Textbook Two or More from an Anthology or Edited Book (Mobile)
• Two Authors
• Three or More Authors
• Anthology or Edited Book
• Work in an Anthology or Edited Book
• Two or More Selections from the Same Anthology or Edited Book
• Journal Article (Print)
• Journal Article (Online)
• Newspaper Articles (Print)
• Newspaper Articles (Online)
• Database Article with One Author
• Database Article with Two Authors
• Database Article with More Than Three Authors
• Database Previously Published Scholarly Article (Blooms, MasterPlots, Literary Reference Center)
• Online Government Publication
• Website with an Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Website with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Web Page with Author
• Web Page with No Author’s/Contributor’s Name
• Art – From a Book
• Art – From a Web Page
• Picture/Photo Online -- General
• Motion Picture -- DVD
• Motion Picture -- Streaming
• Video -- Online (YouTube, etc.)
• An Interview You Conducted
• Lecture Notes, PowerPoints, or Handouts from Class
• In-Text Citations
• Works Cited Page
• Popular vs. Scholarly Sources
• Direct Quotes, Paraphrasing, Summarizing

MLA Citation -- Work in an Anthology or Edited Book

Works Cited Format

Last name of author, First name of author. “Title of the Part of the Book Being Cited.” Title of Anthology .

     Edited by First and Last Names, edition * (if any), Publisher, Date, Page(s).

In-Text Citation Format 

(Editor’s Last Name p. # * )

* Please note, the in-text citation should be just the number itself and should not include the p., as in the example below.

Works Cited Example

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing . Edited by Laurie G.

     Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, Compact 9 th ed. * , Cengage Learning, 2017, pp. 379-391.

In-Text Citation Example 

(Gilman 381)

*Sometimes the edition may include a qualifier, such as shorter edition or portable edition . When citing an anthology itself, you should include the qualifier before the edition number. For example: Compact 9 th ed.

A Word About Punctuation

The punctuation in your citations does matter.  Make sure you pay attention to where the periods and commas are in the examples. 

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