MLA style is one of the most widely used citation formats in academic writing. It is especially common in the humanities, such as literature, languages, and history.
One of the aspects of MLA style that you need to pay attention to is how to format dates.
Dates appear in different places in your paper, such as the header, the main text, and the works cited list. Depending on where they appear, the formatting rules may vary.
In this blog post, we will explain how to format dates in the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition, with examples and tips to help you avoid common mistakes.
The MLA works cited list is where you provide full bibliographic information for all the sources you cited in your paper.
Each source type has its citation format, but they all follow some general rules for dates.
Here are some examples of how to format dates for different source types in the Works Cited list:
MLA Book Citation:
MLA Journal Citation:
MLA Website Citation:
Formatting dates in MLA style may seem simple, but there are some tricky cases that you need to be aware of.
Here is how to handle these different cases:
If you are citing a source that was originally published on a different date than the one you are using, you should include the original publication date in parentheses after the title.
Here is an example:
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice (1813). Penguin Classics, 2003. |
If you are citing a source that spans more than one date, such as a TV series, a magazine, or a date range, you should use a hyphen to separate the dates.
Take a look at this example to help you understand better:
Friends. Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, NBC, 1994-2004. |
If you are citing a source that has an approximate or uncertain date, you can use circa or c. before the date.
Take a look at this example:
Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa. c. 1503-19, Louvre Museum, Paris. |
If you are citing a source that has a timestamp, such as a video, a podcast, or an online comment, you should include the hour, minute, and second of the relevant part.
Obama, Barack. “A Conversation with President Barack Obama.” YouTube, uploaded by David Letterman, 15 Jan. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVlZgZGkxHo. 12:34-15:20. |
In the main text of your paper, you may need to mention dates for various reasons, such as providing historical context, referring to a specific event, or quoting a source.
Here are some examples of using dates in the main text according to MLA 9th Edition:
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Nathan D. (Literary analysis)
Introducing Nathan D., PhD, an esteemed author on PerfectEssayWriter.ai. With a profound background in Literary Analysis and expertise in Educational Theories, Nathan brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his writings. His passion for dissecting literature and exploring educational concepts shines through in his meticulously crafted essays and analyses. As a seasoned academic, Nathan's contributions enrich our platform, offering valuable perspectives and engaging content for our readers.
Introducing Nathan D., PhD, an esteemed author on PerfectEssayWriter.ai. With a profound background in Literary Analysis and expertise in Educational Theories, Nathan brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to his writings. His passion for dissecting literature and exploring educational concepts shines through in his meticulously crafted essays and analyses. As a seasoned academic, Nathan's contributions enrich our platform, offering valuable perspectives and engaging content for our readers.
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In-Text Citations According to MLA 9th Edition
How to Create a Perfect MLA Works Cited Page
How to Write an MLA Annotated Bibliography
MLA Paper Format: Guidelines With Examples for Students and Researchers
How to Format Your MLA Header Correctly
How to Format MLA Title Page: Learn with Examples
How to Format Block Quotes in MLA Style with Examples
How to Use MLA Footnotes & Endnotes in Your Academic Writing
Formatting MLA Source Titles
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