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MLA Containers Share to Google Classroom

Published October 30, 2020. Updated December 16, 2022.

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When MLA 8th edition was released in 2016, it changed MLA’s approach to citing. No longer do writers and researchers have to conform citations around a source type; MLA format now centers around a standard set of elements for all source types. With this new approach was also a new concept: Containers.

According to the official MLA Style Center, a container is:

“When the source being documented forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a container that holds the source.”

Knowing what containers are and how to use them is key in accurately citing a source.

To help you expertly understand and cite containers we’ve created an infographic that visually shows common examples of containers, outlines citation structure, and provides real example citations. At a glance, review what a source with one, two, or no containers should look like.

Feel free to link to, share, or print the infographic! Let’s all be citation savvy!

Citing in other styles? No problem! We also have citation tools and guides for APA format and Chicago style.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

• Abstract
• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• Containers
• et al Usage
• Footnotes
• In-text Citations
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Sample Paper
• Title Page
• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• MLA 9 Updates
• View MLA Guide

Citation Examples

• Bible
• Book
• Book Chapter
• Dictionary
• eBook
• Images
• Interview
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Song
• Website
• Website (no author)
• YouTube
• View all MLA Examples

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MLA Formatting

MLA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here MLA 8 vs. MLA 9: Updates and Highlights Abstract MLA Annotated Bibliography Format Block Quotes Bibliography in MLA et al. In-Text Citations Footnotes Multiple Authors No Author Page Numbers Paraphrasing Title Page Works Cited Page

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