MLA Citations in the Body of Your Paper
MLA citations follow specific conventions that distinguish them from other styles. In-text citations are also sometimes known as “parenthetical citations” because they are enclosed in parentheses. The author’s last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in parentheses at the end of the sentence. For example:
- At the end of the day, Wilbur made “in excess of half a million dollars” (Marx 43).
The following table provides more detailed information about in-text citations in MLA.
In-text Citations in MLA
| Citation Type | Guidance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Single Author | List the last name of the author, followed by the page number. | According to some experts, Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert 11). |
| Two Authors | If two authors write one source, separate their last names with ‘and.’ List names in the order they appear in the published work. | Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert and Sennett 11). |
| Three or More Authors | Include the first author’s name followed by ‘et al.’ | Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert et al. 11). |
| Multiple Works by the Same Author | Include shortened titles for the works to distinguish them. | Obama has argued that the invasion was a bad idea (“Too Soon” 42), though he has acknowledged elsewhere that it led to much good (“A Stronger Country” 13). |
| Multiple Sources | Separate citations with a semicolon; order does not need to be alphabetical. | The importance of family bonds and connections is immeasurable (Pickens 21; Bulmore 68). |
| No Page Numbers | Omit page numbers if the work does not include them. | Marx used “class” in “two different ways” (Calvert). |
| Anonymous or Unknown Author | Use an abbreviated version of the work’s title if the author is unknown. | An anonymous source claimed that the Iraq invasion was a bad idea from the beginning (“Bush Cannot Win” 104). |
Note: If you use the name of the author to set up your quote or paraphrase, you mention the author’s name in the sentence and then only put the page number in the parentheses at the end of the sentence.
- According to Marx, Wilbur made “in excess of half a million dollars” (43).
Common MLA Citation Errors
Example 1:
- Incorrect: Shakespeare’s work is considered timeless (William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 57).
- In MLA format, do not include the author’s full name in the in-text citation if it is already clear from the context. Also, only the title of the work (if needed) and the page number should be inside the parentheses.
- Correct: Shakespeare’s work is considered timeless (Hamlet 57).
Example 2:
- Incorrect: Social media has significantly altered communication dynamics (Johnson, 2021).
- MLA in-text citations do not use years. Since websites often lack page numbers, you only include the author’s last name in the citation.
- Correct: Social media has significantly altered communication dynamics (Johnson).
Example 3:
- Incorrect: The study found that students perform better with structured schedules (Smith & Lee 98).
- In MLA, use “and” instead of “&” when citing a source with two authors.
- Correct: The study found that students perform better with structured schedules (Smith and Lee 98).
Example 4:
- Incorrect: Team-based learning improves retention rates (Garcia, Patel, and Nguyen 213).
- When citing a source with three or more authors, include only the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”
- Correct: Team-based learning improves retention rates (Garcia et al. 213).
It’s important to remember, in MLA style, each citation in your text must have a complete bibliographic entry in your Works Cited page, so, if readers want to go to the original source, they can!
When to Use a Block Quotation
A typical quotation is enclosed in double quotation marks and is part of a sentence within a paragraph of your paper. However, if you want to quote more than four lines of prose (or three lines of poetry) from a source, you should format the excerpt as a block quotation, rather than as a regular quotation within the text of a paragraph. Most of the standard rules for quotations still apply, with the following exceptions: a block quotation will begin on its own line, it will not be enclosed in quotation marks, and its in-text citation will come after the ending punctuation, not before it.
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” (Carroll 98)
The full reference for this source would then be included in your Works Cited section at the end of your paper.
The entire block quotation should be indented one inch from the left margin (double the normal paragraph indentation). The first line of the excerpt should not be further indented unless you are quoting multiple paragraphs—in which case the first line of each quoted paragraph should be further indented 0.25 inches. As should the rest of your paper, a block quotation in MLA style should be double-spaced.
You can view the transcript for “Formatting Block Quotes” here (opens in new window).