in text citation lma

In-Text Citations: An Overview

In-text citations are brief, unobtrusive references that direct readers to the works-cited-list entries for the sources you consulted and, where relevant, to the location in the source being cited.

An in-text citation begins with the shortest piece of information that di­rects your reader to the entry in the works-cited list. Thus, it begins with what ever comes first in the entry: the author’s name or the title (or descrip­tion) of the work. The citation can appear in your prose or in parentheses.

Citation in prose  Naomi Baron broke new ground on the subject. Parenthetical citation At least one researcher has broken new ground on the subject (Baron). Work cited Baron, Naomi S. “Redefining Reading: The Impact of Digital Communication Media.” PMLA , vol. 128, no. 1, Jan. 2013, pp. 193–200. 

When relevant, an in-text citation also has a second component: if a specific part of a work is quoted or paraphrased and the work includes a page number, line number, time stamp, or other way to point readers to the place in the work where the information can be found, that location marker must be included in parentheses.

Parenthetical citation According to Naomi Baron, reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (194).

The author or title can also appear alongside the page number or other loca­tion marker in parentheses.

Parenthetical citation Reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (Baron 194).

All in-text references should be concise. Avoid, for instance, providing the author’s name or title of a work in both your prose and parentheses.

Citation (incorrect) According to Naomi Baron, reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (Baron 194). Citation (correct) According to Naomi Baron, reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (194).

For more on what to include in an in-text citation and how to style it, see sections 6.3–6.30 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook ).

55 Comments

Brandi unruh 10 april 2021 at 11:04 am.

Hello! I am a high school English teacher trying to answer a question that came up during our research unit. I can’t seem to find a definitive answer online. When using a shortened title in an in-text citation, does an ellipsis need to be included? For example, if the title was “The Problem of Poverty in America: A Historical and Cultural Analysis”, would the in-text citation be (“The Problem of Poverty in America...”) or (“The Problem of Poverty in America”)? Thank you for your time and expertise!

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Laura Kiernan 12 April 2021 AT 11:04 AM

No, an ellipsis would not be used in an in-text citation. We provide extensive guidance on shortening titles in 6.10 of the new ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

angel 10 May 2021 AT 02:05 PM

hii How to write an in text citation of an entry from encyclopedia which has an editor but no separate authors for each entry ?

William Feeler 11 May 2021 AT 01:05 PM

I see no mention of paragraph numbers for unpaginated prose or sections/lines for drama. are these practices gone?

Laura Kiernan 18 May 2021 AT 01:05 PM

This post provides a general overview of our approach to in-text citations. The complete guidelines appear in sections 6.1–6.30 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Vonceil Park 11 May 2021 AT 01:05 PM

Dear MLA Staff, A professor at my College demands students to provide paragraph number in the in-text citation for online articles that have no page number nor paragraph number. Do we just count the paragraph number and put them in the parenthesis, for example: (para. 3)?

Laura Kiernan 18 May 2021 AT 12:05 PM

Thank you for your question. Your approach to modifying our style in accordance with your professor's instructions works, but we would suggest confirming that styling with your professor.

Arathi Babu 17 May 2021 AT 08:05 AM

How to write an in text citation of an unsigned entry from a reference work?

Laura Kiernan 08 June 2021 AT 11:06 AM

If the entry was in a print work, the in-text citation would include the entry’s title or a shortened version of the entry’s title and the page number of the quotation. If the entry was in a reference work without page numbers, the in-text citation should just contain the title or shortened title of the entry.

Sethu 17 May 2021 AT 02:05 PM

For example: Can I give an in-text citation like the following: Shakespeare, in his work Hamlet, quotes: "To be or not to be" (7).

For citing commonly studied verse works, see 6.22 in the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Trinity Klein 21 May 2021 AT 11:05 AM

Can you please help with proper in-text citation placement for an embedded quotation? Does the citation come immediately after the quotation or at the very end of the sentence? For example, is this correct: He asks her to take him home “in the voice of a child afraid of the dark” which comes as a shock to Scout because he has so long held a bold and rebellious reputation (372). Or should the (372) come immediately after ...dark"...? Thank you!

For more information about the placement of a parenthetical citations, see 6.43 in the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Karima 30 May 2021 AT 05:05 PM

Dear MLA staff, 1) In case i am quoting from multiple sources by the same author, am i required to introduce again the source i am quoting from in the beginning of my sentence? (Quotes are used in multiple paragraphs)

For guidance on citing multiple sources by the same author, see 6.8 in the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Yves 23 June 2021 AT 06:06 PM

Hello, is there a specific rule about how to format a range of page numbers in the parenthetical citation? For example, could (Eden 44-45) be written as (Eden 44-5), or is only one example correct?

Laura Kiernan 24 September 2021 AT 02:09 PM

For information about styling number ranges, see section 2.139 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Faliravo 11 August 2021 AT 05:08 AM

Good morning MLA team, My professor insists that I include the year of publication for in-text citations. Is it going to be okay if I insert the year between the author and the page number?

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Laura Kiernan 24 September 2021 AT 01:09 PM

Your approach to modifying our style in accordance with your professor’s instructions works, but we would suggest confirming that styling with your professor.

Pauline 14 September 2021 AT 11:09 PM

How do I cite an entire work. For example, if I want to say Toni Morrison's the "Bluest Eye" has been used as a textbook for many English literature classes, I suppose I shouldn't put any page number in the parenthetical citation. But I can't find any MLA references on this.

See section 4.14 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

myron glassenberg 04 February 2022 AT 01:02 PM

if source is the whole book, how do I cite in text and in works cited pages. e.g. freud (no page number) Freud , ( 1892) The Pleasure Principle.

Rita Rozzi 20 September 2023 AT 07:09 PM

There is no section 4.14 in the ninth edition. Do you have any updated information? Thank you.

Laura Kiernan 21 September 2023 AT 03:09 PM

Section 4.14, which is titled "Passing Mentions," can be found in chapter 4 of the ninth edition of the handbook.

Lauren McFall 13 October 2021 AT 02:10 PM

Students often refer to the same source consecutively across more than one sentence. I'm having a hard time finding information about the preferred approach according to the MLA. As a parallel, APA makes a specific recommendation - "cite the source in the first sentence in which it is relevant and do not repeat the citation in subsequent sentences as long as the source remains clear and unchanged" https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/appropriate-citation

Laura Kiernan 20 October 2021 AT 04:10 PM

See 6.45 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Ruth Schafer 01 December 2022 AT 07:12 PM

6.45 out of the MLA Handbook's ninth edition does not provide an example of how to cite a multi-sentence paraphrase when using an unpaginated source. Can you give an example of how to cite a multi-sentence paraphrase where the source does not have published page numbering?

Should I introduce the source in my prose and then again at the end of the multi-sentence paraphrase in parentheses when I have finished citing the paraphrase? Example: John Smith from Smith Architecture explains that crawl space foundations are...blah blah blah. These foundations are most commonly used in midwestern constructions where the frost line is...blah, blah, blah. Keep writing the paraphrase and then at the end of the final sentence instead of a page citation write the author's last name (Smith). This way if you switch to a different source, at least the reader knows that you have finished with the Smith source and have moved on to your own commentary or another source's information. Usually, I'd use a page citation at the end of the paraphrase, but when dealing with a source that does not have page numbering, I'm unsure what to do.

Lizzie 18 October 2021 AT 10:10 PM

If I only use textual evidence from the novel I'm examining, do I need to include the authors name with each in text citation? There are no other works cited, so it seems redundant/clutter-y to me

Kayden 29 October 2021 AT 05:10 PM

If I'm trying to cite multiple paragraphs from the same source would it be correct to say (par. 3 and 13) or should it be (par. 3, 13) and is it different if they are next to each other too like (par. 6-7) or (par. 6 and 7).

Laura Kiernan 04 November 2021 AT 11:11 AM

See sections 6.18–6.20 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Rachel 17 November 2021 AT 01:11 PM

When citing from an online source without pagination, if you include the author's name in the introduction to the quote, do you need to include anything in parentheses like the article title?

Laura Kiernan 22 November 2021 AT 12:11 PM

See section 6.26 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

July 25 November 2021 AT 05:11 PM

When quoting an online source (e.g. a website), do I have to indicate the fact that it's an online source in the in-text-citations as in (Name [online]) or is the author's name enough?

Thank you in advance for your answer.

Laura Kiernan 29 November 2021 AT 10:11 AM

According to MLA style, an in-text citation for an online work should not note that the work is online.

Pinkie 19 March 2022 AT 08:03 PM

If I'm writing a response paper, and I need to summarize the whole article to introduce it, then should I use in-text citation?

Laura Kiernan 25 March 2022 AT 01:03 PM

For guidance on paraphrasing, see sections 4.5–4.8 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Kay 09 April 2022 AT 06:04 PM

Hi, am I supposed to include the DOI when one is available in the citation? If I cite the print version of a journal article that has a DOI, still include the DOI in the citation? Thank you!

Laura Kiernan 11 April 2022 AT 11:04 AM

Thank you for your questions. For guidance on including a DOI in your works-cited-list entry, see sections 5.84 and 5.93 in the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Mike 16 April 2022 AT 05:04 PM

Website in-text Citation...

When I'm writing an in-text citation for a website, I'm seeing all manner of different things to include. Do I need to add the author name and year of publishing for the article?\ Do I just need the website name? I'm not really understanding what I need to add or obtain for such a citation within the text I'm writing.

I'm writing a book on my life, and I'm quoting a particular webpage to show one particular angle of an argument I'm making, and, of course, it's not common knowledge, so I want to make sure that I follow all the rules for this kind of thing, so I don't get in trouble with the author(s) of the sources I have quoted from...

Laura Kiernan 18 April 2022 AT 02:04 PM

Thank you for your questions about MLA style. For guidance on in-text citations for web pages, see section 6.26 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Cynthia 21 May 2022 AT 10:05 PM

When you're doing an In-text citations do you put the quotations over the chapter title and then quotations over what you get from the text or do you italicize the title?

Laura Kiernan 25 May 2022 AT 03:05 PM

Thank you for your question. For guidance on how to style chapter titles, see 2.109 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Napatsi 15 August 2022 AT 07:08 PM

I'm trying to find how to put in the in-text citation for a UN declaration article but can only find the "Resolutions of International Governing Bodies" on page 446 of the 9th edition but not how to out it in without an author.

Kim 27 September 2022 AT 12:09 PM

I'm quoting a passage from an unpublished manuscript, and it is not the only work I'm citing by the author, but the only one without a year. So using "Smith 1995, 82" is not possible. What would an in-text citation for this case look like?

Jen 17 November 2022 AT 08:11 PM

How do I cite a news cast for in-text citation like ABC News?

Samantha 04 December 2022 AT 05:12 PM

Hi, For MLA format, should a quote where you need to de-capitalize the first letter be written as "you want" or "(y)ou want". Thanks!

Laura Kiernan 07 December 2022 AT 01:12 PM

Thank you for your question. For guidance on how to indicate that you have lowercased the first letter of a quotation, see 6.56 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Maria Albeti 07 February 2023 AT 01:02 PM

Stewart, David W. Focus groups. In: Frey, B.B. (ed.) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation, vol. 2, pp. 687–692. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications 2018 In this case, how is the correct form to write, because the article is IN the the book?

Eros Karadzhov 15 February 2023 AT 02:02 PM

If we have a sentence that is a statement, but at the end we quote a question, which punctuation mark do we keep, the question mark or the period; maybe both? Example: (1) The author ends his poem with the following question on purpose: "Or does it explode?" (Hughes 11). (2) The author ends his poem with the following question on purpose: "Or does it explode" (Hughes 11)?

Which would be correct, or maybe both are wrong?

Thank you in advance!

Laura Kiernan 16 February 2023 AT 03:02 PM

Thank you for your question. For guidance on quotations ending in a question mark, see section 6.53 of the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

Anonymous 08 March 2023 AT 05:03 PM

What about online articles with no known author or multiple authors? What should the in-text citation look like?

Maria 25 March 2023 AT 04:03 PM

Please settle a dispute with my colleagues. I encourage composition students to avoid listing the title of journal articles within the essay unless it is especially relevant because it clutters their arguments. I came to this conclusion from my interpretation of this statement from MLA: "All in-text references should be concise. Avoid, for instance, providing the author’s name or title of a work in both your prose and parentheses." Could someone please provide an answer or further clarification?

Erika Suffern 30 March 2023 AT 04:03 PM

You are right to identify a principle of concision in our guidelines. That said, it is not wrong to mention a title in prose, but it should be done, as you note, when relevant–not as a de rigeur practice or for “filler.” As Eric Hayot notes in The Elements of Academic Style: Writing for the Humanities (Columbia UP, 2014), “giving the title” in prose “suggests fuller forthcoming treatment” (159). Another reason for including the title in prose might be to call attention to something about it. Many writers who do mention a title in prose fear having an incomplete citation and are tempted also to include the title in a parenthetical reference, which is unnecessary.

Jay 29 April 2023 AT 12:04 AM

How do I in-text cite a direct quote from the introduction of an ebook with no page numbers? Would I write (Author "Introduction") or just write (Author)?

Kiara 11 February 2024 AT 03:02 PM

Hello! I am a university student who is currently creating works cited entries and in-text citations for a reflection essay. How do I properly cite professor and peer comments?

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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).

For more information on in-text citation, see the MLA Style Center .

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).

Works Cited List

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 (Kraizer).

Works cited 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").

Works cited 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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In-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. 

• In-text citations in MLA style follow the general format of author's last name followed by a page number enclosed in parentheses. Here is an example: "Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).
• If the author's name is not given, use the first word (or words) of the title. Follow the same formatting that is used in the works-cited list, such as quotation marks. Here is an example: This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).
• If the source does not have page numbers (for example, some online articles, websites and e-books), only include the author's name for the in-text citation. Do not estimate or make up page numbers.  
• In-text citations point the reader to the works-cited list, which is located at the end of your paper, for more complete bibliographic information.

Repeated Use of Sources

If you use information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation. Here is an example:

Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17).

  Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.

In-Text Citation Formatting and Examples

Format:  (Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Hunt 358)

Two Authors

Format:  (Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Case and Daristotle 57)

Three or More Authors

Format:   (Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Example: (Case et al. 57)

Unknown Author

Where you would normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Do not use  initial articles such as "A", "An" or "The". Provide enough words to clarify which sources from your works-cited list that you are referencing. 

Follow the formatting of the title. For example, if the title in the works-cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation, and if the title in the works-cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.

Format: (Title Page Number)

Examples : 

( Cell Biology 12)

("Nursing" 12)

Multiple Sources

To cite more than one source when you are paraphrasing, separate the in-text citations with a semi-colon.

Format: (Author's Last Name Page Number; Author's Last Name Page Number).

(Smith 42; Bennett 71). 

( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).

 Note: In MLA style, the sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order.

Works Quoted in Another Source

Sometimes an author of a book, article or website will mention another person's work by using a quotation or paraphrased idea from that source. (This may be a secondary source.) For example, the Kirkey article you are reading includes a quotation by Smith that you would like to include in your essay. The basic rule is that in both your Works-Cited List and in-text citation you will still cite Kirkey. Kirkey will appear in your Works Cited list – NOT Smith. Add the words "qtd. in" to your in-text citation.

Examples of in-text citations:

According to a study by Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) 42% of doctors would refuse to perform legal euthanasia.

Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) states that “even if euthanasia was legal, 42% of doctors would be against this method of assisted dying” (A.10).

Example of Works Cited List citation:

Kirkey, Susan. "Euthanasia."   The Montreal Gazette , 9 Feb. 2013, p. A.10. Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies.

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MLA In-text Citations - The Basics

In MLA, referring to the works of others within text of your paper is done using  parenthetical citations . This means placing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as seen below, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.

General Guidelines

• upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD)
• upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited page.
• Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page. This is so your reader can connect your in-text citation to the right line in your Works cited page.
• Be sure to check the full selection of examples for in-text citations below, they vary slightly depending on the type of source you are citing.

MLA in-text citations

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

• Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
• Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
• Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

• Wordsworth, William.  Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.

While the above is the general rule, there are some variations depending on the source of the quote or paraphrase. Here are a few examples, but please review the MLA Manual of Style for more detailed and specific information about in-text citations.

In-text citations by type

• Print Sources - Known author
• Print Sources - Corporate author
• Print Sources - No known author
• Classic works with multiple editions
• Works in an anthology
• Multiple authors
• Multiple works by same author
• Multivolume works
• Web sources

For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.

• Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as "symbol-using animals" (3).
• Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).

These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:

• Burke, Kenneth.  Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.

When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.

• Climate change is now "an important factor in developing new engineering systems" (EPA 321).
• The EPA has stated in a recent study, Climate change is now " an important factor in developing new engineering systems" (321). 

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.

• Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article), or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.

Titles that are longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example,  To the Lighthouse  would be shortened to just  Lighthouse .

If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:

• The world needs to act to reverse climate change, because it "is here, and it’s causing a wide range of impacts that will affect virtually every human on Earth in increasingly severe ways. . . ." ("Climate Impacts").

In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:

• "Climate Impacts."  Union of Concerned Scientists . 2022. www.ucsusa.org/climate/impacts. Accessed 24 Mar. 2022.

If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.

Page numbers are always required, but additional information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's  The Communist Manifesto .

In these cases, give the page number from your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:

• Marx and Engels described human history as marked by class struggles (79; ch. 1).

When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the  internal  source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in  Nature  in 1921, you might write something like this:

• Relativity's theoretical foundations can be traced to earlier work by Faraday and Maxwell (Einstein 782).

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:

• Best and Marcus argue that one should read a text for what it says on its surface, rather than looking for some hidden meaning (9).
• The authors claim that surface reading looks at what is “evident, perceptible, apprehensible in texts” (Best and Marcus 9).

For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al (which means "and others")

• According to Franck et al., “Current agricultural policies in the U.S. are contributing to the poor health of Americans” (327).
• The authors claim that one cause of obesity in the United States is government-funded farm subsidies (Franck et al. 327).

If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.

Citing two articles by the same author:

• Lightenor has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children ("Too Soon" 38), though he has acknowledged elsewhere that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor skill development in a child's second and third year ("Hand-Eye Development" 17).

Citing two books by the same author:

• Murray states that writing is "a process" that "varies with our thinking style" ( Write to Learn  6). Additionally, Murray argues that the purpose of writing is to "carry ideas and information from the mind of one person into the mind of another" ( A Writer Teaches Writing  3).

**Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):

• Visual studies, because it is such a new discipline, may be "too easy" (Elkins, "Visual Studies" 63).

If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)

• . . . as Quintilian wrote in  Institutio Oratoria  (1: 14-17).

In your first parenthetical citation referencing the bible, you want to make clear which bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:

• Ezekiel saw "what seemed to be four living creatures," each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle ( New Jerusalem Bible , Ezek. 1.5-10).

If future references are to the same edition of the bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:

• John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).

For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:

• Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
• Do not provide paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
• Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like  CNN.com  or  Forbes.com,  as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.
• One online film critic stated that  Fitzcarraldo  "has become notorious for its near-failure and many obstacles" (Taylor, “Fitzcarraldo”)
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• Research guides

MLA 9 Quick Guide

In-text citations, page contents.

Direct Quoting

Paraphrasing

Citing a source cited in your source, citing a web page.

Basic Rules for In-Text Citations:

• In all cases, create a citation that is brief and that unambiguously  directs the reader to the right entry on your Works Cited page.
• Use the author's last name and page number(s) when available for paraphrases & quotes; just the author's name is sufficient for summarizing the gist of an entire work.
• Put the author's name either within within the text of the sentence or in parentheses . If in the text of the sentence, only the page number is put in parentheses.
• If there is no page number , use whatever location marker is available: paragraph numbers, line numbers, chapter and/or section, or time-stamp (for video or audio). If there is no page number or other location, simply omit it.
• If the source is attributed to an organization , use a "corporate" (or group) author, such as "U.S. Government Printing Office," or "American Library Association."
• If there is no author (not even a corporate author), use an abbreviated form of the work's title in the citation.

Direct Quote & Paraphrase

1. Author's name in text

According to Naomi Baron , reading is "just half of literacy. The other half is writing" (194) . One might even suggest that reading is never complete without writing.

2. Author's name in parentheses

Reading is just "half of literacy. The other half is writing"  (Baron 194) . One might even suggest that reading is never complete without writing.

Baron, Naomi S. "Redefining Reading: The Impact of Digital Communication Media." PMLA, vol. 128, no. 1, Jan. 2013, pp. 193-200.

Note that the locations of author name and page help clarify which of the language and ideas belong to that particular author and source. The author's idea from that page is understood to end at the parenthetical page number.

When you include a citation, you must also include a full bibliographic entry in your Works Cited list.

*Examples excerpted from: Modern Language Association. MLA Handbook. 9th ed. New York: Modern Language Assoc. of America, 2021.

Paraphrasing  or summarizing an author's ideas in your own words is fine as long as you acknowledge the author. Paraphrasing is a near 1:1 rephrasing, so you need a page number. Summarizing condenses either a full work or a large part of it into a brief version, so no page number is necessary.

1. Paraphrase (following a quote):

According to Gao Xingjian, "Literature is essence divorced from utility" (7). Gao adds, however, than the market for publishing works is constricted by politics (13).

Gao Xingjian. Aesthetics and Creation . Cambria Press, 2012.

2. Summary (with in-text citation):

Naomi Baron broke new ground on the subject.

3. Summary (with parenthetical citation):

At least one researcher has broken new ground on the subject (Baron) .

Baron, Naomi S. "Redefining Reading: The Impact of Digital Communication Media." PMLA , vol. 128, no. 1, Jan. 2013, pp. 193-200.

Note that all of these examples would require a full bibliographic entry of the author's work on your works cited page.

*Examples excerpted from: Modern Language Association.  MLA Handbook.  9th ed. New York: Modern Language Assoc. of America, 2021.

Sometimes you may need to use information cited in another source . For example, a text by Boswell that you found quotes something written by Johnson. There are two possible ways of handling it. You can:

• Find the original item by Johnson and cite directly from that author ( preferred ).
• Name Johnson as a source in your paraphrase, but only cite Boswell in the references page ( Acceptable if the original item would be prohibitively difficult to find; obviously that criteria depends on the situation and your professor's judgment. Ask them. )

Quoted in ("qtd. in"):

Samuel Johnson admitted that Edmund Burke was an "extraordinary man" (qtd. in Boswell 289) .

Boswell, James. Boswell's Life of Johnson . Edited by Augustine Birrell, vol. 3, Times Book Club, 1912. HathiTrust Digital Library , hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b3123590.

Noted in Text:

In a speech urging listeners to reject physical destruction and to seek mutual undertanding, Robert F. Kennedy quoted Aeschylus: "In our sleep, pain which cannot foreget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God."

Kennedy, Robert F. "Statement on Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., Indianapolis, Indiana, April 4, 1968." John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum , www.jfklibrary.org.

Note that in works cited for both examples, you would only need to list the work(s) you actually read: in other words, Boswell or Kennedy, not Johnson or Aeschylus.

• If there is no author listed, look for other authorship information, such as the creator or editor, or performer of the item, or organization responsible for the site. If there is none of those, or if the organization would also be the publisher, use a short-form version of the full title in quotation marks in place of the author's name in the citation.
• Page numbers are very uncommon on websites, so MLA does not require a page number.

Clear Author (NY Times online article):

"Small changes in your eating habits can lower your risk for many of the diseases associated with aging" (Parker-Pope) , so it's never too early to evaluate your diet. *

Parker-Pope, Tara. "How to Age Well." The New York Times , 2 Nov. 2017, www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-age-well. *

Unclear Author

The female bhakti poets "faced overwhelming challenges through their rejection of societal norms and values" ("Bhakti Poets") . *

"Bhakti Poets: Introduction." Women in World History , Center for History and New Media, chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/modules/lesson1/lesson1.php?s=0. Accessed 20 Sept. 2020. *

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): In-Text Citation

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Works Quoted in Another Source

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On This Page

About in-text citations, no known author, quoting directly, paraphrasing, no page numbers, repeated use of sources, in-text citation for more than one source, long quotations, quoting and paraphrasing: what's the difference, signal phrases, avoiding plagiarism when using sources.

T here are two ways to integrate others' research into your assignment: you can paraphrase or you can quote.

Paraphrasing  is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must restate the meaning of the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words and voice, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation.

Quoting  is copying the wording from someone else's work, keeping it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting, place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation.

If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation. Instead include the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or paraphrased section. 

Hunt explains that mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (358).

In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the Works Cited list at the end of the paper.

When a source has no known author, use the first one, two, or three words from the title instead of the author's last name. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your Works Cited list.

If the title in the Works Cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation.

( Cell Biology  12)

If the title in the Works Cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.

("Nursing" 12)

When you quote directly from a source, enclose the quoted section in quotation marks. Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number, like this:

"Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).

"Here's a direct quote" ("Trouble" 22).

  Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.

Mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (Hunt 358).

When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion, like this:

​This is a paraphrase (Smith 8).

This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).

  Note: If the paraphrased information/idea summarizes several pages, include all of the page numbers.

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).

When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like webpages), cite the author name only. If there is no author, cite the first word or words from the title only. 

"Three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli).

"Nutrition is a critical part of health and development" ("Nutrition").

Sources that are paraphrased or quoted in other sources are called indirect sources. MLA recommends you take information from the original source whenever possible. 

If you must cite information from an indirect source, mention the author of the original source in the body of your text and place the name of the author of the source you actually consulted in your in-text citation. Begin your in-text citation with 'qtd. in.' 

Kumashiro notes that lesbian and bisexual women of colour are often excluded from both queer communities and communities of colour (qtd. in Dua 188).

(You are reading an article by Dua that cites information from Kumashiro (the original source))

  Note: In your Works Cited list, you only include a citation for the source you consulted, NOT the original source.

In the above example, your Works Cited list would include a citation for Dua's article, and NOT Kumashiro's.

If you're using information from a single source more than once in a row (with no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation. The first time you use information from the source, use a full in-text citation. The second time, you only need to give the page number.

Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20). 

 Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.

If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon.

(Smith 42; Bennett 71). 

( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).

 Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.

What Is a Long Quotation?

If your quotation is longer than four lines, it is a considered a long quotation. This can also be referred to as a block quotation.

Rules for Long Quotations

There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:

• Place a colon at the end of the line that you write to introduce your long quotation.
• Indent the long quotation 0.5 inches from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
• Do not put quotation marks around the quotation.
• Place the period at the end of the quotation  before  your in-text citation instead of  after , as with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

Vivian Gornick describes the process of maturing as a reader as a reckoning with human limitations:

Suddenly, literature, politics, and analysis came together, and I began to think more inclusively about the emotional

imprisonment of mind and spirit to which all human beings are heir. In the course of analytic time, it became apparent

that—with or without the burden of social justice—the effort required to attain any semblance of inner freedom was

extraordinary. Great literature, I then realized, is a record not of the achievement, but of the effort. 

With this insight as my guiding light, I began to interpret the lives and work of women and men alike who had

spent their years making literature. (x-xi)  

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MLA Citation Style, 9th Edition

• MLA Style, 9th Edition
• In-text citations
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In-text Citations

In-text citations should show precisely where you used others' ideas and words.  These in-text citations should refer the reader to the source on the Works Cited page and, in most cases, provide the reader the exact location of the idea or quote within the source itself.  

For example, parenthetical citations will list the first part of the Works Cited entry (e.g., an author's last name) and then the location (e.g., a page number).

Below, specific examples are given.

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MLA Format Guidelines

• Getting Started
• General Document Format
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• List of Sources
• Bias Free Language

For more guidance, visit Purdue OWL's MLA In-Text citation page.

• Purdue OWL's MLA In-Text Citation

Recommended MLA Websites

• MLA Citation Guide - Purdue Owl MLA style guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using the English language in writing.
• MLA In-Text Citations - Purdue Owl Describes how to write In-Text citations in your research assignments.
• MLA Works Cited Page - Purdue Owl How to format your Works Cited Page.
• MLA Works Cited Page - Purdue Owl A sample works cited page.
• Purdue OWL Sample Paper - 8th Ed.

Include the source's author (last name only) and page number (if applicable) in parentheses either at the end of sentence before the sentence-ending punctuation or before a natural break in the sentence, such as a semicolon or comma.

• Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).

If the author's name is used in the sentence, include the page number in parentheses before a natural break or at the end of the sentence.

• Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).

If a quotation is more than four lines long in your document, indent it 0.5 inches on a new line without quotation marks around it. Double space the quotation, and insert closing punctuation before the parenthetical citation at the end.

At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:

The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)

• The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
• The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
• There are no quotation marks around the quotation.
• The period at the end of the quotation comes  before  your in-text citation as opposed to  after , as it does with regular quotations.

Paraphrase or Summary

Unlike a direct quotation, a summary or paraphrase still relays ideas from a source but in your own words to make it fit better with your document. A paraphrase is a specific idea from a source that needs a citation with author and page number.

Paraphrasing from One Page

Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example:

• Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).

Paraphrasing from Multiple Pages

If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include them. 

• Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).

One or Multiple Authors

Citation rules vary based on how many authors a source. Consult the following table for how to handle these different situations.

Indirect (Secondary) Sources

When citing a quotation from a source, include the quotation's original author in text and insert a parenthetical citation that begins with the phrase "qtd. in" to indicate the source from which the quotation came.

• According to Allegeria, biology "revolves around the idea that the cell is a fundamental unit of life" (qtd. in Smith 15).

Authors with the Same Surname

In addition to the author's name and the page number(s), include a shortened version of the title to distinguish which source is being referenced. 

• Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (Smith, "Cell Theory" 20). 

Anonymous Author

When a source's author is unknown, cite the first few words of the source's reference list entry, usually the title with appropriate formatting if an article (quotation marks) or book (italicized).

• Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells ( Cell Biology  15).
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MLA Style Guide for Citations (9th edition): In-Text Citations

• Title of source
• Title of container
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• Citing Books & Ebooks
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What are in-text citations?

When you quote an author, or paraphrase an author's idea, you have to give them credit in the body of your paper. You do this by adding parenthesis with the author's name and the page number on which the information is found. These parentheses are called either "in-text citations" or "parenthetical documentation."

Like citations in your works cited page, there are guidelines for adding in-text citations as well. See below to learn more.

MLA style uses the author’s name and page numbers in in-text citations.

Here is an example:

Viking trading routes and networks supplied chieftains with additional income and brought goods that increased their status among other chieftains (Winroth 127).

This information is paraphrased from the work written by Winroth, and it can be found on page 127.

Here is an example using a quotation:

Viking trading routes and networks were “important not only for providing additional income for chieftains, but also for bringing prestigious goods to the chieftains of Scandinavia, who used these items, themselves or in the gift economy, to bolster their status among other chieftains” (Winroth 127).

Sometimes you might mention the author before the quotation or paraphrase. In that case you only need the page number in parentheses.

For example:

Winroth explains that Viking trading networks supplied chieftains with income, as well as goods that increased their status (127).

No page numbers? No problem!

You will find that many digital information sources do not include page numbers. If you have looked for a page number and cannot find one to include in your in-text citations, you do not need to include one. You may list the author's name only.

You do have the option of including some type of indication of the place you found the information, if you feel it would be helpful to your readers. MLA recommends that you only do this if the document has defined sections, chapters, or a numbering system. For example, you may find a long document on a webpage that has sections listed as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, and so on. In that case you could write an in-text citation that looks like this (Winroth, sect. 1.2).

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MLA 9th Edition Citation Guide In-Text Citations

What is an in-text citation.

An in-text citation refers to the various ways that you can incorporate ideas from your sources into the body of your essays while giving the original authors credit for their ideas.  You will need to include in-text citations every time you refer to, quote from, paraphrase or summarize a given source.  You will also need to cite facts, figures, images, video, audio or any other element you include in your work, but did not create yourself. 

There are two main ways to incorporate information from sources into your essay, direct quotes and paraphrasing.

What doesn't need a citation?

You do not need to cite your own ideas, opinions, or experiences.

You also do not need to cite things that are common knowledge (something the average person would be expected to know). Some examples include: the current president's name, who invented the light bulb, the capital of South Korea, there are twelve months in a year, etc.  If you are not sure if it is common knowledge, it is safer to cite it!

What are Direct Quotes?

Direct quotes are when someone else's words are copied word-for-word into your paper. Since you are using someone else's exact words, it's even more important to include a citation telling the reader where this information came from.

While it is recommended to use direct quotes sparingly ( paraphrasing is another method ) using the exact text from an article or book is still a great way to share an idea! For example, direct quotes are useful when an author says something especially memorable or you want to respond directly to something in your own paper.

Shorter Direct Quotes

Direct quotes (that are shorter than three lines) require quotation marks. When citing it, be sure to list the author and page number! 

An important part of self-care is being "aware of and accepting your own thoughts and feelings" (Pate 2).

Pate listed some self-care activities such as "jogging, yoga, exercise, listening or dancing to music, taking a walk outdoors, or other relaxing or invigorating activities" (5).

Block Quotes

Block quotes are used when a direct quote is four lines or more. A sentence setting up the quote usually ends in a colon and is followed by the quoted text. Rather than using quotation marks, the quote is indented, double-spaced, and cited without a period at the end. 

Pate described the importance of boundaries: Having healthy boundaries means knowing what your limits are and clearly communicating what you will and will not allow, as well as what you need. Establishing clear and healthy boundaries can support health and wellness for all. Some people need more connection and interaction — physically, socially, or mentally — while others need more quiet time and solitude. It’s important to understand what you need and clearly communicate that to others. (5)

The meaning behind and importance of boundaries can be described with the following: Having healthy boundaries means knowing what your limits are and clearly communicating what you will and will not allow, as well as what you need. Establishing clear and healthy boundaries can support health and wellness for all. Some people need more connection and interaction — physically, socially, or mentally — while others need more quiet time and solitude. It’s important to understand what you need and clearly communicate that to others. (Pate 5)

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is when you take another person's words or ideas and put them into your own words. Even though you are not directly quoting someone else, credit still needs to be given.

Paraphrasing allows you to summarize and make connections between several different sources. Paraphrasing also keeps your paper in your own "voice" and avoids interrupting the flow of your writing with frequent direct quotes.

See below for several examples on how to give credit for ideas you are paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing Examples

Be sure to use your own words and give credit for the idea to the original source. Page numbers are not a requirement for paraphrases but are worth considering if they would help the reader find what you are referring to.

Self-care involves being aware of one's own thoughts, feelings, and conditions as well as being purposeful in taking steps to maintain and improve mental and physical health (Pate 2).

Pate advocated for the importance of self-care, which requires a person to have an awareness of their own physical and mental state, which is then used to take deliberate steps in maintaining or improving their health (2).

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How to cite in MLA format

MLA is one of the most common citation styles used by students and academics. This quick guide explains how to cite sources according to the 9th edition (the most recent) of the MLA Handbook . You can also use Scribbr’s free  citation generator to automatically generate references and in-text citations.

An MLA citation has two components:

• In-text citation : Every time you quote or paraphrase a source, you cite the author and the page number in parentheses.
• Works Cited : At the end of your paper, you give a full reference for every source you cited, alphabetized by the author’s last name.

MLA Works Cited list

The list of Works Cited (also known as the bibliography or reference page) gives full details of every source you cited in your text. Each entry is built from nine core elements:

Following this format, you can create a citation for any type of source—for example, a book , journal article , website , or movie . You only include information that’s relevant to the type of source you’re citing.

Missing information in MLA citations

Regardless of the source type, the most important elements of any MLA citation are the author , the source title , and the publication date. If any of these are missing from the source, the Works Cited entry will look slightly different.

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MLA in-text citations

MLA in-text citations are brief references that direct your reader to the full source entry. You include them every time you quote , block quote , paraphrase or summarize a source.

The in-text citation must match the first word of the Works Cited entry—usually the author’s last name . It also includes a page number or range to help the reader locate the relevant passage.

If you already named the author in your sentence, include only the page number in parentheses:

Sources with no page numbers

If the source has no page numbers, you either use an alternative locator, or leave the page number out of the citation:

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MLA in-text citations

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In-text citations are a brief version of citations that are used to provide information about the sources being referred to by the authors. They are used in the text to indicate to the reader that complete information of the citations referred to is available in the works-cited list, which will enable a reader to locate or access the sources being cited.

The basic element needed for an in-text citation is the author’s name . The publication year is not required in in-text citations. Sometimes, page numbers or line numbers are also included, especially when text is quoted from the source being cited. In-text citations are mentioned in the text in two ways: citations in prose and parenthetical citations.

Citation in prose

Citations in prose are in-text citations where some of the citation information is incorporated into the text as a part of the sentence. Usually, the author’s full name is included naturally in the text (instead of in a parenthetical citation). Thereafter, only the surname is used. Here’s an example of a citation in prose (first mention of the author):

Christopher Arp identifies the geography of Alaska lake districts.

Parenthetical citation

Parenthetical citations are in-text citations that add source information at the end of a sentence in parenthesis. Here’s one example of a parenthetical citation:

The geography of Alaska lake districts is identified (Arp).

When and how to include other components

When you quote text from a source word-for-word, try to include the location of the quote. Usually, this is the page number of where the quote is found. If including a page number, there is no need to include page, p., or pp. before the page number. Here’s an example of a quotation with a page number indicated:

According to Ann Fienup-Riordan, “ Fieldwork Turned on Its Head ” (15).

For other types of sources, use other relevant indicators. For example, use a paragraph number if there are no pages or a time stamp for a video.

In-text citations should be concise. Do not repeat author names in parenthesis if the name is mentioned in the text. If you want to cite a chapter number, a scene, or a line number, follow the below guidelines:

Citation in prose:

Parenthetical citation:

Examples of in-text citations with different numbers of authors

Here are a few examples of in-text citations for different numbers of authors:

Use both the first name and surname of the author if you are mentioning the author for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the author’s surname. Always use the surname of the author in parenthetical citations.

1st mention:   Randall Hill studies ….

subsequent mentions:    Hill explores ….

Parenthetical:

Two authors

Use the first name and surname of both authors if you are mentioning the work for the first time in the prose. In subsequent occurrences, use only the surnames of the two authors. Always use only the surnames of the authors in parenthetical citations. Use “and” to separate the two authors in parenthetical citations.

1st mention:   Magda Miranda and Rea Dennis ….

subsequent mentions:   Miranda and Dennis ….

….(Miranda and Dennis)

Three or more authors

For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the first author followed by “and others” or “colleagues.” In parenthetical citations, use only the surname of the first author followed by “et al.”

Alice Rearden et al. and colleagues…. or Alice Rearden and others ….

….(Rearden et al.)

Corporate author

For citations in prose, treat the corporate author similar to how you would treat author names. For parenthetical citations, shorten the organization name wherever possible.

The Academy of American Poets….

….(American Poets)

If there is no author for the source, use the source title in place of the author’s name for both citations in-prose and parenthetical citations.

When you add such in-text citations, italicize the text. If the source title is too long, use a shortened version of the title in the prose.

Sticky Performances exhibits …. (89)

….( Sticky 89)

Citing special cases

Works having the same surname(s), different first name(s).

If two or more entries in the works-cited list have the same surname, use the first name, not only in the first mention, but also in subsequent occurrences in prose to avoid confusion. In parenthetical citations, include the first initials of the author.

Citation in prose templates:

First name Surname of the first author

First name Surname of the second author

Citation prose examples:

Steve Baker

Parenthetical templates:

(A. Author Surname)

(B. Author Surname)

Parenthetical examples:

If the first initials are also the same, use full first name in parenthetical citations too.

(Cheng Lee)

Works by the same author(s)

If two or more entries in the works-cited list are contributions of the same author(s), add the title in in-text citations to help the reader locate the source you are citing. If the title is long, you can use a shortened title.

Arlander says in The Peregrine that ….

There are different kinds of birds and a distinct species is studied (Arlander, The Peregrine )

Works listed by title

If the works-cited-list entry has a source listed by the title, use the title in both citations in prose and parenthetical citations. If the title is long, you can use a short title.

Interview with Anna Deveare Smith reveals ….

( Anna Deveare Smith )

Punctuation in parenthetical citations

Do not introduce any punctuation between the author’s name and the page number.

(Scott 102)

If you want to include more page numbers, separate them by commas.

(Sagar 112, 121–24, 129)

If the number introduced is other than a page number (e.g., line number, chapter number, paragraph number), add the label before the number. Use a comma after the author’s name.

(Dcosta, par. 4)

If you want to cite a specific part on a page, separate the part from the page number by a semicolon. Multiple parts, if referred, are separated by commas.

(Bellana 127; par. 41, lines 6–8)

If you introduce multiple citations, separate them by semicolons.

(Milinda 23; Jacob 47)

If you need to insert a title, separate the author name and the title by a comma. However, do not introduce any punctuation between the title and the page number.

(Rich, Painful Stories 128)

If you cite two works by the same author, separate the titles by “and.” For more than two works by the same author, separate the titles by commas, but add “and” along with a serial comma before the last title.

(Gleason, “Great Migration” and “Appalachian Affects”)

(Brisini, “Practice,” “Precarity,” and “Phytomorphizing”)

Resource Types

For additional information on MLA format, select from one of the resource types below. For help creating MLA citations, check out the BibMe MLA citation generator .

• How to cite a Book in MLA
• How to cite a Magazine in MLA
• How to cite a Newspaper in MLA
• How to cite a Website in MLA
• How to cite a Journal Article in MLA
• How to cite a Movie in MLA
• How to cite an Interview in MLA
• How to cite a Lecture in MLA
• How to cite a TV Show / Radio Broadcast in MLA
• How to cite an Encyclopedia in MLA
• How to cite a Photograph in MLA

MLA Format:

• In-Text Citation Basics
• Works Cited Page

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MLA Citation Help

• In-Text Citations
• Creating a Works Cited Page
• MLA Style Research Paper

Writing In-Text Citations

"The goals of the in-text citation are brevity and clarity, guiding the reader as unobtrusively as possible to the correspdoning entry in the works-cited list."

MLA Handbook, Eighth Edition

Refer to the examples below to review ways of creating an in-text citation.  

Punctuation in the In-Text Citation

No punctuation is used in a basic parenthetical citation with MLA 8th Edition, rather it consists only of a number or of an author's last name with a number. There are instances in which a complex citation may require punctuation for clarity.

See the following examples:

See page 126 of the MLA Handbook for more information regarding punctuation in in-text citations.

Online Resources

• The Research Process This Gumberg Research Guide provides a step-by-step outline on the scholarly process and identifying primary and secondary sources.
• Official MLA Style Center This site works as a companion resource to the 8th Edition MLA Handbook.
• Writing Center Resources The Writing Center has information and resources for students regarding the 8th edition of the MLA Handbook.
• Purdue Owl Writing Lab The Purdue OWL formatting and style guide provides examples on how to correctly cite material with the 9th edition MLA Handbook.
• Seneca Libraries MLA Guide An extensive guide with examples on how to cite specific resources using MLA style, 8th Edition.

On-Campus Writing Help

• MLA In-Text Citation Examples This handout was created by the Duquesne University Writing Center and is intended to provide examples of in-text citation using the MLA citation style.
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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 8th Edition): In-Text Citation

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Please Note : all links on this page will take you to Seneca College Libraries  LibGuide  pages. All content in this guide is courtesy of Seneca College Libraries.  This guide is used/adapted with the permission of Seneca College Libraries. For information please contact  [email protected] .

On This Page

• About In-text Citation

Paraphrasing

Quoting directly, long quotations, signal phrases, repeated use of sources.

• In-Text Citation for Two or More Authors/Editors

Unknown Author

• In-Text Citation for More Than One Source

In-Text Citation For Two or More Authors/Editors

Where you'd normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your Works Cited list.

If the title in the Works Cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation.

If the title in the Works Cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.

( Cell Biology 12)

("Nursing" 12)

In-Text Citation For More Than One Source

If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon.

(Smith 42; Bennett 71). 

( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).

 Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.

About In-Text Citation

In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the works cited list at the end of the paper.

• In-text citations include the last name of the author followed by a page number enclosed in parentheses. "Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).
• If the author's name is not given, then use the first word or words of the title. Follow the same formatting that was used in the works cited list, such as quotation marks. This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).

  Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.

When you quote directly from a source, enclose the quoted section in quotation marks. Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number:

Mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (Hunt 358).

No Page Numbers

When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like Web pages), cite the author name only.

"Three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli).

What Is a Long Quotation?

If your quotation extends to more than four lines as you're typing your essay, it is a long quotation.

Rules for Long Quotations

There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:

• The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
• The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
• There are no quotation marks around the quotation.
• The period at the end of the quotation comes before your in-text citation as opposed to after , as it does with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:

The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)

When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion.

Paraphrasing from One Page

Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).

Paraphrasing from Multiple Pages

If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include them. For example:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).

If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or paraphrased section. For example:

Hunt explains that mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (358).

If you're using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.

Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20). 

 Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.

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MLA Citation Tutorial

• 2. In-Text Citations
• 3. Works Cited Page
• 4. Practice Your Skills
• 5. More Information

What Are In-Text Citations?

In-text citations let the reader of a text know from what source an idea or quotation comes from. In MLA Style, the citation is generally formatted as follows: (Author's Last Name Page Number). Please note, there is no comma before the page number. 

MLA In-Text Citations - CPCC Library

This image was created by Cheryl Coyle of CPCC Library.

In-Text Citation Interactive Video

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MLA Formatting and Style Guide

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In-Text Citations

Resources on using in-text citations in MLA style

Works Cited Page

Resources on writing an MLA style works cited page, including citation formats

Other MLA Resources

MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): In-Text Citation

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About In-Text Citation

In-text citation.

In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the Works Cited list at the end of the paper.

• In-text citations include the last name of the author followed by a page number enclosed in parentheses. "Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).
• If the author's name is not given, then use the first word or words of the title. Follow the same formatting that was used in the Works Cited list, such as quotation marks. This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).

  Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.

Signal Phrases

Readers should be able to move from your own words to the words you quote without feeling an abrupt shift. Signal phrases provide clear signals to prepare the readers for the quotation. If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or paraphrased section. For example:

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In-text citations in MLA

In MLA style, in-text citations are a short form of citations used in the text about sources listed in the works-cited list. They are used to inform the reader that full details of the source are included in the works-cited list, which in turn helps the reader to track the source for further reference if required.

To add an in-text citation in MLA, the author’s name is an important component. MLA style does not recommend using the publication date for in-text citations. However, page numbers are allowed when text from a source is added. Citations in prose and parenthetical citations are two types of citations to be used for in-text citations. These citation types are explained below.

Citation in prose

“Citations in prose” is the term used in the MLA manual for citations that are read as a part of the sentence. Citations in prose use the first name and surname of the authors when a source is mentioned in the text for the first time. In the second and subsequent instances, they include only the surname. However, do not use the middle initials in citations, even if they are given in the works-cited-list entry. The first mention of a source in prose for one author is given below:

Kathleen Glenister-Roberts discusses the speech, gender, and the performance of culture in native America.

Parenthetical citation

Parenthetical citations, as the name implies, include citation information in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. The citation will not be read as a part of the sentence. An example is given below:

The speech, gender, and the performance of culture in native America are discussed (Glenister-Roberts).

Adding page or line numbers

Page numbers or line numbers are also allowed for in-text citations when you want to repeat a specific text from the source you referred to. When you add page numbers, never use “p.” or “pp.”

According to Ann Fienup-Riordan, “Fieldwork Turned on Its Head” (15).

However, if you add other parts, such as line numbers and scene numbers, you can mention them in the text. Below examples show how such parts are included in both citations in prose and parenthetical citations :

Citation in prose:

Parenthetical citation:

Example in-text citations

The in-text citations for different numbers of authors are illustrated below:

Citations in prose use the first name and surname of the authors when a source is mentioned in the text for the first time. In the second and subsequent instances, they include only the surname. Include only the surname of the author in parenthetical citations in all instances.

First mention: May Henderson claims ….

Subsequent occurrences: Henderson asserts ….

Parenthetical:

….(Henderson)

Two authors

Citations in prose use the first name and surname of both authors when a source is mentioned in the text for the first time. In the second and subsequent instances, they include only the surname of the two authors. In parenthetical citations, include the surnames of the authors in all occurrences. In both citation styles, use “and” between the two author names.

First mention: Paul John and Ann Fienup-Riordan ….

Subsequent occurrences: John and Fienup-Riordan ….

….(John and Fienup-Riordan)

Three or more authors

You need to cite only the first author’s name if the number of authors is more than two. Use “and others” or “colleagues” in prose and “et al.” in parenthetical citations. For citations in prose, cite the full name in the first instance and surname thereafter.

Mikkel Pedersen and colleagues…. or Mikkel Pedersen and others ….

….(Pedersen et al.)

Corporate author

Write the corporate author in citations. For parenthetical citations, you can shorten the name of the organization.

The Council of Europe and Language Association….

….(Council)

The source title is used in citations when there are no authors. When you add the title as an in-text citation, italicize the text.

Endgame: Beginning to End shows …. (182)

….( Endgame 182)

Citing special cases

Works having the same surname(s), different first name(s).

Although citations in prose take the full name of the authors only in the first instance, there are some exceptions. If the works-cited list has multiple entries with the same surname for the first author, use the first name in all occurrences to provide clarity. To avoid confusion, parenthetical citations take the first initials of the author in all occurrences.

Citation in prose: First author’s full name

Citation in prose: Second author’s full name

Parenthetical: (F. Author Surname)

Parenthetical: (M. Author Surname)

Citation in prose: John Jones

Citation in prose: Christopher Jones

Parenthetical: (J. Jones)

Parenthetical: (C. Jones)

Use the first name in full, in-parenthetical citations only if the first initials are also the same.

Parenthetical: (Xing Ze)

Parenthetical: (Xian Ze)

Works by the same author(s)

If you find entries with the same author(s), add the title for in-text citations. You can shorten the title for in-text citations.

Citation in prose: Quayson talks in Aesthetic Nervousness that ….

Parenthetical: Aesthetic Nervousness is talked about in earlier work (Quayson, Aesthetic Nervousness )

Works listed by title

If the works-cited-list entry has a source listed by the title, use the title in citations. You can shorten the title for in-text citations.

Citation in prose: Endgame and Its Scorekeepers reveals ….

Parenthetical: ( Endgame )

Punctuation in parenthetical citations

Never include punctuation marks between the author’s name and any page number.

(Smith 111)

If you introduce additional page numbers, use a comma between them.

(Joe 122, 124–28, 139)

For any reference to a specific element in a source other than the page numbers (e.g., chapter, paragraph, or line numbers), include the label of the element. Use a comma to separate the element from the author’s name.

(McCormick, par. 2)

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(Soyini, Co-performative Witnessing 118)

If you would like to cite the titles of two works by the same author, use “and” between the titles. If you want to include more works, separate the titles by commas, and add “and” before the last title.

(Sedgwick, “Touching” and “Artists”)

(Park‐Fuller, “Empathy,” “Narration and Narratization,” and “Performing Absence”)

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Book Citations / Learn how to cite “Notes on ‘Camp’” by Susan Sontag

Learn how to cite “Notes on ‘Camp’” by Susan Sontag

Learn how to create in-text citations and a full citation/reference/note for Notes on ‘Camp’ by Susan Sontag using the examples below. Notes on Camp  is cited in 14 different citation styles, including MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, APA, ACS, and many others.

If you are looking for additional help, try the EasyBib citation generator .

Popular Citation Styles

Here are Notes on Camp   citations for five popular citation styles: MLA, APA, Chicago (notes-bibliography), Chicago (author-date), and Harvard style.

Additional Styles

Here are Notes on Camp   citations for 14 popular citation styles including Turabian style, the American Medical Association (AMA) style, the Council of Science Editors (CSE) style, IEEE, and more.

Find citation guides for additional books linked here .

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