In-Text (Parenthetical) Citations with MLA
Learning Target:
In-Text (also called Parenthetical) Citations
are found in the text of the paper
The citation should contain the author’s last name and the page number where the quote or idea was found.
Examples:
“Pumpkins are the best of all” (Brown 3).� Periods are placed after the close of the parentheses.
Charlie Brown expresses a clear preference for pumpkins over other gourds (3).
If you mention the author, use just the page number in the parenthetical.�
What if there is no author?
If there is no author and you do not mention the title of the work in the sentence, use the first word or noun phrase of the title. Do not use the organization as the author.
Use quotation marks for shorter works and italics for longer works.
Examples
Full Title: Abbreviation:
“Snorkeling Through the Ages” “Snorkeling”
The Norton Book of Light Verse Norton
“You Say You Want a Revolution?” “You”
The Double Vision: Language and Double Vision
Meaning in Religion
In 2012, a study observed that the “current trend is directly attributed to blah blah blah” (“Snorkling”). Notice the punctuation (period) is on the OUTSIDE.
What if there is no page number?
Easy! Leave it blank! :)
Use only the author’s last name--or the first word/noun phrase of the title, if there is no author.
Example:
As recently as 2010, dinglehoppers have been observed in the San Bernadino area (Tedd).
OR
Tedd states, “A dinglehopper was spotted in the area in April.”
Block Quotes
For any quote greater than four lines, indent 10 spaces (two tabs) and do not use quotations around the quoted material.
Put the period at the end of the quote, but before the parenthetical citation.
Example of Block Quote
Notice the period closes Woolf’s quote, no punctuation is used after the parenthetical.
Example from
Where can you get more info?
Go to the Willard Library page and click
“Citing Sources”