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MLA Citation Guide: In-text Citations

Introduction

When quoting or paraphrasing another person's words or ideas, you must give credit to that person.  You do this with an in-text citation. 

An in-text citation is placed at the end of the phrase or sentence(s) you are quoting or paraphrasing. 

It includes the person's name followed by the page number:

(author's last name page number)

With a web site, where there is usually no page numbers, just list the author's last name.

Examples

When the author's name is part of the text, list just the page number

In-text citation:

Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).


When the author's name is not part of the text, list the name and page number

In-text citation: 

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

Citation on Works Cited page:

Wordsworth, William. The Complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth. Houghton Mifflin, 1932.

When using a web site, with no page number, list just the author's name

In-text citation: 

The incident at Virginia Tech involved a greater number of deaths than any campus shooting in U.S. history (Johnson).

Citation on Works Cited page:

Johnson, Alex. "Worst U.S. Shooting Ever Kills 33 on Va. Campus." MSNBC, 16 April 2007, www.nbcnews.com/id/18143829/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/worst-us-shooting-ever-kills-va-campus.

When there is no author, use a short form of the title, followed by the page number

In-text citation:

As of 2001, at least three hundred towns and municipalities had considered legislation regulating use of cell phones while driving ("Lawmakers" 2).

Citation on Works Cited page

"Lawmakers Drive Message Home. " Telegraph-Herald, 22  Nov. 2007, p. A8. ProQuest, edmonds.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/368819856?accountid=1626.

When there are two authors, list both names, followed by the page number

In-text citation:

Experts in the affect of trauma should be more extensively involved in the formulation of disaster response policy (Fairbank and Gerrity 317).

Citation for Works Cited page:

Fairbank, John A., and Ellen T. Gerrity. "Making Trauma Intervention Principles Public Policy." Psychiatry, vol. 70, no. 4 2007, pp. 316-319. ProQuest, edmonds.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/220675433?accountid=1626.