mla essay with citations example

MLA In-text Citations and Sample Essay 9th Edition

Listing your sources at the end of your essay in the Works Cited is only the first step in complete and effective documentation. Proper citation of sources is a two-part process . You must also cite, in the body of your essay, the source your paraphrased information or where directly quoted material came from. These citations within the essay are called in-text citations . You must cite all quoted, paraphrased, or summarized words, ideas, and facts from sources. Without in-text citations, you are in danger of plagiarism , even if you have listed your sources at the end of the essay. In-text citations point the reader to the sources’ information in the works cited page, so the in-text citation should be the first item listed in the source’s citation on the works cited page, which is usually the author’s last name (or the title if there is no author) and the page number, if provided.

Two Ways to Cite Your Sources In-text

Parenthetical citation.

Cite your source in parentheses at the end of quoted or paraphrased material.

Example with a page number: In regards to paraphrasing, "It is important to remember to use in-text citations for your paraphrased information, as well as your directly quoted material" (Habib 7).

Example without a page number : Paraphrasing is "often the best choice because direct quotes should be reserved for source material that is especially well-written in style and/or clarity" (Ruiz).

Signal Phrase

Within the sentence, through the use of a "signal phrase" which signals to the reader the specific source the idea or quote came from. Include the page number(s) in parentheses at the end of the sentence, if provided.

Example with a page number: According to Habib, "It is important to remember to use in-text citations for your paraphrased information, as well as your directly quoted material" (7).

Example without a page number: According to Ruiz, paraphrasing is "often the best choice because direct quotes should be reserved for source material that is especially well-written in style and/or clarity."

*See our handout "Signal Phrases" for more examples and information on effective ways to use signal phrases for in-text citations.

Do you need to include a page number in your in-text citation?

Printed materials such as books, magazines, journals, or internet and digital sources with PDF files that show an actual printed page number need to have a page number in the citation.

Internet and digital sources with a continuously scrolling page without a page number do not need a page number in the citation.

Commonly used in-text citations in parentheses

Notes on Quotes

Block quotation format.

When using long quotations that are over four lines of prose or over three lines of poetry in length, you will need to use block quotation format. Block format is indented one inch from the margin (you can hit the "tab" button twice to move it one inch). Additionally, block quotes do not use quotation marks, and the parenthetical citation comes after the period of the last sentence. Please see the following sample essay for an example block quote.

Signal Phrase Examples and Ideas

Please see the following sample essay for different kinds of signal phrases and parenthetical in-text citations, which correspond with the sample Works Cited page at the end. The Writing Center also has a handout on signal phrases with many different verb options.

Learn more about the MLA Works Cited page by reviewing this handout .

For information on STLCC's academic integrity policy, check out this website .

MLA Style (9th ed.): Citation Guide

• Getting Started with MLA
• Formatting a Paper in MLA
• Citing Sources in MLA
• What are you citing?

Books & Ebooks

Journal articles, magazines & newspapers, web sources, images & art, music & audio, government sources, generative ai & chatbots, personal communication.

• Other MLA Resources
• Citation Guides Homepage

Ask A Librarian

MLA Citation Structure: Core Elements

MLA uses Core Elements to create citations. Fill in the information needed for your source, and leave unnecessary fields blank.

Repeat information from Title of Container on for each container.

What type of information do you need to cite?

Use the links below or scroll to find the type of information.

• Book (print)
• Edited Chapter in a Book
• Article in a Reference Book

Book (1 author)

Author Last Name, Author First Name.  Book Title . Publisher, Year.

Works Cited

Ogden, Daniel. The Werewolf in the Ancient World . Oxford UP, 2021.

Book (2 authors)

Author Last Name, Author First Name, and Author First Name Last Name.  Book Title . Publisher, Year.

(Hafdahl and Florence 25)

Hafdahl, Meg, and Kelly Florence. The Science of Monsters: The Truth about Zombies, Witches, Werewolves, Vampires, and Other Legendary Creatures . Skyhorse, 2019.

Book with a Corporate Author

Company name.  Book Title, Edition, Publisher, Year.

(American Heart Association 25)

American Heart Association.  The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 8th ed., Clarkson Potter, 2010.

Ebook (from Library Database)

Author Last Name, Author First Name.  Book Title . Publisher, Year.  Database name , URL.

Groom, Nick. The Vampire a New History . Yale UP, 2018.  EBSCO eBook Collection , https://research-ebsco-com.lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/linkprocessor/plink?id=b5155992-ab94-3dea-a326-1b25f3e9fd07.

Ebook (Online)

Author Last Name, Author First Name.  Book Title . Version, Edition, Publisher, Year.  Website name , URL.

(Cervantes)

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de.  The History of Don Quixote . Translated by John Ormsby.  Project Gutenberg , https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/996.

Edited Chapter in a Book (anthology or collection)

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of essay or chapter."  Book Title, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year, page range.

Russ, Joanna. "The Image of Women in Science Fiction."  Science Fiction Criticism: An Anthology of Essential Writings, edited by Rob Latham, Bloomsbury, 2017, pp.200-10.

Article in a Reference Book (Encyclopedia or Dictionary) with no author

"Article Title."  Book Title, edited by Editor First Name Last Name, edition, Publisher, Year, page range.

("Detecting Werewolves" 202)

"Detecting Werewolves."  The Werewolf Book: The Encyclopedia of Shape-Shifting Beings , edited by Brad Steiger, 2nd ed., Visible Ink Press, 2011.

• Journal Article (print)
• Journal Article with DOI
• Journal Article without DOI

Journal Article in Print 

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , volume, issue number, year, pages.

(Jawer 99-100)

Jawer, Michael. "Emotion: The Connective Tissue of Atmospheres and Haunts." Journal of Scientific Exploration , vol. 37, no. 1, Spring 2023, pp. 88-105.

Journal Article with a DOI (from library database or website)

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , volume, issue number, year, pages.  Name of Database , doi number with https://doi.org/ in front.

(Klopov et al. 2637)

Klopov, Ivan et al. "Digital Transformation of Education Based on Artificial Intelligence." TEM Journal , vol. 12, no. 4, Nov. 2023, pp. 2635-44.  Academic Search Complete , https://doi.org/10.18421/TEM124-74.

Journal Article without a DOI (from library database or website)

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Journal , volume, issue number, year, pages.  Name of Database , URL.

(Li 750)

Li, Alex S. "Touring Outer Space: The Past, Present, and Future of Space Tourism." Cleveland State Law Library , vol. 71, no. 3, 2023, pp. 743-810.  Academic Search Complete , https://research-ebsco-com.lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/linkprocessor/plink?id=f4285000-7d8e-3bec-91f6-7fab62fddfe6.

• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article

Magazine Article in Print 

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , Volume, Issue number, Year, Pages.

(Bhargava 24)

Bhargava, Rohit. "Can You Read Culture?" Inc. , vol. 45, no. 6, Winter 2023, p.24.

Magazine Article from Library Database

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , volume, issue number, year, pages.  Name of Database or Website , URL.

Fink, TJ. "AI Content Detector: How to Spot AI Creations." Laptop , 31 Dec. 2023.  Gale OneFile: Popular Magazines , https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A777901979/PPPM?u=nhmccd_main&sid=bookmark-PPPM&xid=8da3cc56.

Magazine Article from Website

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Magazine , Date, URL.

Pang, Alex Soojung-Kim. "Rest Takes Hard Work." Time , 25 Jan. 2024, https://time.com/6566763/rest-takes-hard-work-essay/.

Newspaper Article in Print 

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Newspaper , Day Month Year, Pages.

Smith, Dana G. "Here to Help: How to Overcome 'Task Paralysis'" New York Times , 8 Jan. 2023, p. A3+.

Newspaper Article from Library database or Website

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Title of Article."  Title of Newspaper , Day Month Year, Pages.  Name of Database or Website , URL.

Example (library database):

Akst, Daniel. "Should Robots with Artificial Intelligence Have Moral or Legal Rights?" Wall Street Journal , 10 Apr. 2023.  US Major Dailies , https://login.lscsproxy.lonestar.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/usmajordailies/newspapers/should-robots-with-artificial-intelligence-have/docview/2798764407/sem-2?accountid=7054.

Example (website):

Mizan, Nusaiba. "Girl Scout Cookies Price Hike: What's the Price Per Box and Where Is the Money Going?" Houston Chronicle , 26 Jan. 2024, https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/retail/article/girl-scouts-cookies-price-increase-18628206.php.

• Social Media

Webpage without an author

"Title of webpage."  Title of Website , Date, URL.

("Shrinking Moon").

"Shrinking Moon Causing Moonquakes and Faults Near Lunar South Pole."  NASA , 25 Jan. 2024, https://www.nasa.gov/earth/moon/shrinking-moon-causing-moonquakes-and-faults-near-lunar-south-pole/.

Social Media Post

Author [handle if different]. "Title of post/post text."  Platform , Date, URL.

(TIP: If the social media platform doesn't allow you to link to a post directly, you can link the creator's account page.)

Example (Twitter / X):

(Lone Star College).

Lone Star College. "We received approval to offer bachelor's degrees, including Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity; and Bachelor of Applied Science in Energy, Manufacturing & Trades Management."  X , 11 Dec. 2019, https://x.com/lonestarcollege/status/1204842366357651456.

Example (Instagram):

Lone Star College. "The Houston Business Journal named Mario K. Castillo, J.D., LSC chancellor among the Top 100 Texans who have made an impact in 2023."  Instagram , 12 Jan. 2024, https://www.instagram.com/p/C2BElOfMWpc/.

Author or username. "Title of Post."  Title of Blog , Blog Publisher, Date, URL.

("How Do I Cite").

"How Do I Cite a State Law?"  Ask the MLA , MLA Style Center, 18 Oct. 2023, https://style.mla.org/citing-state-laws/.

Online Video

"Title of Video." Platform title, uploaded by Username, Day Month Year, URL.

Example (YouTube):

("What is" 00:00:25-00:02:35)

"What is 8-bit?"   YouTube, uploaded by Pocket Gamer, 28 Aug. 2015, https://youtu.be/QaIoW1aL9GE?si=bjx7AF-Ea8-FvwVm.

Movie Viewed Online

Director Last Name, Director First Name, director. Title of Movie.  Screenplay by First Name Last Name, Studio Name, Year. Platform title, URL.

(Parker 00:55:51-01:10:26)

Parker, Oliver, director.  Othello . Screenplay by Oliver Parker, Columbia Pictures, 1995. Swank Digital Campus, https://digitalcampus.swankmp.net/lsconline395001/watch/5B248CF117888F54?referrer=direct.

TV Show Viewed Online

"Title of Episode." Day Month Year Aired.  Title of TV Series,  created by First Name Last Name, season number, episode number, Studio Name, Year. Platform title, URL.

("To the Physical" 00:23:10-00:28:13)

"To the Physical and Mental Limit."  The Amazing Race,  created by Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster, season 1, episode 10, CBS, 2001. Swank Digital Campus, https://digitalcampus.swankmp.net/lsconline395001/watch/C1C2FD73531F1345?referrer=direct.

• Image (online)
• Untitled image

Image on a Website

Artist's Last Name, First Name. "Title of image."  Title of Website,  URL.

Beaton, Kate. "Tesla, Marconi, Edison."  Hark! A Vagrant, http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=256.

Artwork on a Website

Artist's Last Name, First Name. Title of Work . Date of creation, Institution and city were the work is physically located.  Name of webpage , URL.

(O'Keefe)

O'Keefe, Georgia.  Red Hill and White Shell.  1938, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. MFAH, https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/17860/red-hill-and-white-shell?ctx=c469d6c7436b6ddfaeba46e287e6d599ebbed0c0&idx=0.

Untitled Image with No Author on a Website

Description of image.  Title of Website,  URL.

Picture of student studying at a table while wearing headphones.  Wired, https://www.wired.com/story/tips-apps-help-students-study-notes-homework-help/.

Song from a Streaming Service

Artist Last name, First name. "Title of Song." Title of Album , Recording Label, Date. Name of streaming service .

(Lipa 0:51–59).

Lipa, Dua. "Dance the Night." Barbie The Album , Atlantic, 2023. Spotify .

Song from a CD

Artist Last name, First name. "Title of Song." Title of Album , Recording Label, Date. CD.

(Odom 0:30-40).

Odom, Leslie, Jr. "Wait For It."  Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) , written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Atlantic, 2015. CD.

Digital Audiobook

Author Last name, First name. Title.  Narrated by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Date. Audiobook platform.

(Cline 00:35:30-00:37:10).

Cline, Ernest.  Ready Player One . Narrated by Wil Wheaton, Random House Audio, 2011. Audible.

Audiobook on CD

Author Last name, First name. Title.  Narrated by First Name Last Name, Publisher, Date. 

(Worth 00:45:51–00:47:30).

Worth, Jennifer.  Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times . Narrated by Nicola Barber, HighBridge Company, 2012.

Episode of a Podcast from a Website

Host Last name, First name, host. "Title of Episode." Title of Podcast , season number, episode number, Publisher, Date.   Website , URL.

(Gonzalez and Malone 00:10:15-00:12:01).

Gonzalez, Sarah and Kenny Malone, hosts. "Why '90s Ads Are Unforgettable." Planet Money , NPR, 2023. NPR , https://www.npr.org/2023/12/13/1197956022/got-milk-soap-operas-advertising.

Episode of a Podcast from an App

Host Last name, First name, host. "Title of Episode." Title of Podcast , season number, episode number, Platform, Date.

(Fishel et al. 00:14:30-00:15:30).

Fishel, Danielle et al, hosts. "Wesley Jonathan Meets World." Pod Meets World , iHeart Radio, 4 Feb. 2024.

• Laws and Court Cases
• Government Agency Publications

Government Entity. Name of the Case . Date of decision, Name of Website, Publisher, URL.

(United States, Supreme Court).

United States, Supreme Court.  Brown v. Board of Education . 17 May 1954.  Legal Information Institute , Cornell Law School, https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/347/483.

Laws and Bills

Title of work . Title number, Publisher, Date, URL.

(United States Code).

United States Code. Title 17, GovInfo , 2023, https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2023-title17/.

Government Entity . Title of work. Name of website , Date, URL.

(Texas State, Legislature).

Texas State, Legislature. SB 563.  Texas Legislature Online , 10 Jun. 2019, https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=SB563.

Government Webpage

"Title of webpage."  Website , Publisher, Date, URL.

("Librarians").

"Librarians and Media Specialists."  Occupational Outlook Handbook , U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6 Sep. 2023, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm.

Government author. Title of Report . Publisher, Date. Website , URL.

(United States, Department of Health and Human Services 5-7).

U nited States, Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.  2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.   GovInfo, 14 Dec. 2023,   https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CMR-HE20_6500-00184279/pdf/CMR-HE20_6500-00184279.pdf.

Generative AI & Chatbots

MLA has provided some new and developing guidance on how to cite AI generated content in your paper.

Best Practices for AI Content

• cite generative AI whenever paraphrasing, quoting, or incorporating AI generated work into your work
• acknowledge within your paper in a note or other means any functional ways that you used AI in your work (ex- editing your writing, translating words)
• be sure to check all secondary sources that the AI might cite (VERY IMPORTANT!)

Author: 

At this time, MLA does not recommend citing the AI tool as an author. 

Title of Source: 

Describe what was generated or include the prompt given to the AI.

Title of Container: 

Name the AI tool that was used. (Example: ChatGPT, Bard) 

Version: 

Describe the version of the AI tool as specifically as possible. (Example: ChatGPT 3.5)

Publisher: 

Company that made the tool

Date: 

Date the content was generated.

Location: 

URL for the tool

Example (text):

("Describe the history")

"Describe the history of werewolves." ChatGPT , 3.5, Open AI, 7 Feb. 2024, https://chat.openai.com.

Example (image):

("Werewolf running")

"Werewolf running in a forest with purple trees." Stable Diffusion , Stable Diffusion XL, Stability.AI, 7 Feb. 2024, https://stablediffusionweb.com/.

• How do I cite generative AI? -MLA Style MLA Style Center guide for citing generative AI and Chatbots

Personal Interview

Last name, First name of person being interviewed. Personal Interview. Day Month Year of interview.

Smith, Betty. Personal Interview. 28 Nov. 2023.

Author Last name, First name. "Title of source from email subject line." Received by Recipient first name last name, Date.

Hopwood, Megan. "Water Features in the Library." Received by Katherine McGittigan, 15 Feb. 2023.

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• Last Updated: Jul 30, 2024 10:10 AM
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MLA Format: A Complete Guide with Examples

#scribendiinc

Written by  Scribendi

Your instructor has asked you to format your term paper using Modern Language Association (MLA) style. You feel confident enough to produce the paper, but you have never heard of MLA style. Don't panic—we've got you covered.

This article will explain MLA style citation, give examples of MLA formatting for specific aspects of references, provide an MLA format example for each category of source material, and share essay formatting tips that our editors have learned over the years. 

You'll even find a free, downloadable MLA Works Cited example page for easy reference. So, if you have a general understanding of what MLA style is and are just looking for examples of MLA citations, we can help with that too!

Free MLA Cheat Sheet

What Is MLA Style?

MLA style is an accepted way to document source material for many types of humanities documents. Some would say it is simpler than other style guides, such as the APA Style Guide or the Chicago Manual of Style . 

An MLA citation has two basic requirements:

Brief parenthetical citations in the text

An alphabetical list of the works cited that corresponds to the in-text citations and appears at the end of the paper

In simple terms, you refer to your source material in parentheses throughout the main text—then, at the end of your paper, you list all the sources to which you have referred, in alphabetical order.

Of course, there is so much more to MLA style and MLA formatting than just that. Indeed, the current version of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th Edition) runs to 292 pages! But here are the essential style and formatting points.

MLA Format Citation Example

To start, let's look at a basic example of how to format a citation in MLA.

Last Name, First Name. "Title of Webpage/Chapter/Article." Website/Book Title/Journal Title , edition used, vol. X, no. Y, Publisher,

Day  Month Year of Publication, URL/location/page number.

This is MLA format at its simplest.

Why Use MLA Format (or Any Other)?

The main reason for carefully citing source material is to avoid allegations of plagiarism, which—derived from the Latin word for "kidnapping"—refers to stealing someone else's work. The MLA Handbook explains plagiarism in detail. You should feel free to use another person's words, facts, and thoughts in your research paper, but the material you borrow must not be presented as if it were your own creation. 

When you write your research paper, remember that you must document everything that you borrow—not only direct quotations and paraphrases but also information and ideas. Our MLA citation guide will walk you through how to properly cite your sources using MLA style.

Who Uses MLA Citation Format?

MLA-style citation is commonly used by writers and students who create content in the humanities.

You'll often see it used for the following subject areas:

Language and literature

Comparative literature

Literary criticism

Cultural studies

Foreign languages

Using MLA's citation guide in these fields of study gives readers an easier option for navigating through your paper. In addition to making you look credible by neatly organizing your sources, MLA citation lends consistency to your work. It provides readers with the opportunity to easily find sources in your paper that interest them.

How to Use MLA Format

The early stages of producing a paper involve copious amounts of reading, research, and note-taking. At this point, it's easy to get confused about who said what. The best way to avoid getting confused right from the start is to keep your ideas, your summary of others' ideas, and direct transcriptions of text clearly marked and separate. Throughout our guide, we'll provide examples of MLA citation to give you a hand. 

Make notes on the following elements for ease of reference and proper MLA citation later on:

Author's name

Full title of each publication (from the title page, not the front cover)

City of publication (cite only the first city if there is more than one)

Date of publication

Volume and issue numbers, if available (for journals)

Page numbers you have referenced

Medium of publication or reception (print, web, radio, television, etc.)

Laying the groundwork during your research will make the citation process much easier later on.

MLA Citation Format

Because we know there are many ways to cite a reference in MLA, depending on what source you're using, we've compiled an extensive list of MLA citation examples below.

You'll find MLA citation examples for articles, books, images, interviews, journals, movies, and more to ensure you are citing your sources correctly.

We've done our best to be as thorough as possible. Review how to use in-text citations in MLA below or skip to the ones you need most!

How to Cite Two to Three Authors

If you're citing a book in MLA format with two or three authors, use the examples below to format your citation:

Bringham, Darrin E., and Sally Knope. Resting Heartbeat Science . 12th ed., Wiley, 2001.

Christopherson, Charles, Ronald Swanson, and Roger Koltz. Fog Pirates: On Board the USS Hammerhead . Putters, 2001.

Only the first author is listed by their last name followed by their first name. Any subsequent authors are written normally (first name then last name).

How to Cite More than Three Authors

When there are more than three authors to reference in MLA, format your citation using et al., as shown below:

Niderbacher, Leslie A., et al. Penne and the Jets: A Love Story . Partridge, 2003.

Note that only the first author is fully named, followed by et al.

Related: Learn more about How to Use Et Al. here.

How to Cite No Author

An MLA in-text citation with no author begins with the title . If your in-text citation has no author in MLA, you can also use the title in addition to the page number.

( Encyclopedia of Football 54)

How to Cite a Journal Article

Correct MLA article citation starts with finding good, credible articles. Try looking for peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles in free research databases such as CORE and ScienceOpen.

When searching for the best journals for your topic, try to steer clear of regular search engines like Google or Yahoo. Academic databases like JSTOR and Google Scholar are the best sources for scholarly, peer-reviewed articles .

MLA journal citation elements include the title of the work, author(s), and publication date. While this information is usually found on the first page of an article, its placement can vary. It may be at the top or bottom of the first page or, in the case of database articles, on the results page or the description page.

Related: Check out our list of 17 Research Databases for Free Articles .

MLA Citation for an Article

MLA Article Citation Examples

Lau, Frank. "Vitamin D Insufficiency is Prevalent in Severe COVID-19." Journal of Health , vol. 2, no. 5, Aug. 2020, pp. 34–27.

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.24.20075838.

Kuehn, Bridget. "Hospitals Turn to Housing to Help Homeless Patients." JAMA , Feb. 2019, pp. 5–9.

https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.21476.

MLA Website Article Citation Examples

Tomky, Naomi. "Explore the Oregon Coast—but don't touch the 'dragon toes.'" National Geographic , 23 Mar. 2022,

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/explore-oregon-coast-but-dont-touch-dragon-toe-barnacles.

Gateley, Cheyne. "Netflix's Password Crackdown Will Be Tougher Than It Seems." Variety , 21 Mar. 2022,

https://variety.com/vip/netflixs-password-crackdown-will-be-tougher-than-it-seems-1235208619/.

Book Citation in MLA

If you're citing passages from a book using MLA, look at the title page of the book to find the information you need to cite the source. The title page can usually be found a couple of pages into the book. This is where you'll find the author(s), date, edition, title, editors (if any), place of publication, and publisher.

MLA Book Citation Examples

Schucman, Helen. A Course in Miracles. Edited by Robert Perry, The Circle of Atonement, Inc., 2017.

MLA Textbook Citation Examples

How to Cite an Image

Image citation in MLA requires you to first define what type of image you're sourcing. Is it an image you saw in person or an image from a website?

Asking yourself this question first will help you decide which format to use to cite your image. Let's look at a few examples below.

MLA Image Citation Examples

How to Cite an Image from a Website

To cite an image from a website in MLA, start with the image creator's last and first name, then add the image title, the website name , day, month, and year published, and the URL.

In the example below, there is no image title, so we're using a description of the image:

Yam, Marcus. Photograph of a man hurrying away from a building hit by Russian bombs. Los Angeles Times , 25 Mar. 2022,

www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-03-25/ukraine-russia-war-biden-heads-to-poland .

Here is an example with an image title:

Clancy, Pat. "Foggy Sunrise." Flickr , 10 Mar. 2022,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/128721907@N02/51958337614/in/explore-2022-03-24/.

MLA Citation: Interview

When citing an interview in MLA, the information you need can vary depending on the type of interview.

For example, if you're citing an interview printed in a magazine, you can find relevant citation information in the title or subtitle of the interview page.

For online interviews, the relevant information can be found on the site where the interview was published. Typically, in the title or near the name of the person who published the interview, you'll find the names of the interviewer and interviewee, as well as the date the interview was published.

Here are a few elements you'll need if you're citing an interview in MLA:

Interviewee's first and last name

Interviewer's first and last name

Interview title

Periodical or journal title (if any)

Type of interview

Date the interview was conducted/published

URL of the interview (if online)

Page numbers of the interview (if in print)

In MLA, if you can't find the author of an interview you're trying to source, this information can be skipped. Instead, you can start your citation with the title of the interview in quotation marks. You can also skip the date of the interview if it is missing, but you should still include the access date if the interview is online.

If, for any reason, you also can't access the title of the interview, MLA allows you to replace the title with a short description. Let's look at a couple of examples below.

MLA Interview Citation Examples

How to Cite a Lecture

When citing a lecture in MLA, start with the speaker's last and first names, followed by the lecture title in quotes, then the course or event name, the day, month, and year, the institution, the location, and the word "Lecture." Below is an example of how to cite a lecture in MLA.

MLA Lecture Citation Example

How to Cite a Movie in MLA

If you need to cite a movie in MLA style, you'll need the title of the film, the director, any relevant contributors, the company that produced/distributed the film, and the release year. Be sure to add the words "Directed by" before the director's name, as you'll see in the examples below.

MLA Movie Citation Examples

How to Cite a Poem

To cite a poem in MLA, begin with listing the author's last name and first, then the poem's title in quotes, followed by the title of the book the poem was found in, and the publisher, year, and page number(s).

MLA Poem Citation Examples

Quotes in MLA Format

When you're using a quote, you're taking the exact words from an original source, so you need to make sure you're citing that source correctly.

In MLA format, quotes should be cited in the main text and on the Works Cited page. Your in-text citation will need the author's last name and the page number where you found the quote , while the Works Cited page will include the full citation. We've included examples of both MLA quote citation formats below.

MLA Short Quote Citation Examples

In-text citation example:

It appears that creating "businesses that diminish the quality of life and well-being of our citizens" (Williamson 109) will only make things worse.

Works Cited example:

Williamson, Marianne. A Politics of Love . Harper One, 2019.

MLA Format for Long Quotes

If you have to cite quotes longer than four lines in your paper, you'll want to use a block quote. The MLA format is the same on the Works Cited page for long and short quotes, but block quotes look different in the main text.

Block quotes are placed in a separate paragraph, indented 1 inch from the left margin. When using a block quote in text, include the last name of the author and page number(s) in parentheses after the closing punctuation at the end of the quote.

Note that block quotes are not enclosed in quotation marks.

How to Cite a Song in MLA

When citing a song in MLA, pay close attention to the medium you used to access it. If you heard the song on a CD or on a streaming service like Spotify, you'll want to include this in your reference.

For in-text citations of songs, you'll include your citation at the end of your paraphrased portion with the last name of the performer and the specific time stamp of the song. Other elements needed for the citation on the Works Cited page include the album name, label, and release date.

MLA Song Citation Examples

How to Cite a Video

An MLA citation for a YouTube video requires a few pieces of information, including the video creator's name, the title of the video, the website hosting the video, the name of the channel or uploader, the day, month , and year the video was published, and its URL.

Regardless of the platform from which you cite a video, MLA requires the same standard information, including the creator of the video, the title, where it was found, who uploaded it, the day, month, and year it was uploaded, and the URL.

How to Cite a Website in MLA

The MLA format for websites requires a few core elements, including the author, title of the source and container, relevant contributors, version, publisher, publication date in day-month-year format, and DOI or URL .

Some of this information can be omitted if it isn't available. See the examples below.

MLA Format for Websites 

More about MLA Style and Format

Mla heading format.

When you're writing a paper in MLA format, headings go on the first page . Your heading should include the following information:

Instructor's name

Course name or number

Submission date

Your MLA heading goes in the upper left corner of your paper, double-spaced. Try not to confuse an MLA heading with an MLA header, which is in the upper right corner of every page of your paper and includes your last name and the page number.

MLA Format Heading Examples

Here are two example headings in MLA format for reference. Keep in mind that these should be double-spaced in your paper.

Cody Anderson

Professor Lockhart

Astronomy 103

23 March 2022

Raquel Smith

Professor Snape

Humanities 605

25 February 2021

MLA In-Text Citation

In the next few sections, we'll look at MLA formatting for sources cited within the main text of your paper, also called in-text citations. In-text citations give your reader a clue about where to find the source you referenced in the Works Cited section at the end of your paper.

MLA format for books requires that you briefly acknowledge your sources in the main body of the text by using the author's name and the page number in parentheses.

Note the following example:

(Clinton 440). 

The reader knows to consult page 440 of Clinton's book.

Larger Works

If you refer to the title of a large published work in your paper, such as a novel or movie, it should appear as follows:

John Clinton's A Study of Life. 

Please note the use of capital letters and italics.

Smaller Works

Titles of smaller works, such as poems, short stories, chapters, and articles, should be written in the text as follows:

Raymond Carver's "Cathedral." 

Please note that smaller works are put in quotation marks and are not italicized.

MLA Works Cited

To obtain further information, the reader can refer to the alphabetical references section, called the Works Cited page, at the end of the paper. There, the reader can find the full details of each cited publication.

Note the following MLA Works Cited example:

Clinton, John. A Study of Life . London: Hodder, 1998. Print.

Our John Clinton example is MLA style referencing in its simplest form: one author and one book. MLA citation for multiple authors of a single book and MLA citation for multiple books by a single author tend to complicate matters. However, if you have the basics right and have made good notes for all your source material, these problems are manageable.

Multiple Books by One Author

When citing two or more books by one author in your Works Cited section, MLA requires the author's name in the first entry only. In the next entry, replace the author's name with an em dash (—), a period, and the second book title. The em dash takes the place of the author's name. In terms of the order of the books by one author on your Works Cited page, alphabetize the list by title.

Brunson, Russell. DotCom Secrets . Morgan James Publishing, 2015.

—. Traffic Secrets . Hay House, Inc., 2020.

MLA Format with Multiple Authors

When citing three or more authors in MLA, you'll want to use "et al.," which means "and others."

Levine, Robert S., et al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature . 9th ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2022.

Missing Items

If you're trying to cite a source in MLA with missing information, you have a few options available to you depending on what information is missing.

If you're missing the author of a source, use the title of the work in its place for both in-text citations and citations in the Works Cited in MLA format. If your title is also missing, use the source instead.

If your source has no page numbers, you can omit these in your citations and use paragraph or line numbers if they are available.

If the date of the publication is missing, you don't have to include it. But if it's a resource you accessed online, include the access date at the end of the citation—for example, "Accessed 14 Sep. 2021."

You can also omit the publisher if this information is missing.

MLA Format Works Cited Page Tips

When formatting your Works Cited page in MLA format, be sure to pay close attention to all the guidelines. MLA requires all lines to be double-spaced with a hanging indent. A hanging indent is when the first line of your reference starts at the beginning of the line while the next lines are indented by an inch and a half from the left.

Free Download

To keep all of these MLA examples in one sheet for easy reference, we've compiled a free download. This way, you can review MLA citation examples anytime you need them, either for your Works Cited page or in-text citations, for multiple types of work.

Once downloaded, you'll have all of the MLA citation examples you need in your back pocket. This guide will give you examples of MLA citations for the following types of sources:

Books (with one author, multiple authors, or no author)

Download our free MLA downloadable here.

Download Now   

Writing a paper in mla format.

When writing a paper in MLA format, you'll need to cover your bases when it comes to citing your sources. Not only do your sources need to be correct to account for wherever you're pulling information from, but they also need to follow MLA paper formatting basics .

So far, we've covered how to cite sources in your Works Cited list and in-text citations. Now, let's talk about how to use footnotes in an MLA paper with a couple of examples.

As a general rule, footnotes should be used sparingly in MLA. However, when they are used, there are two types: bibliographical footnotes and content footnotes.

Bibliographical footnotes allow you to add more relevant sources. Content footnotes allow you to add commentary or explanations about your topic. We'll look at examples of both of these below.

MLA Footnote Examples

Bibliographical footnote:

1 See Clinton, John. A Study of Life . Hodder, 1998. Additional references are for this edition and appear within the text.

Content footnote:

1 In a lecture from 2013, Peters mentions his love of science and how science will shape our future.

MLA Title Page Format

The MLA format cover page is not an entirely separate page. It begins with a 1-inch margin, flush left with your name, your instructor's name, the course name or number, and the date typed on separate, double-spaced lines.

The title of your research paper should then be centered on the MLA format title page. There is no need for it to be presented in bold, italics, or capital letters.

MLA Parenthetical Citation

When citing a source in your text in MLA, use a parenthetical citation. 

Parenthetical citations in MLA should include the author's last name and the page number where you found the information.

For example: (Lars 86).

MLA Page Number Format

In MLA format, page numbers appear in the top right-hand corner with a 0.5-inch margin from the top and a flush right margin. It is good practice to include your last name before the page number in case pages go astray. Do not use the abbreviation p. before the page number or add any other mark or symbol. You may not need to include a page number on the front page—check with your instructor.

Sometimes, it is appropriate to draw attention to particular words in your paper, but using italics for emphasis ("He really ate a lot ") is inappropriate in research writing and inconsistent with MLA style. Generally, in MLA format, italics should be reserved for titles of longer works (e.g., books, films), non-English words, and words and letters referred to as words and letters.

MLA Format Essay Tips

Your instructor may issue particular instructions if you are to use MLA citation in an essay—if so, follow them. Otherwise, the following MLA essay formatting tips will help you set out your research paper in MLA style.

The MLA Style Guide recommends using a clear typeface (Arial or Times New Roman) in a readable size (at least 11 point).

Justification

Justify the text to the left margin, leaving the right margin ragged. Leave 1-inch margins on the top, bottom, left, and right of the page.

Indent the first word in each paragraph by 0.5 inches. Indent set-off block quotations by 1 inch.

Use double-spacing throughout. In accordance with the MLA guide, use single spaces after periods, commas , exclamation marks, etc.

Good grammar, punctuation , and spelling are essential parts of your research paper—not just when using MLA style citation. There is no room for typos at this level. 

Our advice is to check and check again, and don't just rely on your word processor's spell-checker. Get a second pair of eyes to look over your paper. T ry our essay editors to ensure that the MLA formatting is consistent throughout your paper and there are no grammatical errors.

Related: Avoid These Common Mistakes in Academic and Scientific Writing

The importance of citing your references in your essay cannot be understated. Any time you include a piece of information in your essay that you didn't write yourself, MLA requires two forms of citation: one in the main text and one at the end of your paper in the Works Cited section.

MLA Format Essay Example

To see how all these formatting elements come together to make an MLA paper, see the example below.

https://p113.p2.n0.cdn.getcloudapp.com/items/v1ugxp7E/9e3b21d9-758c-4e27-b6cb-caa1059c0547.jpeg?v=559e925043cbfee9fe816e0568ab3d3b

Electronic Sources and MLA Formatting

In this computerized age, electronic publications are widely used as source materials for essays. However, electronic texts are prone to frequent and rapid change—one minute you see them online, and the next they are gone. Therefore, it is important to provide more information when references to electronic works are made. 

When accessing electronic information, note the following elements:

Name of the author, editor, etc.

Title of the work

Title of the website (if distinct from the title of the work)

Version/edition used, if applicable

Publisher or sponsor of the site (if not available, use n.p.)

Date of publication (day, month, and year, if available; if no date is available, use n.d.)

Medium of publication (web)

Date of access (day, month, and year)

Note the following example of MLA citation:

Smith, George. "Trees of the Southern Hemisphere." The International Leaf. Barker University, 2008. Web. 6 Feb. 2009.

Please note that the MLA formatting and style guide no longer recommends including the URL of a document. Nevertheless, the URL can be included if it is required by your instructor or if your readers will have difficulty locating the source without it.

MLA Format Letter

Below, you'll find examples of how to apply the MLA letter format. Much of the formatting will be similar to that of MLA-style papers, including using double-spaced lines in your text.

MLA Letter Heading Format

Start your MLA-formatted letter with your two-line mailing address in the upper left-hand corner, an inch from the top of the page. Skip to the next line and add the date in day-month-year format.

On the next line, include the addressee's information, starting with the recipient's title, such as Mr., Ms., or Dr. You can also include their address and contact information.

On yet another line, include your salutation—for example, "Dear Ms. Smith"—followed by a colon. If you don't have a name for the person you're writing to, use the person's title—for example, "Dear Director of Operations."

When writing a letter in MLA format, be sure to use double-spacing throughout as you would in an MLA paper.

Chicago vs. MLA vs. APA Citation

The formatting of citations varies among style guides like Chicago, MLA, and APA. While each style guide has its own way of formatting sources and cover pages, one of the biggest differences is in how they format in-text citations. Let's look at how they differ.

MLA stands for the Modern Language Association and is a style used for papers in the humanities. In-text citations in MLA use the author's last name and page number in parentheses: (Smith 15).

APA stands for the American Psychological Association and is a style used for scientific papers. In-text citations in APA style include a bit more information than those in MLA style. For example, APA uses the author's last name, year of publication, and page number: (Smith, 2021, p. 15).

Chicago style is used mainly for manuscripts by writers, designers, and publishers. In-text citations in this style include the last name of the source, the publication year, and the page number in parentheses, with slightly different formatting than APA: (Smith 2021, 15).

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i cite a website in mla.

To cite a website in MLA, start with the author's last name and first name separated by a comma and punctuated with a period. Next, include the title of the article or page in headline case and in quotes with a period, followed by the title of the website in italics. After that, add a comma, the name of the publisher, the publication date in day-month-year format, and the URL.

Shields, Ronan. "'The Threat is Hollow': True Transparency is Some Way Off for Scaled Advertisers." Digiday , Digiday Media, 25

Mar.  2022, https://digiday.com/marketing/the-threat-is-hollow-true-transparency-is-some-way-off-for-scaled-advertisers/.

Basu, Tyler. "How to Build a Personal Brand (Complete Guide)." Thinkific , Thinkific, 7 Sep. 2021,

https://www.thinkific.com/blog/personal-branding-guide/.

For an MLA website in-text citation, simply put the last name of the author in parentheses: (Shields).

How Do I Cite a Journal Article in MLA?

The MLA citation for a journal article begins with the author's last name and first name separated by a comma. Next, include the title of the article in quotes, punctuated by a period, then the journal title in title case and italics, and then a comma before the volume or issue number. This is followed by the date of publication, the page range, and the DOI or URL (without https://). Finally, add the access date if no publication date is listed.

How Do I Write In-Text Citations in MLA?

In-text citations allow readers to identify which of the items on your Works Cited page you're referencing. MLA requires the source's last name to be set in parentheses, followed by the page number where you found the information. Below are a few examples of how to use in-text citations in MLA format.

(Smith and Jones 53)

(Smith et al. 33)

(Smith 56–58)

(Smith 56–58, 73)

How Do I Cite a YouTube Video in MLA?

For MLA YouTube citation, start with the video creator's last name and first name, separated by a comma and punctuated by a period. Next, include the title of the video in quotes, also punctuated by a period (inside the quotation marks). 

Add the website hosting the video in italics (in this case, YouTube), the name of the channel or uploader, and the day, month, and year the video was published. Include the URL at the end of the MLA video citation.

Forleo, Marie. "Can You Age in Reverse? Tony Robbins Says Yes." YouTube , uploaded by Marie Forleo, 14 Feb. 2022,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAb5z7NbMYk.

Snipes, Doc. "15 Tips to Stop Ruminating and Get Out of Your Head." YouTube , uploaded by Doc Snipes, 23 Mar. 2022,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMZpMtM7TkI.

How Do I Use MLA Format for Headings?

Put your MLA heading in the upper left-hand corner of the first page of your paper , double-spaced. It should have your name, your instructor's name, the course name or number, and the date. Here are two examples of how to format your headings in MLA:

How Do I Cite a Movie in MLA Format?

To cite a movie in MLA style, start with the title of the film in italics, then the name of the director, followed by any relevant contributors. Next, include the company that produced or distributed the film and the release year.

Jaws . Directed by Steven Spielberg, performances by Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw, Universal Pictures, 1975.

To cite a movie from a streaming service such as Netflix, use the following format:

Jaws . Directed by Steven Spielberg, performances by Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw, Universal Pictures, 1975. Netflix app.

How Do I Format My Paper Using MLA?

To recap the most important MLA formatting guidelines, be sure to use 1-inch margins all around your paper, set the font to 12-point Times New Roman (or another easy-to-read font), and double-space the lines in your text. Make sure each word at the start of your paragraphs is indented half an inch from the left margin, and do the same for any block quotations.

You must cite all your sources in MLA, both in the text and on the Works Cited page found at the end of your paper. Use the examples and guidelines above to make sure you're formatting your paper and citations according to MLA guidelines.

How Do I Cite a Person in MLA?

If you're citing an interview, use the last and first name of the person interviewed at the start of your MLA Works Cited citation. Then, add the interview title, periodical title, type of interview, date, and URL of the interview (if online). 

If the person you're referencing was interviewed in print, include the page numbers. 

For an in-text citation of an interview, use the last name of the person being interviewed—for example: (Smith).

Download our free MLA format PDF for more examples of how to cite a person in MLA for an interview, either one you've conducted yourself or one you found elsewhere.

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MLA (Ninth Edition)

• MLA Ninth Edition: Checklist, Sample Papers and Template
• Get Started
• Formatting Your Research Project
• MLA - How To Videos
• Understanding MLA Containers
• In-Text Citations / Quoting in MLA
• MLA Standards
• MLA Ninth Citations - the general pattern
• MLA 9 - Various Examples
• How to: Numbers and Pronouns
• MLA Ninth Edition: Citing a Book
• MLA Ninth Edition: Citing a Newspaper, Magazine Or Journal (Print and Online)
• MLA Ninth Edition: Online Sources
• Changes from MLA 7 to MLA 8th and 9th edition

MLA Paper Checklist

In-text citations.

• Have you given credit to other sources when you’ve quoted and/or paraphrased throughout your paper?
• Are the in-text citations properly constructed according to MLA style?
• Does every in-text citation have a complete, matching citation in your Works Cited List?

Works Cited List

• Does it say Works Cited at the top of your page, centered, and without bolding or underlining?
• Is the Works Cited page double spaced?
• Are the citations in alphabetical order by the first word/name of each citation?
• Are the citations properly constructed according to MLA style?
• Is the second line of any citations longer than one line indented half an inch? This is called a “hanging indent” in your paragraph settings.
• Does each citation in the Works Cited list have a matching in-text citation in your assignment?

Overall Paper Presentation

• Did you cite the appropriate number of sources according to your assignment instructions?
• Is your paper double spaced?
• Unless specified otherwise by your instructor, is your paper in Times New Roman size 12 font?
• Did you create a header at the top right of each page with your last name and page number?

MLA Sample Papers

Taken from mla.org.

Second-year course in African American studies

Fourth-year course in English literature

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Recovery of 19th Century Farming Handbooks

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• A Complete Guide to MLA 8 ( Chegg)
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / MLA In-text Citations

MLA In-Text Citations

An in-text citation is a reference to a source that is found within the text of a paper ( Handbook 227). This tells a reader that an idea, quote, or paraphrase originated from a source. MLA in-text citations usually include the last name of the author and the location of cited information.

This guide focuses on how to create MLA in-text citations, such as citations in prose and parenthetical citations in the current MLA style, which is in its 9th edition. This style was created by the Modern Language Association . This guide reviews MLA guidelines but is not related directly to the association.

Table of Contents

Here’s a quick rundown of the contents of this guide on how to use in-text citations.

Fundamentals

• Why in-text citations are important
• Prose vs parenthetical in-text citation differences
• Parenthetical citation reference chart

In-text citation examples

• In-text citation with two authors
• In-text citation with 3+ authors
• In-text citation with no authors
• In-text citation with corporate authors
• In-text citation with edited books and anthologies
• In-text citation with no page numbers and online sources
• Citing the same sources multiple times
• Citing 2+ sources in the same in-text citation
• Citing multiple works by the same author in the same in-text citation
• Abbreviating titles
• Citing religious works and scriptures
• Citing long or block quotes

Why are in-text citations important?

In-text citations

• Give full credit to sources that are quoted and paraphrased in a work/paper.
• Help the writer avoid plagiarism.
• Are a signal that the information came from another source.
• Tell the reader where the information came from.

In-text citation vs. in-prose vs. parenthetical

An in-text citation is a general citation of where presented information came from. In MLA, an in-text citation can be displayed in two different ways:

• In the prose
• As a parenthetical citation

While the two ways are similar, there are slight differences. However, for both ways, you’ll need to know how to format page numbers in MLA .

Citation in prose

An MLA citation in prose is when the author’s name is used in the text of the sentence. At the end of the sentence, in parentheses, is the page number where the information was found.

Here is an example

When it comes to technology, King states that we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (11).

This MLA citation in prose includes King’s name in the sentence itself, and this specific line of text was taken from page 11 of the journal it was found in.

Parenthetical citation

An MLA parenthetical citation is created when the author’s name is NOT in the sentence. Instead, the author’s name is in parentheses after the sentence, along with the page number.

Here is an MLA parenthetical citation example

When it comes to technology, we “need to be comfortable enough with technology tools and services that we can help point our patrons in the right direction, even if we aren’t intimately familiar with how the device works” (King 11).

In the above example, King’s name is not included in the sentence itself, so his name is in parentheses after the sentence, with 11 for the page number. The 11 indicates that the quote is found on page 11 in the journal.

Full reference

For every source that is cited using an in-text citation, there is a corresponding full reference. This allows readers to track down the original source.

At the end of the assignment, on the MLA works cited page , is the full reference. The full reference includes the full name of the author, the title of the article, the title of the journal, the volume and issue number, the date the journal was published, and the URL where the article was found.

Here is the full reference for King’s quote

King, David Lee. “Why Stay on Top of Technology Trends?” Library Technology Reports , vol. 54, no. 2, Feb.-Mar. 2018, ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/2008817033?accountid=35635.

Readers can locate the article online via the information included above.

Citation overview

The next section of this guide focuses on how to structure an MLA in-text citation and reference in parentheses in various situations.

A narrative APA in-text citation and APA parenthetical citation are somewhat similar but have some minor differences. Check out our helpful guides, and others, on EasyBib.com!

Wondering how to handle these types of references in other styles? Check out our page on APA format , or choose from more styles .

Parenthetical Citation Reference Chart

Sources with Two Authors

There are many books, journal articles, magazine articles, reports, and other source types written or created by two authors.

When a source has two authors, place both authors’ last names in the body of your work ( Handbook 232). The last names do not need to be listed in alphabetical order. Instead, follow the same order as shown on the source.

In an MLA in-text citation, separate the two last names with the word “and.” After both authors’ names, add a space and the page number where the original quote or information is found on.

Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with two authors

Gaiman and Pratchett further elaborate by sharing their creepy reminder that “just because it’s a mild night doesn’t mean that dark forces aren’t abroad. They’re abroad all of the time. They’re everywhere” (15).

Here is an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for a book with two authors

Don’t forget that “just because it’s a mild night doesn’t mean that dark forces aren’t abroad. They’re abroad all of the time. They’re everywhere” (Gaiman and Pratchett 15).

If you’re still confused, check out EasyBib.com’s MLA in-text citation generator, which allows you to create MLA in-text citations and other types of references in just a few clicks!

If it’s an APA book citation you’re looking to create, we have a helpful guide on EasyBib.com. While you’re at it, check out our APA journal guide!

Sources With Three or More Authors

There are a number of sources written or created by three or more authors. Many research studies and reports, scholarly journal articles, and government publications are developed by three or more individuals.

If you included the last names of all individuals in your MLA in-text citations or in parentheses, it would be too distracting to the reader. It may also cause the reader to lose sight of the overall message of the paper or assignment. Instead of including all last names, only include the last name of the first individual shown on the source. Follow the first author’s last name with the Latin phrase, “et al.” This Latin phrase translates to “and others.” Add the page number after et al.

Here’s an example of an MLA parenthetical citation for multiple authors

“School library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students’ general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas the other task is developing students’ information literacy and research abilities” (Tam et al. 299).

The example above only includes the first listed author’s last name. All other authors are credited when “et al.” is used. If the reader wants to see the other authors’ full names, the reader can refer to the final references at the end of the assignment or to the full source.

The abbreviation et al. is used with references in parentheses, as well as in full references. To include the authors’ names in prose, you can either write each name out individually or, you can type out the meaning of et al., which is “and others.”

Here is an acceptable MLA citation in prose example for sources with more than three authors

School library programming in Croatia and Hong Kong is somewhat similar to programming in the United States. Tam, Choi, Tkalcevic, Dukic, and Zheng share that “school library programs in Croatia and Hong Kong are mainly focused on two major educational tasks. One task is enhancing students’ general literacy and developing reading habits, whereas the other task is developing students’ information literacy and research abilities” (299).

If your instructor’s examples of how to do MLA in-text citations for three or more authors looks different than the example here, your instructor may be using an older edition of this style. To discover more about previous editions, learn more here .

Need some inspiration for your research project? Trying to figure out the perfect topic? Check out our Dr. Seuss , Marilyn Monroe , and Malcolm X topic guides!

Sources Without an Author

It may seem unlikely, but there are times when an author’s name isn’t included on a source. Many digital images, films and videos, encyclopedia articles, dictionary entries, web pages, and more do not have author names listed.

If the source you’re attempting to cite does not have an author’s name listed, the MLA in-text citation or parenthetical citation should display the title. If the title is rather long, it is acceptable to shorten it in the body of your assignment. If you choose to shorten the title, make sure the first word in the full citation is also the first word used in the citation in prose or parenthetical citation. This is done to allow the reader to easily locate the full citation that corresponds with the reference in the text.

If, in the Works Cited list, the full reference has the title within quotation marks, include those quotation marks in the in-text citation or reference in parentheses. If the title is written in italics in the full reference, use italics for the title in the in-text citation or reference in parentheses as well.

Parenthetical Citations MLA Examples

The example below is from a poem found online, titled “the last time.” the poem’s author is unknown..

“From the moment you hold your baby in your arms you will never be the same. You might long for the person you were before, when you had freedom and time and nothing in particular to worry about” (“The Last Time”).

The example below is from the movie, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain .

“Perhaps it would have been different if there hadn’t been a war, but this was 1917, and people were exhausted by loss. Those that were allowed to stay manned the pits, mining the coal that would fuel the ships. Twenty-four hours a day they labored” ( Englishman ).

Notice the shortened title in the above reference. This allows the reader to spend more time focusing on the content of your project, rather than the sources.

If you’re looking for an MLA in-text citation website to help you with your references, check out EasyBib Plus on EasyBib.com! EasyBib Plus can help you determine how to do in-text citations MLA and many other types of references!

Corporate Authors

Numerous government publications, research reports, and brochures state the name of the organization as the author responsible for publishing it.

When the author is a corporate entity or organization, this information is included in the MLA citation in prose or parenthetical citation.

“One project became the first to evaluate how e-prescribing standards work in certain long-term care settings and assessed the impact of e-prescribing on the workflow among prescribers, nurses, the pharmacies, and payers” (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2).

If the full name of the organization or governmental agency is long in length, it is acceptable to abbreviate some words, as long as they are considered common abbreviations. These abbreviations should only be in the references with parentheses. They should not be used in citations in prose.

Here is a list of words that can be abbreviated in parentheses:

• Department = Dept.
• Government = Govt.
• Corporation = Corp.
• Incorporated = Inc.
• Company = Co.
• United States = US

Example of a shortened corporate author name in an MLA parenthetical citation

“Based on our analysis of available data provided by selected states’ departments of corrections, the most common crimes committed by inmates with serious mental illness varied from state to state” (US Govt. Accountability Office 14).

Here is how the same corporate author name would look in an MLA citation in prose

The United States Government Accountability Office states, “Based on our analysis of available data provided by selected states’ departments of corrections, the most common crimes committed by inmates with serious mental illness varied from state to state” (14).

Remember, citations in prose should not have abbreviations; other types of references can.

Looking for more information on abbreviations? Check out our page on MLA format.

Edited Books and Anthologies

Edited books and anthologies often include chapters or sections, each written by an individual author or a small group of authors. These compilations are placed together by an editor or a group of editors. There are tons of edited books and anthologies available today, ranging from ones showcasing Black history facts and literature to those focusing on notable individuals such as scientists like Albert Eintein and politicians such as Winston Churchill .

If you’re using information from an edited book or an anthology, include the chapter author’s name in your MLA citation in prose or reference in parentheses. Do not use the name(s) of the editor(s). Remember, the purpose of these references is to provide the reader with some insight as to where the information originated. If, after reading your project, the reader would like more information on the sources used, the reader can use the information provided in the full reference, at the very end of the assignment. With that in mind, since the full reference begins with the author of the individual chapter or section, that same information is what should be included in any citations in prose or references in parentheses.

Here is an example of an MLA citation in prose for a book with an editor

Weinstein further states that “one implication of this widespread adaptation of anthropological methods to historical research was the eclipse of the longstanding concern with “change over time,” and the emergence of a preference for synchronic, rather than diachronic, themes” (195).

Full reference at the end of the assignment

Weinstein, Barbara. “History Without a Cause? Grand Narratives, World History, and the Postcolonial Dilemma.” Postcolonial Studies: An Anthology , edited by Pramod K. Nayar, Wiley-Blackwell, 2015, p. 196. Wiley , www.wiley.com/en-us/Postcolonial+Studies%3A+An+Anthology-p-9781118780985.

Once you’re through with writing and citing, run your paper through our innovative plagiarism checker ! It’s the editor of your dreams and provides suggestions for improvement.

Sources Without Page Numbers and Online Sources

When a source has no page numbers, which is often the case with long web page articles, e-books, and numerous other source types, do not include any page number information in the body of the project. Do not estimate or invent your own page numbering system for the source. If there aren’t any page numbers, omit this information from the MLA in-text citation. There may, however, be paragraph numbers included in some sources. If there are distinct and clear paragraph numbers directly on the source, replace the page number with this information. Make it clear to the reader that the source is organized by paragraphs by using “par.” before the paragraph number, or use “pars.” if the information is from more than one paragraph.

Here is an example of how to create an MLA parenthetical citation for a website

“She ran through the field with the wind blowing in her hair and a song through the breeze” (Jackson par. 5).

Here’s an example of an MLA citation in prose for a website

In Brenner’s meeting notes, he further shared his motivation to actively seek out and secure self help resources when he announced, “When we looked at statistical evidence, the most commonly checked out section of the library was self-help. This proves that patrons consistently seek out help for personal issues and wish to solve them with the help of the community’s resources” (pars. 2-3).

Here’s another MLA in-text citation example for a website

Holson writes about a new mindful app, which provides listeners with the soothing sound of not only Bob Ross’ voice, but also the “soothing swish of his painter’s brush on canvas.”

In above example, the information normally found in the parentheses is omitted since there aren’t any page, parentheses, or chapter numbers on the website article.

Looking for APA citation website examples? We have what you need on EasyBib.com!

Need an in-text or parenthetical citation MLA website? Check out EasyBib Plus on EasyBib.com! Also, check out MLA Citation Website , which explains how to create references for websites.

Citing the Same Source Multiple Times

It may seem redundant to constantly include an author’s name in the body of a research project or paper. If you use an author’s work in one section of your project, and the next piece of information included is by the same individual(s), then it is not necessary to share in-text, whether in prose or in parentheses, that both items are from the same author. It is acceptable to include the last name of the author in the first use, and in the second usage, only a page number needs to be included.

Here is an example of how to cite the same source multiple times

“One of the major tests is the Project for Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills. This measurement was developed over four years as a joint partnership between the Association of Research Libraries and Kent State University” (Tong and Moran 290). This exam is just one of many available to measure students’ information literacy skills. It is fee-based, so it is not free, but the results can provide stakeholders, professors, curriculum developers, and even librarians and library service team members with an understanding of students’ abilities and misconceptions. It is not surprising to read the results, which stated that “upper-level undergraduate students generally lack information literacy skills as evidenced by the results on this specific iteration of the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills test” (295).

The reader can assume that the information in the second quote is from the same article as the first quote. If, in between the two quotes, a different source is included, Tong and Moran’s names would need to be added again in the last quote.

Here is the full reference at the end of the project:

Tong, Min, and Carrie Moran. “Are Transfer Students Lagging Behind in Information Literacy?” Reference Services Review , vol. 45, no. 2, 2017, pp. 286-297. ProQuest , ezproxy.nypl.org/login?url=//search-proquest-com.i.ezproxy.nypl.org/docview/1917280148?accountid=35635.

Citing Two or More Sources in the Same In-text Citation

According to section 6.30 of the Handbook , parenthetical citations containing multiple sources in a single parenthesis should be separated by semicolons.

(Granger 5; Tsun 77) (Ruiz 212; Diego 149)

Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author in One In-text Citation

Just as you might want to cite two different sources at the same time, it can also be useful to cite different works by the same author all at once.

Section 6.30 of the Handbook specifies that “citations of different locations in a single source are separated by commas” (251).

(Maeda 59, 174-76, 24) (Kauffman 7, 234, 299)

Furthermore, if you are citing multiple works by the same author, the titles should be joined by and if there are only two. Otherwise, use commas and and .

(Murakami, Wild Sheep Chase and Norwegian Wood ) (Murakami, Wild Sheep Chase , Norwegian Wood , and “With the Beatles”)

Abbreviating Titles

When listing the titles, be aware that long titles in parenthetical citations can distract the reader and cause confusion. It will be necessary to shorten the titles appropriately for in-text citations. According to the Handbook , “shorten the title if it is longer than a noun phrase” (237). The abbreviated title should begin with the word by which the title is alphabetized.

Best practice is to give the first word the reference is listed by so the source is easily found in the works cited. Omit articles that start a title: a, an, the. When possible, use the first noun (and any adjectives before it). For more on titles and their abbreviations, head to section 6.10 of the Handbook .

• Full title :  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 
• Abbreviated: Curious
• Full title:  The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks 
• Abbreviated:  Disreputable History

Religious Works and Scriptures

There are instances when religious works are italicized in the text of a project, and times when it is not necessary to italicize the title.

If you’re referring to the general religious text, such as the Bible, Torah, or Qur’an, it is not necessary to italicize the name of the scripture in the body of the project. If you’re referring to a specific edition of a religious text, then it is necessary to italicize it, both in text and in the full reference.

Here are some commonly used editions:

• King James Bible
• The Orthodox Jewish Bible
• American Standard Bible
• The Steinsaltz Talmud
• The Babylonian Talmud
• New International Bible

When including a reference, do not use page numbers from the scripture. Instead, use the designated chapter numbers and verse numbers.

MLA example of an in-text citation for a religious scripture

While, unacceptable in today’s society, the Bible is riddled with individuals who have two, three, and sometimes four or more spouses. One example in the King James Bible , states that an individual “had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children” (1 Sam. 1.2)

The only religious scripture that is allowed to be in the text of a project, but not in the Works Cited list, is the Qur’an. There is only one version of the Qur’an. It is acceptable to include the name of the Qur’an in the text, along with the specific chapter and verse numbers.

If you’re attempting to create a reference for a religious work, but it’s not considered a “classic” religious book, such as a biography about Mother Teresa , or a book about Muhammed Ali’s conversion, then a reference in the text and also on the final page of the project is necessary.

If you’re creating an APA bibliography , you do not need to create a full reference for classic religious works on an APA reference page .

For another MLA in-text citation website and for more on the Bible and other source types, click here .

Long or Block Quotes

Quotes longer than four lines are called, “block quotes.” Block quotes are sometimes necessary when you’re adding a lengthy piece of information into your project. If you’d like to add a large portion of Martin Luther King ’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a lengthy amount of text from a Mark Twain book, or multiple lines from Abraham Lincoln ’s Gettysburg Address, a block quote is needed.

MLA block quotes are formatted differently than shorter quotes in the body of a project. Why? The unique formatting signals to the reader that they’re about to read a lengthy quote.

Block quotes are called block quotes because they form their own block of text. They are set apart from the body of a project with different spacing and margins.

Begin the block quote on a new line. The body of the full project should run along the one inch margin, but the block quote should be set in an inch and a half. The entire quote should be along the inch and a half margin.

If there aren’t any quotation marks in the text itself, do not include any in the block quote. This is very different than standard reference rules. In most cases, quotation marks are added around quoted material. For block quotes, since the reader can see that the quoted material sits in its own block, it is not necessary to place quotation marks around it.

Here is an MLA citation in prose example of a block quote

Despite Bruchac’s consistent difficult situations at home, basketball kept his mind busy and focused:

When I got off the late bus that afternoon, my grandparents weren’t home. The store was locked and there was a note from Grama on the house door. Doc Magovern had come to the house because Grampa was “having trouble with his blood.” Now they were off to the hospital and I “wasn’t to worry.” This had happened before. Grampa had pernicious anemia and sometimes was very sick. So, naturally, it worried the pants off me. I actually thought about taking my bike down the dreaded 9N the three miles to the Saratoga Hospital. Instead, I did as I knew they wanted. I opened the store and waited for customers. None came, though, and my eye was caught by the basketball stowed away as usual behind the door. I had to do something to take my mind off what was happening to Grampa. I took out the ball and went around the side. (13)

Notice the use of the colon prior to the start of the block quote. Do not use a colon if the block quote is part of the sentence above it.

Here is an example of the same block quote, without the use of the colon:

Despite Bruchac’s consistent difficult situations at home, it was clear that basketball kept his mind busy and focused when he states

When I get off the late bus that afternoon, my grandparents weren’t home…

If two or more paragraphs are included in your block quote, start each paragraph on a new line.

Looking for additional helpful websites? Need another MLA in-text citation website? Check out the style in the news . We also have other handy articles, guides, and posts to help you with your research needs. Here’s one on how to write an MLA annotated bibliography .

Visit our EasyBib Twitter feed to discover more citing tips, fun grammar facts, and the latest product updates.

If you’re looking for information on styling an APA citation , EasyBib.com has the guides you need!

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Published October 31, 2011. Updated July 5, 2021.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

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

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
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• View all MLA Examples

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In MLA style, if multiple sources have the same author , the titles should be joined by and if there are only two. Otherwise, use commas and and .

• In-text citation: (Austen Emma and Mansfield Park )
• Structure: (Last name 1st Source’s title and 2nd Source’s title )
• In-text citation: (Leung et al. 58)

If the author is a corporate entity or organization, included the name of the corporate entity or organization in the in-text citation.

• In-text citation: (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2)

Yes, there’s an option to download source citations as a Word Doc or a Google Doc. You may also copy citations from the EasyBib Citation Generator and paste them into your paper.

Yes! Whether you’d like to learn how to construct citations on your own, our Autocite tool isn’t able to gather the metadata you need, or anything in between, manual citations are always an option. Click here for directions on using creating manual citations.

An in-text citation is a shortened version of the source being referred to in the paper. As the name implies, it appears in the text of the paper. A works cited list entry, on the other hand, details the complete information of the source being cited and is listed within the works cited list at the end of the paper after the main text. The in-text citation is designed to direct the reader to the full works cited list entry. An example of an in-text citation and the corresponding works cited list entry for a journal article with one author is listed below:

In-text citation template and example:

Only the author surname (or the title of the work if there is no author) is used in in-text citations to direct the reader to the corresponding reference list entry. For citations in prose, use the first name and surname of the author for the first occurrence. In subsequent citations, use only the surname. In parenthetical citations, always use only the surname of the author. If you are directly quoting the source, the page number should also be included in the in-text citation.

Citation in prose:

First mention: Christopher Collins ….

Subsequent occurrences: Collins ….

Parenthetical:

….(Collins)

….(Collins 5)

Works cited list entry template and example:

The title of the article is in plain text and title case and is placed inside quotation marks. The title of the journal is set in italics.

Surname, F. “Title of the Article.” Journal Title , vol. #, no. #, Publication Date, page range.

Collins, Christopher. “On Posthuman Materiality: Art-Making as Rhizomatic Rehearsal.” Text and Performance Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 2, 2019, pp. 153–59.

Note that because the author’s surname (Collins) was included in the in-text citation, the reader would then be able to easily locate the works cited list entry since the entry begins with the author’s surname.

An in-text citation is a short citation that is placed next to the text 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: as a citation in prose or a parenthetical citation.

Citations in prose are incorporated into the text and act as a part of the sentence. Usually, citations in prose use the author’s full name when cited the first time in the text. Thereafter, only the surname is used. Avoid including the middle initial even if it is present in the works-cited-list entry.

Parenthetical

Parenthetical citations add only the author’s surname at the end of the sentence in parentheses.

Examples of in-text citations

Here are a few tips to create in-text citations for sources with various numbers and types 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 only the surname of the author in parenthetical citations.

First mention: Sheele John asserts …. (7).

Subsequent occurrences: John argues …. (7).

…. (John 7).

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 authors’ surnames in parenthetical citations. Use “and” to separate the two authors in parenthetical citations.

First mention: Katie Longman and Clara Sullivan ….

Subsequent occurrences: Longman and Sullivan ….

…. ( Longman and Sullivan).

Three or more authors

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

Lincy Mathew and colleagues…. or Lincy Mathew and others ….

…. (Mathew et al.).

Corporate author

For citations in prose, treat the corporate author like you would treat the author’s name. For parenthetical citations, shorten the organization name to the shortest noun phrase. For example, shorten the Modern Language Association of America to Modern Language Association.

The Literary Society of Malaysia….

…. (Literary Society).

If there is no author for the source, use the source’s 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 of the title. If the source title is longer than a noun phrase, use a shortened version of the title. For example, shorten the title Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to Fantastic Beasts .

Knowing Body of Work explains …. (102).

….( Knowing Body 102).

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Writing with artificial intelligence, mla format example: sample mla format essay.

• © 2023 by Barbara McLain - The Out-of-Door Academy

Below is a sample essay in MLA format.

Sample MLA Essay

Barbara McLain

Dr. Joe Moxley

Linguistics

10 May 2022

The Pronoun Controversy

The way we use pronouns—in particular the use of the traditionally plural pronouns they/them in reference to individuals—has recently been the subject of intense debate and even outrage. This furor over pronoun use feels very current, but linguistic scholars will tell you that the disagreement is almost 700 years old [1] . [BM1]  The initial emergence of controversy was purely grammatical: English is lacking an important part of speech. Pronouns are paired with antecedents, the more specific nouns that precede them. But a problem arises when a sentence uses a singular gender-neutral common noun (like student, official, or customer) because English does not have a singular gender-neutral pronoun to pair with these words. The available pronouns that agree in number with our many gender-neutral common nouns ask you to assume that students are all either male or female (“he” or “she”). [BM2]  The pronoun debate that we are seeing litigated in the court of public opinion, however, isn’t really a grammatical debate so much as a social one. This is also not new. Pronouns have found themselves at the center of  a values debate since the suffragist movement almost 200 years ago.

In the absence of a singular gender-neutral pronoun, grammarians decreed that masculine pronouns—he, him, and his—could also be used generically to refer to both males and females. But this choice amounted to more than a fussy rule for grammar sticklers. Dr. Dennis Baron, professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois and author of What’s Your Pronoun , [BM3]   cites the 1871 Dictionary Act  as the moment the generic “he” was written into law: “[W]ords importing the masculine gender may be applied to females [Statutes at Large, 41st Congress, session III, ch. 71, p. 431]” (qtd. in Baron “On the Birthday”). [BM4]   The dual use of a pronoun was not unheard of (“you”, for instance, can be both singular and plural), but this dual use did create ambiguity, especially with regard to the interpretation of the law. Of particular importance is the word “may,” which signified that the courts had discretion in determining when the use of “he” applied also to women, and when it did not. [BM5]  

Perhaps not coincidentally, prior to the passage of the Dictionary Act, in 1869 suffragists argued that if the use of the generic “he” in criminal law applied to women, then the generic “he” in voting law should apply to women as well (Baron, “On the Birthday”). [BM6]  Given that 19 th amendment would not be ratified for another 60 years, this argument was clearly unsuccessful at the time. Because “he” could be either masculine or generic, it was up to our courts to interpret its use.  Surprising no one, the courts determined that “he” in laws regarding punitive measures like jailable offenses and paying taxes applied generically, while “he” in laws related to the right to vote, the right to practice law, and the right to run for congress (among many others) applied only to men. This uneven application of the generic “he” reveals something important about the pronoun debate: It has never been a debate about grammar.  The rules regarding pronouns are inextricably tied to issues of gender and power, rights and equality. [BM7]  But the grammatical inconvenience of this missing part of speech resulted in calls for a gender-neutral singular pronouns predating even the suffragist movement. The singular “they” first appeared in writing in 1370 and in 1792, a Scottish economist suggested adopting “ou” as a gender-neutral singular pronoun (Baron, “Pronoun Showdown”).         Many alternatives have since been proposed, but none have had staying power.

In the absence of a widely accepted alternative [BM8]  , students were instructed, as noted above, to default to male singular pronouns in these cases. For example, if a student wishes to be excused from physical education, he must submit an appeal to the school board. The generic “he,” hilariously described by Baron as “the grammatical equivalent of manspreading,” dates back centuries, and the reason for its adoption had little to do with clarity (“Pronoun Showdown”). Baron quotes John Lyly on this subject in 1567: “The Masculine Gender is more worthy than the Feminine, and Feminine more worthy than the Neuter” ( qtd. in Baron, “Pronoun Showdown”).

More appalling than this reasoning is the fact that this solution remained the standard until the late 20th century, when the rule evolved into the more inclusive but much clunkier “he or she.” E.g. If a student wishes to be excused from physical education, he or she must submit an appeal to the school board. Even as late as 1985, though, only about half of editors surveyed preferred “he or she” over the generic “he”(Watkins).  Beyond syntactic awkwardness, this option is also not fully inclusive. “He or she” excludes those who fall outside the gender binary.

Another option is to change the structure of the sentence to avoid the problem. E.g. If students wish to be excused from physical education, they must submit an appeal to the school board. However, writing around the problem is not always possible. The fact is that the lack of an ungendered singular pronoun is a failure of the English language, and the question of how to deal with it continues to be polarizing, with no option whipping up a fury otherwise unheard of in discussion of grammar than the option to adapt “they” to be both plural and singular. [BM9]  

Critics of the use of the singular “they” have existed since its inception. Baron notes that in 1794, after being criticized by writer Don Alonzo for using the singular “they,” writers of the offending passage offered this arch reply: “With regard to our using the plural pronoun “them” . . . — as we wished to conceal the gender, we would ask . . . Don [Alonzo] to coin us a substitute”(Baron, “Pronoun Showdown”). Aside from a feeble call for change in The Atlantic in 1879 (Baron, “Pronoun Showdown”), the writing community seemed to side with Mr. Alonzo. As of 1985, newspaper and magazine editors surveyed continued to be overwhelmingly against the use of the singular “they” (Watkins). [BM10]  

Pronouns Today

The tide appears, at long last, to be turning. Indeed “they” was the Merriam-Webster word of the year in 2019 (“Word of the Year”). [BM11]  Dr. Baron argues that the singular “they” is ideal, as it sounds natural enough that many people accidentally use it already and the larger writing community agrees. The Washington Post , which follows its own style guide, was an early adopter, switching to the use the singular “they” in 2015 (Andrews). The MLA and APA eventually followed suit to fully endorsed the singular “they” as well.  The Associated Press, while still recommending writing around the need for a singular gender-neutral pronoun, has also okayed its use (Andrews). The Chicago Manual of Style stops short of a full endorsement, and like the AP suggests write-arounds (“Chicago Style”). They are unanimous, however, in their endorsement of using the singular “they” in reference to specific people. This is important:  If a person’s preferred pronouns are they/them, the stylebooks agree that the use of the singular “they” is not just polite but correct.

There are, naturally, still detractors. For those who argue against the singular “they” on grammatical grounds, I think it’s safe to say they have missed the point.  First, the English language is evolving and has always done so. The rate at which words disappear from our lexicon is eclipsed only by the rate at which new words are added. An average of 800-1000 new words are added to English dictionaries every year (“Updates to the OED”). Some of this has to do with objects we no longer use (like floppy disks), and some words simply become unfashionable (like groovy). Old English bears only a passing resemblance to its youngest descendant, and even early modern English seems foreign enough to induce genuine anxiety in teenagers toting Shakespeare home in their backpacks each night. [BM12]  

And the changes are not limited to our vocabulary—our grammar changes, too (albeit more slowly). “You” for instance, was initially plural (along with “ye”, while “thee” and “thou” were the corresponding singular pronouns). Eventually “you” became singular as well, and supplanted the other pronouns (Yagoda). It is hard to understand how anyone who studies language enough to harbor strong opinions about grammar could find merit in the argument that English shouldn’t change.

Second, our language is a reflection of our culture, and this is where the real debate lives. The generic “he” emerged as a way of subjugating women, deemed “less worthy” so many years ago. It was used to write women out of the law and out of participation in public life. Today’s debate is a new version of the same song [BM13]  . When critics of the singular “they” insist on limiting us to “he” or “she,” it is an attempt to write everyone who falls outside of the gender binary not just out of participation, but out of existence.

But take heart. In the end, our language is not swayed by calls, no matter how fervent, to freeze in time. Our language changes as we do, and we have changed. The position of the major stylebooks is not a harbinger of what is to come. It is a record of a change that is already here.

[1] Dr. Dennis Baron in “Pronoun Showdown” argues the first use of the singular “they” appeared in writing in 1370, and the first call for an alternative pronoun appeared in 1792.

  [BM1] This is an example of an explanatory footnote, which MLA recommends using sparingly.

  [BM2] Introductions are serve two purposes: 1) to introduce any relevant background and 2) to establish the argument. This section provides important explanation and context.

  [BM3] When using a source for the first time, best practice is to fully introduce the source to establish it as credible.

  [BM4] Sources that reference outside research can be cited with the addition of “qtd. in” in the parenthetical citation.

  [BM5] An important part of analysis is often looking closely at the impact of language choices. This analysis takes a closer look at the significance of the word “may” in the preceding evidence.

  [BM6] When you’ve used two sources by the same author, include the title along with the author’s last name.

  [BM7] Analysis should do more than summarize the information in the quote. In this example, the analysis connects the way pronouns are treated in law to the central argument about the social implications of grammatical choices.

  [BM8] One method for effective transitions to is make a clear connection between the last issue addressed and the issue to come. In this case, the previous paragraph ended with a discussion of alternative pronouns, and so the paragraph that follows begins by explaining how the lack of alternative pronouns led to the generic masculine.

  [BM9] The end of this paragraph serves as a transition to the next. The writer introduces the issue in preparation for the following paragraph, which explains how long the issue has been polarizing.

  [BM10] Rather than looking at evidence in isolation, try to synthesize it in a way that highlights the relationship between multiple sources.

  [BM11] When a source has no author, cite the title (or an abbreviated version of the title).

  [BM12] While using evidence from experts is important, it’s also valid—and important—to use your own knowledge or reasoning to make a point. In this case, the writer doesn’t need an expert to tell them that the English language has evolved. She can tell just by looking at old, middle, early modern, and modern English.

  [BM13] When writing argumentative rather than expository writing, the evidence you introduce should be more than informational. In this case, the writer introduced the way the generic masculine was used to exclude women in law for the purpose of drawing a parallel later in the argument to reasons behind today’s debate.

Andrews, Travis M. “The Singular, Gender-Neutral ‘They’ Add to Associated Press Stylebook.” The Washington Post. 28 March 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/03/28/the-singular-gender-neutral-they-added-to-the-associated-press-stylebook/.

Baron, Dennis. “On the birthday of the (legal) generic masculine, let’s declare it legally dead.”  The Web of Language , 24 Feb. 2016, https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/331699.

—. “Pronoun Showdown: Gender Neutrality and Neutral Pronouns in Language.” 11 April 2016. University of Illinois/Facebook. http://faculty.las.illinois.edu/debaron/essays/Pronoun_showdown_2016.pdf

“Chicago Style for the Singular They.” CMOS Shop Talk : From the Chicago Manual of Style . 3

April 2017, https://cmosshoptalk.com/2017/04/03/chicago-style-for-the-singular-they/. Accessed 25 April 2022.

Meyers, Miriam Watkins. “Current Generic Pronoun Usage: An Empirical Study.”  American Speech , vol. 65, no. 3, [Duke University Press, American Dialect Society], 1990, pp. 228–37, https://doi.org/10.2307/455911.

“Updates to the OED.” The Oxford English Dictionary . https://public.oed.com/updates/. Accessed 23 April 2022.

“Word of the Year: They.” Merriam-Webster’s Words of the Year. 2019. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-of-the-year-2019-they/they.

Yagoda, Ben. “’You’, ‘Thou’ or ‘Ye’: An Outline of the Modern Usage of the All-Purpose Second Person in English.” Principa Toscuola . 9 July 2019, https://principatoscuola.it/you-thou-or-ye-an-outline-of-the-modern-usage-of-the-all-purpose-second-person-in-english/. When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It: The Parts of Speech, For Better an/or Worse, Broadway Books, 2007.

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MLA Citation Guide (9th edition) : Works Cited and Sample Papers

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Quick Rules for an MLA Works Cited List

Your research paper ends with a list of all the sources cited in your paper. Here are some quick rules for this Works Cited list:

• Begin the works cited list on a new page after the text.
• Name it "Works Cited," and center the section label in bold at the top of the page.
• Order the reference list alphabetically by author's last name.
• Double-space the entire list (both within and between entries).
• Apply a hanging indent of 0.5 in. to each entry. This means that the first line of the reference is flush left and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 in. from the left margin.

Sample Paper with Works Cited List

The Modern Language Association (MLA) has compiled  several sample papers  that include explanations of the elements and formatting in MLA 9th edition. 

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MLA Title Page: Format and Template   This resource discusses the correct format for title pages in MLA style and includes examples.

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Online MLA Citation Resources

• Official MLA Style Center The official website for MLA style, hosted by the Modern Language Association. The MLA Style Center does not contain the full text of the handbook, although it walks users through the process of creating an entry in the works cited list. It also has a robust Q&A section for user-submitted questions.
• Excelsior Writing Lab Citation examples, videos, and formatting guides for MLA style.
• Purdue Online Writing Lab Online writing lab with formatting tips and sample papers. The "Cite your source automatically" feature on Purdue Owl pages is part of another website, and not recommended.

What is MLA Style?

MLA (Modern Language Association) style for documentation is widely used in the humanities, especially in writing on language and literature. MLA style features brief parenthetical citations in the text keyed to an alphabetical list of works cited that appears at the end of the work. (Source: Official MLA website)

Core Elements

Each entry in the list of works cited is composed of facts common to most works—the MLA core elements. They are assembled in a specific order.

The concept of containers is crucial to MLA style. When the source being documented forms part of a larger whole, the larger whole can be thought of as a container that holds the source. For example, a short story may be contained in an anthology. The short story is the source, and the anthology is the container.  (Source: MLA)

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Examples of MLA Style

In-text Citation

In-text citations provide relevant source information, usually in parentheses, whenever a sentence includes a direct quotation or paraphrase. The source information provided can depend on the type of source you are citing but MUST directly correspond to the source information in your Works Cited page. Typically you will provide Author and Location in your in-text citation.

Creating a Works Cited Page

With MLA style, you must include a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. A Works Cited page is an alphabetical listing of the resources cited in your paper. Below are some examples of MLA style citations.

These are examples of MLA style, there are many factors to consider for each citation and other types of sources that aren't covered on this site. Please consult the Handbook or a librarian for more authoritative assistance with citations

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Note: We have chosen to include the date of access for the online sources below. The latest MLA guidelines specify that this is optional, but strongly recommended for sources whose date of publication is unavailable.

Note also: The citation for  An Inconvenient Truth  below assumes the film has been cited by its title in the text. If it had been cited by the name of its director, the citation would need to begin with Guggenheim's surname. MLA guidelines specify that both styles are acceptable (see, e.g., this  "Ask the MLA" page ).

Works Cited

Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." The New York Times , 22 May 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/science/earth/22ander.html?_r=0. Accessed 29 May 2019.

Ebert, Roger. Review of  An Inconvenient Truth , directed by Davis Guggenheim.  Ebert Digital LLC , 1 June 2006, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-inconvenient-truth-2006. Accessed 15 June 2019.

Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-Organized Extinction: Toward a Co-Evolutionary Economics of Sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, vol. 14, no. 1, 2007, pp. 27-36.

Harris, Rob, and Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.”  The New York Times , 17 May 2007, www.nytimes.com/video/world/americas/1194817109438/clinton-on-climate-change.html. Accessed 29 July 2016.

An Inconvenient Truth . Directed by Davis Guggenheim, Paramount, 2006.

Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology . Springer, 2005.

Milken, Michael, et al. "On Global Warming and Financial Imbalances." New Perspectives Quarterly , vol. 23, no. 4, 2006, p. 63.

Nordhaus, William D. "After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global Warming." American Economic Review , vol. 96, no. 2, 2006, pp. 31-34.

---. "Global Warming Economics." Science, vol. 294, no. 5545, 9 Nov. 2001, pp. 1283-84, DOI: 10.1126/science.1065007.

Regas, Diane. “Three Key Energy Policies That Can Help Us Turn the Corner on Climate.” Environmental Defense Fund , 1 June 2016, www.edf.org/blog/2016/06/01/3-key-energy-policies-can-help-us-turn-corner-climate. Accessed 19 July 2016.

Revkin, Andrew C. “Clinton on Climate Change.” The New York Times , 17 May 2007, www.nytimes.com/video/world/americas/1194817109438/clinton-on-climate-change.html. Accessed 29 July 2016.

Shulte, Bret. "Putting a Price on Pollution." US News & World Report , vol. 142, no. 17, 14 May 2007, p. 37. Ebsco, Access no: 24984616.

Uzawa, Hirofumi. Economic Theory and Global Warming . Cambridge UP, 2003.

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• The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples

The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples

Published on March 14, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on February 28, 2024.

An in-text citation is a short acknowledgement you include whenever you quote or take information from a source in academic writing. It points the reader to the source so they can see where you got your information.

In-text citations most commonly take the form of short parenthetical statements indicating the author and publication year of the source, as well as the page number if relevant.

We also offer a free citation generator and in-depth guides to the main citation styles.

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Table of contents

What are in-text citations for, when do you need an in-text citation, types of in-text citation, frequently asked questions about in-text citations.

The point of an in-text citation is to show your reader where your information comes from. Including citations:

• Avoids plagiarism by acknowledging the original author’s contribution
• Allows readers to verify your claims and do follow-up research
• Shows you are engaging with the literature of your field

Academic writing is seen as an ongoing conversation among scholars, both within and between fields of study. Showing exactly how your own research draws on and interacts with existing sources is essential to keeping this conversation going.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

An in-text citation should be included whenever you quote or paraphrase a source in your text.

Quoting means including the original author’s words directly in your text, usually introduced by a signal phrase . Quotes should always be cited (and indicated with quotation marks), and you should include a page number indicating where in the source the quote can be found.

Paraphrasing means putting information from a source into your own words. In-text citations are just as important here as with quotes, to avoid the impression you’re taking credit for someone else’s ideas. Include page numbers where possible, to show where the information can be found.

However, to avoid over-citation, bear in mind that some information is considered common knowledge and doesn’t need to be cited. For example, you don’t need a citation to prove that Paris is the capital city of France, and including one would be distracting.

Different types of in-text citation are used in different citation styles . They always direct the reader to a reference list giving more complete information on each source.

Author-date citations (used in APA , Harvard , and Chicago author-date ) include the author’s last name, the year of publication, and a page number when available. Author-page citations (used in MLA ) are the same except that the year is not included.

Both types are divided into parenthetical and narrative citations. In a parenthetical citation , the author’s name appears in parentheses along with the rest of the information. In a narrative citation , the author’s name appears as part of your sentence, not in parentheses.

Note: Footnote citations like those used in Chicago notes and bibliography are sometimes also referred to as in-text citations, but the citation itself appears in a note separate from the text.

An in-text citation is an acknowledgement you include in your text whenever you quote or paraphrase a source. It usually gives the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number of the relevant text. In-text citations allow the reader to look up the full source information in your reference list and see your sources for themselves.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.

• APA Style is the most popular citation style, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.
• MLA style is the second most popular, used mainly in the humanities.
• Chicago notes and bibliography style is also popular in the humanities, especially history.
• Chicago author-date style tends to be used in the sciences.

Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.

The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.

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