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Cite It Right!

Citation information to be used with the Cite It Right - Got Research? workshops

How Do I use MLA in-text Citations in my paper?

There are two parts to an in-text citation. 

  • the brief information in the text of the paper
  • the full citation on the Works Cited page

The brief information must lead your reader to the full citation on the Works Cited page.

For MLA In Text citations, you need two pieces of information when your writing includes someone else’s words, ideas, or facts.

1. For print sources (books and articles):

  •  the author's last name
  • the page number (if available)

2. For web based or media sources: use the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (for example: author name, article name, website name, film name).

Examples:

Book in-text citation-parenthetical style: 
Torvald betrays his mistrust of Nora when he asks if her “sweet tooth didn’t get the better” of her while she was shopping earlier (Ibsen 151).

Book in-text citation-narrative style: 
The playwright, Ibsen, shows how Torvald betrays his mistrust of Nora when he asks if her “sweet tooth didn’t get the better” of her while she was shopping earlier (151).

 

 

Find more examples of in-text citations using these links: