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Citation : MLA 8: In-text citation

General guidelines

  • Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry.

​​​​​​​i.e. Reference/Citation in your Works Cited List (bibliography).

  • MLA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith).

In-text citation examples

Author’s name in text/line

Sellers had expressed that the market changed in the 17th century (91-92).

Author’s name in reference

… Seller's view on economic growth is not widely embraced among Historians (Cassell 9).

Two authors of a work

The literature also indicates (Hamilton and Spruill 231) that modest improvements have been made to training programs

Three or more authors of a work Research confirms that one cause of obesity in the US is government-funded farm subsidies (Franck et al. 327) 

The same author in Two locations

Seller's market and democracy theory does have merit (91-92, 261).

Multiple Sources by the Same Author (Haynes, Noah's Curse 84) & (Haynes, The Last Segregated Hour 57) [if no page number, then only author and short titles]

Two authors' works cited in one go

Market and democracy theory does have merit and challenges (Sellers 198; Salzman 38)

References to volumes and pages

(Crowell 4: 19-22)

Corporate authors [in personal authorship]

(Chrysler Group, 2009 Annual Report 36-39)

Work with no author

(Time 19). [use the title of the article or website]

Multiple Authors Intext-citation

When citing works by multiple authors, always spell out the word "and". When a source has three or more authors, only the first one shown in the source is normally given followed by "et al."

Two authors: (Gass and Varonis 67)

Works Cited entry:
Gass, Susan, and Evangeline M. Varonis. "The Effect of Familiarity on the Comprehensibility of Nonnative Speech."Language Learning, vol. 34, no. 1, 1984, pp. 65-89.

Three or more authors: (Munro et al. 70)

Works Cited entry:
Munro, Murray J., et al. "Salient Accents, Covert Attitudes: Consciousness-raising for Pre-service Second Language Teachers." Prospect, vol. 21, no. 1, 2006, pp. 67-79.

Citing website pages In-text

Cite web pages in text as you would any other source, using the author if known. If the author is unknown, use the title as the in-text citation.

Your in-text citation should lead your reader to the corresponding entry in the Works Cited List. Below are examples of using in-text citations with web pages:

An entire website with one author:
In-text citation
Parents play an essential role in helping children learn techniques for coping with bullying (Kraiser).

Reference entry
Kraizer, Sherryll. Safe Child. Coalition for Children, 2011, www.safechild.org.

Web page with no author:
In-text citation
Penn State football player Joe Mason coined the term Nittany Lion in 1904 ("All Things Nittany").

Reference entry
"All Things Nittany." About Penn State. Penn State University, 2006, www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html.

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