The two types of citations in MLA format are the in-text citation (sometimes called the parenthetical citation) and the reference citation.
The in-text citation appears in the body of the paper and contains only the author's last name and page number. The reference citation appears on the Works Cited page and contains publication information about the source.
| In-text citation: (Herbert 225) |
| Reference citation: Herbert, Frank. Dune. Ace Books, 1965. |
Use an in-text citation for all direct quotes and paraphrases of material from outside sources.
Every source cited in an MLA formatted paper should have a full reference citation on the Works Cited page and at least one in-text citation in the body of the paper. The in-text citation will always begin with the first word in the reference citation (usually the author's last name), to help the reader find the source of all quoted and paraphrased material.
Style tip: in academic papers, always refer to authors of outside sources using either their full name or last name only.
✅ Right: Frank Herbert describes the eyes of the natives of Arrakis as "blue within blue within blue" (132).
✅ Right: Herbert describes the eyes of the natives of Arrakis as "blue within blue within blue" (132).
❌ Wrong: Frank describes the eyes of the natives of Arrakis as "blue within blue within blue" (132).
In-text citations are used within the body of your paper to direct the reader to the entry on the Works Cited page that a cited quote or paraphrase comes from. In-text citations are sometimes called parenthetical citations, because they appear in parentheses at the end of a sentence which contains the information being cited.
MLA style in-text citations use an author-page number format. This means the author's name and the page number from which the information comes should both be included in your text.
This can be done a few different ways. In Example 1, both the author's last name and the page number of the quoted material are given in the in-text citation.
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Example 1: In Dune, Paul Atreides recites a mantra called the Litany Against Fear, which begins with the words "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer" (Herbert 15). |
In Example 2, the author's name appears in the text of the sentence, and the page number of the quoted material appears in the in-text citation.
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Example 2: In Dune, Herbert introduces the use of a mantra called the Litany Against Fear, beginning with the words "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer" (15). |
Sentence-ending punctuation should go after the last parenthesis of an in-text citation.
✅ Right: On Arrakis, Paul begins to experience the ability to see future events (Harris 202).
❌ Wrong: On Arrakis, Paul begins to experience the ability to see future events. (Harris 202).
This rule also applies when ending a sentence with a direct quote, even if the quoted material has a punctuation mark at the end.
✅ Right: On Arrakis, Paul realizes he has "another kind of sight" (Harris 202).
❌ Wrong: On Arrakis, Paul realizes he has "another kind of sight." (Harris 202).
The only time punctuation should appear inside quotation marks is if the quoted sentence ends in a question mark or exclamation point. The sentence should still retain the period after the closing parenthesis of the in-text citation.
✅ Right: Paul confronts Jessica in the desert, asking "what have you done to me?" (Harris 203).
❌ Wrong: Paul confronts Jessica in the desert, asking "what have you done to me" (Harris 203)?
There are two ways of including material from outside sources in the body of your paper. A direct quote uses the exact words of the outside source, and a paraphrase restates material from an outside source in your own words. Both direct quotes and paraphrases should be accompanied with in-text citations.
| Direct quote: In Dune, riding the sandworm makes Paul feel "exultant, like an emperor surveying his world" (Herbert 413). |
| Paraphrase: In Dune, Paul feels a sense of power and exhiliaration when riding the sandworm (Herbert 413). |
Style tip: Always use the present tense in academic papers unless you are referring to specific real-world events that occurred in the past.
Use the present tense to describe events in a fictional narrative.
✅ Right: Paul Atreides becomes the leader of Arrakis.
❌ Wrong: Paul Atreides became the leader of Arrakis.
Use the past tense to describe real events that happened in the past.
✅ Right: Dune was first published as a serial in Analog magazine in 1965.
❌ Wrong: Dune is first published as a serial in Analog magazine in 1965.
