Begin your in-text reference with the last name of the author you are citing. Place a comma after the author's name only if you are using APA style. If you are citing a source that has no known author, begin your reference with the title of the article.
List the year of publication followed by a comma if you are using APA citation style. If no date of publication is given, use "n.d." followed by a comma. Skip this step if you are using MLA citation style.
Conclude your citation with the page number you are referencing. If you are using APA citation style, place a lowercase "p" and a period before the page number.
Position your reference within parentheses directly after you quote or paraphrase. For example, an MLA style citation would appear as follows: One observer stated that confetti was "raining down like brimstone" (Smith 189). An APA style citation would differ slightly: One observer stated that confetti was "raining down like brimstone" (Smith, 2010, p. 189).
Omit the last name of the author from your reference if you have already mentioned the author by name in your sentence. This appears as follows in MLA style: Mr. Smith observed that confetti was "raining down like brimstone" (189). In APA style, this requires separating your in-text reference into two parts. The year of publication should be positioned after the author's name, and the page number should appear after the quote. For example: Mr. Smith (2010) observed that confetti was "raining down like brimstone" (p. 189).