How to Cite in the Body of a Work

In-text citations enable the reader to quickly identify sources to be located in the list of works cited at the end of the text. The two most commonly used in-text citation formats are from the Modern Language Association and American Psychological Association. Each style has different rules. The following guide adheres to the MLA format, which is typically used in the humanities.

Instructions

    • 1

      Write the quotation or paraphrase that will be cited. A quotation should begin with a quotation mark, followed by the quotation itself, and then end with another quotation mark, followed by the citation. With both direct quotes and paraphrasing, the citation should follow the last word in the sentence prior to any punctuation such as a period. With a direct quote, the citation should follow the closing quotation mark.

    • 2

      Type an opening parenthesis directly after the closing quotation mark.

    • 3

      Write the author's last name, followed by the page number of the quotation or paraphrase. According to the Online Writing Center at Purdue, if there is no known author, "use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (e.g. articles) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire websites) and provide a page number."

    • 4

      Type a closing parenthesis mark after the page number.

    • 5

      Insert a period after the citation to complete the in-text citation.

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