An MLA in-text citation uses the author’s last name and a page number, placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence: (Smith 42). That’s the core format, but the details change depending on how many authors a source has, whether you name the author in your sentence, and what type of source you’re citing. Here’s how to handle every common scenario.
The Basic Format
Every time you quote, paraphrase, or summarize someone else’s idea, you need a parenthetical citation that points the reader to the full entry on your Works Cited page. The standard pattern is the author’s last name followed by the page number, with no comma between them:
The study found that sleep deprivation reduces cognitive performance by up to 40% (Walker 107).
The period goes after the closing parenthesis, not before it. There’s no “p.” or “pg.” before the page number.
Naming the Author in Your Sentence
If you mention the author’s name in the sentence itself, you only need the page number in parentheses. This is called a signal phrase, and it often makes your writing flow more naturally:
Walker found that sleep deprivation reduces cognitive performance by up to 40% (107).
Both approaches are correct. Use whichever fits the rhythm of your paragraph. When you’re drawing on the same source for several sentences in a row, a signal phrase at the start can reduce the clutter of repeated parenthetical citations.
Two Authors
List both last names connected by “and,” either in the sentence or in the parentheses:
Best and Marcus argue that one should read a text for what it says on its surface, rather than looking for some hidden meaning (9).
Or, if you don’t name them in the sentence:
Surface reading looks at what is “evident, perceptible, apprehensible in texts” (Best and Marcus 9).
Three or More Authors
When a source has three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” (Latin for “and others”):
According to Franck et al., “Current agricultural policies in the U.S. are contributing to the poor health of Americans” (327).
Or in fully parenthetical form:
Government-funded farm subsidies have contributed to rising obesity rates (Franck et al. 327).
No Author Listed
When a source has no named author, use a shortened version of the title in place of the author’s name. Put article and webpage titles in quotation marks. Put book, film, and other standalone work titles in italics. Shorten to the first noun phrase so the reader can find the entry on your Works Cited page:
(“Impact of Climate Change” 14).
If your Works Cited list has two sources with the same title and no author, add clarifying information in brackets so the reader knows which one you mean, such as the name of the website or publication: (“Harry Houdini” [Encyclopedia.com]).
Corporate or Organization Authors
When an organization is the author, use the organization’s name in place of an individual’s name:
(American Heart Association 12).
Long organization names can be distracting in parentheses. You can abbreviate common words (such as “nat’l” for “national”) or work the full name into your sentence and put only the page number in parentheses:
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week (12).
Citing Indirect Sources
Sometimes you’ll find a quote in one source that originally came from a different source. If you can’t track down the original, use “qtd. in” (short for “quoted in”) before the source you actually read:
Ravitch argues that high schools are “ichools that fail to prepare students for higher education” (qtd. in Ansary 34).
This tells your reader that Ravitch said it, but you found it in Ansary’s work on page 34. Whenever possible, find the original source and cite it directly.
Multiple Works by the Same Author
If your Works Cited page includes two or more entries by the same author, a last name alone won’t tell the reader which work you mean. Add a shortened version of the title after the author’s name, separated by a comma:
(Morrison, Beloved 77).
(Morrison, Song of Solomon 15).
Sources Without Page Numbers
Many online articles, websites, and digital sources don’t have page numbers. In that case, simply use the author’s last name with no number:
(Garcia).
If the source uses numbered paragraphs, you can include the paragraph number with the abbreviation “par.” or “pars.”:
(Garcia, par. 4).
Don’t count paragraphs yourself to create a number. Only use paragraph numbers if the source explicitly numbers them.
Citing Videos, Podcasts, and Audio
For time-based media like YouTube videos, podcasts, and audiobooks, use a timestamp instead of a page number. Format timestamps as hours:minutes:seconds, and use a range to pinpoint the relevant segment:
(Acevedo, 01:32:44-58).
For shorter media like individual songs, the format is similar but may omit the hours:
(Franklin 0:12-15).
If you’re referencing the source as a whole rather than a specific moment, just use the creator’s name with no timestamp.
Quoting Versus Paraphrasing
Both direct quotes and paraphrases need in-text citations. The only formatting difference is that direct quotes of fewer than four lines go inside quotation marks within your paragraph, while longer quotes get set off as a block quote (indented half an inch from the left margin, with no quotation marks). For a block quote, the parenthetical citation goes after the final period, not before it:
This is a reversal of the normal rule, where the period follows the parenthetical citation. It’s a small detail that instructors notice.
Citing Multiple Sources at Once
If a single point is supported by more than one source, you can combine them in one set of parentheses, separated by semicolons:
(Smith 42; Jones 118; Patel 7).
Keep these to two or three sources. If you find yourself stacking more than that, consider moving some into the body of your sentence or a footnote to keep the text readable.