MLA Citation Guide

MLA In-Text the Basics

In MLA Style, when including a source you must include the following elements in your research paper:

• Author's Last Name
• The source is written in quotes or the source is paraphrased.
• Page Number

Please note that there are always exceptions to the rule, for example, if the source does not include a page number such as a website, then skip the element and only include the author's last name and quotation or paraphrase.

Examples of In-Text Citations

The following examples display in-text citations. Although all three examples are different they are still correct because they include the author's last name, quotation or paraphrase, and the page number.

Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).

Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

Source: "MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Purdue U, 2021,  owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html. Accessed 1 March 2022.