MLA Reference Sheet
“Quotations are effective in research papers when used selectively. Quote only words,
phrases, lines, and passages that are particularly interesting, vivid, unusual, or apt, and keep
all quotations as brief as possible. Over-quotation can bore your readers and might lead them
to conclude that you are neither an original thinker nor a skillful writer”
(MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 72).
 NOTE: A quotation is ANY sentence (line), or group of sentences (lines), taken
directly from a literary work. It is NOT ONLY something a character says.
Prose
1.
Place a comma after your quotation introduction (He says,). Then put quotation marks at
the beginning and end of sentences taken from a literary work. After the last quotation
mark, place in parentheses the number of the page from which the quotation is taken.
You do not write the word “page” before the number. Also, the period comes after the
parentheses.
Example: When Gene describes Finney’s attitude toward athletics, he states, “Nothing bad ever
happened in sports; they were the absolute good” (27).
2.
If your quotation introduction is a complete sentence, put a colon after it.
Example: Gene describes Finney’s attitude toward athletics: “Nothing bad ever happened in
sports; they were the absolute good” (27).
3.
When the quotation comes first, the period within the quotation becomes a comma.
Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” wrote Charles Dickens of the
eighteenth century (1).
4. You need not always reproduce complete sentences. Sometimes you may want to quote just a
word or a phrase as part of your sentence.
Example: For Charles Dickens, the eighteenth century was both “the best of times” and “the worst
of times” (1).
5.
In quoting a passage, you may want to eliminate words, phrases, or sentences that are not
useful to your paper. In this case, you may use an ellipsis, three periods with a space before
each period and after the last period ( . . . ). Keep in mind that the words remaining must be
grammatically correct and constitute a sentence.
Examples:
Original:
6.
Correct with an ellipsis:
Gene describes the surprisingly opulent interior of Devon
when he says, “But once you passed through the Colonial
doorways, . . . you entered an extravaganza of Pompadour
splendor” (102).
Incorrect with an ellipsis:
Gene describes the surprising opulent interior of Devon when
he says, “But once you passed through the Colonial . . . you
entered an extravaganza of Pompadour splendor” (102).
If you are citing a quotation that is something a character says/speaks, you cite it as
follows. NOTE the use of opening and closing quotation marks AND the use of speech
quotation marks.
Example:
7.
Gene describes the surprisingly opulent interior of Devon when he
says, “But once you passed through the Colonial doorways, with only
the occasional fan window or low relief pillar to suggest that a certain
muted adornment was permissible, you entered an extravaganza of
Pompadour splendor” (102).
Finny advises,“ ‘Always say some prayers at night because it might turn out that
there is a God’ ” (30).
If you are citing a quotation that ends in an exclamation point or a question, keep the end
mark and put the period after the parentheses. Notice the difference between this and the
example in number 6. You never use two periods.
Example: Finny says, “‘Knock him down! Are you crazy? He’s on my team!’ ” (30).
8.
If you are citing a quotation that is DIALOGUE (a conversation between two or more
characters), you create a new paragraph every time the speaker changes.
Example:
One day Gene and Finny decide not to go to class.
Finny says, “ ‘Let’s not go.’
‘Not go? But what’ll we use for an excuse?’
‘We’ll say I fainted from exertion on the way from chapel’ ” (103).
9.
If you cite a quotation that is 5 OR MORE TYPED LINES, the entire quotation must be
indented (tab once). Do not include quotation marks. Also, this is the only time the
period is placed before the parentheses.
Example:
Gene observes, the boardwalk ended and he moved a little ahead of me as we descended a sloping
path toward our first class. He picked his way with surprising care, surprising in anyone who
before had used the ground mainly as pint of departure, element in the suspended world of leaps
and space. And now I remembered what I had never taken any special note of before; how
Phineas used to walk. (103)
Poetry and Classical Verse (Shakespeare, for example)
1.
If you are citing lines from a poem or classical verse, omit page numbers altogether and
cite by division (Act, Scene, Book, Canto) and line, with a period separating the various
numbers. Be sure to insert one space after each number and after each period. The slash
(/) indicates the end of a line. Note: A) Initially use the word line(s); then, give the
numbers alone. B) The “2 . 2” in the first citation from a Shakespearean play refers to
Act 2, Scene 2.
Examples:
First citation of a poem:
In Robert Frost’s “A Road Not Taken” the speaker says, “Two
roads diverged in a yellow wood, / And sorry I could not
travel both” (lines 1-2).
Second citation of a poem:
At the end of the poem the speaker seems satisfied with his
decision when he says, “I took the one less traveled by, / And
that has made all the difference” (19-20).
First citation from a Shakespearean play:
Shakespeare’s Hamlet seems resolute when he declares, “The
Play’s the thing/Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king”
(2 . 2 . lines 633-34).
Second citation from a Shakespearean play: Hamlet’s final line is, “The rest is silence” (5. 2 . 511)
2.
If you are citing three or more lines, indent (tab once). NOTE this is different from prose.
However, all quotations that are set off from the rest of the text do not use quotation
marks, and the end punctuation comes before the parentheses.
Example:
In “J318”, Emily Dickinson uses personification and metaphor in her description
of the sunrise:
I’ll tell you how the sun roseA Ribbon at a time-
The Steeples swam in AmethystThe news, like squirrels, ranThe Hills untied their BonnetsThe Bobolinks – begunThen I softly said to myself‘That must have been the Sun’! (1-8)
Drama
1.
If you are citing lines from a play, the citation rules for prose apply.
2.
Remember, if you are citing stage directions or exposition, use standard quotation marks.
Example:
3.
Remember, if you are citing dialogue from just one speaker, you must also use
speech quotations.
Example:
4.
Miller warns the reader about Parris’ character: “In history he cut a villainous
path, and there is very little good to be said for him” (3).
Abigail pleads with Proctor: “ ‘Give me a word, John. A soft word’ ” (22).
Exception: If you are citing any number of lines from a dialogue between two or more
characters, set the quotation off from the rest of your text. Note: the characters’ names
are typed in all capital letters and there are evenly spaced tabs before each character’s
name and before the dialogue.
Example: Tom takes time to give Laura advice:
TOM:
You should really work on your self-confidence
issues.
LAURA:
I know. (112)
MLA Heading
In the left, top corner of all papers, place the following information. Do NOT abbreviate any
names or dates. Be sure that the date on your paper is the DUE DATE.




your first and last name
teacher’s name
complete course title
due date
Example:
John Garcia
Ms. Smith
Sophomore English
10 October 2002