IN-TEXT CITATIONS IN MLA STYLE
When paraphrasing an author’s idea or quoting an author’s exact words, cite the author’s last name and the page number. This can be
done by attribution or parenthetical citation.
One Author
Attribution: Amid the protest that followed publication of Daisy Miller, William Dean Howells raised his voice to express his
shock to find complete agreement with the critics (252).
Parenthetical: As one scholar observes, “Fielding has that broad, tolerant nature that goes to make creators of character”
(Packard 892).
Two or Three Authors
Attribution: Marquez and Allison assert . . . (74)
Parenthetical: (Marquez and Allison 74)
Four or More Authors
Attribution: According to Hong et al. . . . (198)
Parenthetical: (Hong et al. 198)
An Anonymous and/or Unknown Author
Use a shortened title beginning with the word under which the work appears on the works-cited page:
Exercise should not be so violent “as to cause a pulse rate exceeding 110 after one minute of routine” (“Modern
Fitness” 11).
Multiple Works by the Same Author(s)
Add a brief form of the book or article title to distinguish cited works by the same author(s):
“Oates,” it has been said, “is the most prolific American novelist of all” (Dudley and Schwartz, American Novels
68).
Few have captured day-to-day violence inherent in American culture the way Oates has (Dudley and Schwartz,
“Modern American” 287).
A Multivolume Work
If you use only one volume of a multivolume work, place only the page numbers in the parenthetical documentation:
Undset’s likeable character, Lavrans, appears to be “a strong and courageous man, but a peaceful soul, honest and
calm”(4).
If you use more than one volume of a multivolume work throughout your paper, place the volume used and the page numbers
in the parenthetical documentation:
Undset hints at a different side to Lavrans’ character, as his daughter, Kristin, “had also been afraid of her father” (2:
4).
Work in an Anthology
Name the author who wrote the work (not the editor of the anthology) and include the page number.
An Indirect Source
In citing the work of one author as quoted or paraphrased in that of another author, use “qtd. in” before the source you use:
Chocolate is “the single greatest cause of obesity in Austria” (Sacher, qtd. in Torte 90).
Classical Verse Plays or Poems
Cite divisions and lines in arabic numbers: (Iliad 7.78-82). In a first reference to poetic lines, use the word “line(s)” and
thereafter only line numbers: (“Nightingale” lines 42-44); thereafter (51-53). You may abbreviate titles but should first introduce the
abbreviation after using the full title in the text, as in: King Lear (Lr.); thereafter (Lr. 4.2.19-23)
A Published Musical Composition (in print)
Cite the last name of the composer and page number: (Beethoven 232)
Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph (reproduced in a book or other work)
Cite the name of the creator of the work and the page number: (DaVinci 12)
An Electronic Source with Numbered Paragraphs and No Page Numbers
Cite the author’s name, a comma, the abbreviation “par.” or “pars.” and the paragraph number(s):
In discussing the artist, Joyce Carol Oates expresses her belief that “all human beings ‘create’ personality,” but they
do so in different ways (Oates, par. 19).
If the paragraphs are not numbered and there are no page numbers, cite only the author’s name: (Oates)
Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph (original)
Cite the name of the creator of the work: Although the figures in At the Moulin Rouge: Two Women Waltzing appear to be
enjoying themselves, the eerie-green light gives the viewer a feeling that there is something unhealthy about the atmosphere
(Toulouse-Lautrec).
A Performance (play, ballet, opera, concert)
Cite the title of the work in italics: (Hamlet)
A Sound Recording
Cite the last name of the composer, conductor, ensemble, or performer (depending on the desired emphasis): (Beethoven)
A Film or Video Recording
Cite the name of the film or video: (It’s a Wonderful Life)
YouTube Video
Cite the author’s name or the poster’s username: (Shimabukuro)
WORKS CITED IN MLA STYLE
Every MLA entry receives a medium of publication marker. Most entries are listed as Print or Web, but other possibilities include
Performance, Film, DVD or TV. Most of these markers appear at the end of entries; however, markers for Web sources are followed
by the date of access.
Alphabetize entries by author’s surname or, if an anonymous work, by the first word of the title, exclusive of “a,” “an,” or “the.” Use a
new numbered page at the end of the paper, after any note page, and center the title Works Cited one inch below the top of the page.
BOOKS
One Author
List author’s name in inverted form; title; city of publication (only the first if several are listed); publisher (in abbreviated
form; omit articles, business abbreviations, such as Inc. or Co., and descriptive terms, such as Press or Books or Publisher);
latest copyright date; and medium of publication marker:
Jones, Gerald. Challenges of Space Conquest. New York: Dutton, 1962. Print.
Two or Three Authors
List authors in the order they appear in the work, the first author’s surname/first name, and then subsequent authors’ first
names/surnames:
Eggins, Suzanne, and Diane Slade. Analyzing Casual Conversation. London: Cassel, 1997. Print.
Four or More Authors
List only the first name, followed by et al.:
Bendix, William, et al. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Vol. 14 of The Armies of Europe. Princeton:
Princeton UP, 1923. Print.
Anonymous Author
List under the title, exclusive of “a,” “an,” or “the”:
Owl and the Nightingale. Ed. Jeffry Massey. New York: Scribner’s, 1923. Print.
Second Work by the Same Author
Omit author’s name. Instead, use three hyphens followed by a period:
---. Man on Mars. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1983. Web. 15 Nov. 1990.
A Multivolume Work
If you are using two or more volumes of a multivolume work, cite the total number of volumes in the work, not the specific
volume used.
Undset, Sigrid. Kristin Lavransdatter: The Mistress of Husaby. 3 vols. New York: Vintage, 1987. Print.
Work in an Anthology
List the author of the cited work; the title in quotation marks; the book in which the work appears in italics; its editor and
publication information; the complete page numbers of the work; and the publication medium:
Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.” Short Fiction Anthology. Ed. Ward Hey. Vol. 2. New York: Penguin Putnam,
2001. 34-43. Print.
Previously Published Scholarly Article in a Collection
Give the complete data for the earlier publication and then add “Rpt. in” (Reprinted in), the title of the collection, and the new
publication facts:
Donahue, Charles. “The Drama of The Pearl.” PMLA 79 (1967): 867-78. Rpt. in Modern Interpretations of The
Pearl. Ed. Gabriel Liegey. New York: Fordham UP, 1974. 92-104. Print.
If the reprinted article alters the original title, first state the new title and publication data, followed by “Rpt. of” (Reprint of)
and the original title and publication data:
Bromwich, David. “Literature and Theory.” Beyond Poststructuralism: The Speculations of Theory and the
Experience of Reading. Ed. Wendell Harris. Providence: Bowdoin UP, 1996. 203-33. Print. Rpt. of
“Recent Work in Literary Criticism.” Social Research 53.3 (1986): 411-48.
Text in Translation
Guzenko, Igor. The Dark Days. Trans. Alicia Byrnes. Boston: Faber, 1997. Print.
Signed Reference Work Article
List under the author’s name. Copy the entry title exactly as it appears in the reference work:
Luciano, Margaret, et al. “Rome, History of.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2nd ed. 2004. Print.
Unsigned Reference Work Article
List under the title, exclusive of “a,” “an,” or “the”:
“Navigation.” Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. 1993. Print.
Bible
The New Jerusalem Bible. Henry Wansbrough. gen. ed. New York: Doubleday, 1996. Print.
A Published Musical Composition (in print)
List the composer; the title of the musical composition; the date of original publication (if different); the city of the publisher;
the publisher; the date; and the medium:
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92. 1812. New York: Dover, 1998. Print.
Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph (reproduced in a book or other work)
List the name of the creator; the title of the work; the year of composition; the name of museum or current location city; the
title of the publication; the abbreviation for editor (Ed.) followed by the name of the editor; the publisher’s city followed by a colon;
the publisher; the date of publication; the page number; and the medium:
Da Vinci, Leonardo. Mona Lisa. 1503-1506. Louvre, Paris. The Fictional Journals of Leonardo Da Vinci. Ed.
Vincent Lescaroff. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001. 183. Print.
PERIODICALS
Article in a Scholarly Periodical
For all such entries, both volume and issue numbers, if available, are required. Page numbers of the article are required.
Quarrels, Barbara. “The Hyphen.” College English 17.4 (1975): 67-71. Print.
Richards, Allen. “Chaucer and the Fact of War.” Speculum 7 (1987): 34-42. Print.
Article in a Magazine
Packer, George. “A Reporter at Large: Knowing the Enemy.” The New Yorker 18 Dec. 2006: 1-11. Print.
Article in a Newspaper
Jeromack, Paul. “This Once, a David of the Art World Does Goliath a Favor.” New York Times 13 July 2002,
late ed.: B7+. Print.
Review
Barker, Stephen. “Lies, Lies, Lies.” Rev. of Living History, by Allison Bradshaw. The New Yorker 4 July 2003: 110.
Print.
ELECTRONIC PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS
Some scholarly journals exist only in electronic form on the Web, while others appear both in print and on the Web. (A periodical
publication on the Web may not always include page numbers.) If given, list the name of the author or the organization, article title
(in quotation marks), periodical title (italicized), volume and issue numbers, publication date, number of pages (if given), database
(italicized), and the medium marker Web followed by the date of access.
Article in a Scholarly Journal in an Online Database
Berger, James D. and Helmut J. Schmidt. “Contemporary American Women in Short Fiction.” The Journal of
Popular Fiction 76.1 (1978): 116-126. EBSCOHOST. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.
Article in an Online Only Scholarly Journal
Rupert, Martin. “Secrets of Effective Leadership.” Collegiate Education 4.3 (2000): n. pag. Web. 15 Sept. 2010.
Article in a Scholarly Journal That Also Appears in Print
Quarrels, Barbara. “The Hyphen.” College English 17.4 (1975): 67-71. Web. 12 August 2011.
Article in an Online Only Periodical
Lubell, Sam. “What the Famous Read These Days.” The Atlantic.com. Atlantic Monthly Group, 12 Nov. 2008.
Web. 3 Dec. 2010.
Article in a Magazine That Also Appears in Print
Entries for newspapers and magazines omit the volume number but include the date of issue:
Rolfe, David. “Film Images of Urban Poverty.” Time 16 June 2003: 73-74. Web. 23 Oct. 2006.
Article in a Newspaper That Also Appears in Print
Blair, Jason. “Reporter Arrested for Plagiarized Recipe.” New York Times 24 May 2000, metro ed.: A1+.Web.
5 Dec. 2007.
ELECTRONIC NON-PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS
If given, list the name of the author, compiler, director, editor, narrator, performer, or translator of the work (the author may be a
corporate author); the title of the work (italicized if not part of a larger work, or in quotation marks if part of a larger work); the title of
the overall website (italics) if distinct from the title of the work; the version or edition used (if applicable); the publisher or sponsor of
the site (if not available, use n. p.); the date of publication (day, month, and year as available or n. d.); the medium marker (Web); and
the date of access (day, month, and year).
Webpage Document (without an author)
Robert Frost: 1874-1963. The Poetry Foundation. 2011. Web. 15 May 2011.
Webpage Document as Part of a Larger Work (with an author)
Bevington, Louisa Sarah. “An Anarchist Manifesto.” Victorian Women Writers Project. Indiana U. 2011. Web.
10 May 2011.
Webpage Document Which Is Not Part of a Larger Work (with an author)
Oates, Joyce Carol. The Myth of the Isolated Artist. Celestial Timepiece—The Joyce Carol Oates Home Page.
University of San Francisco. N.d. Web. 13 August 2013.
Book Online (if translated)
Ovid. Metamorphoses. Trans. Arthur Golding. London, 1567. The Perseus Digital Library. Ed. Gregory
Crane. Tufts U. Web. 12 Mar. 2007.
Encyclopedia Online
“de Kooning, Willem.” Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2008. Web. 15 May 2009.
OTHER THAN PRINT OR ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS
Painting, Sculpture, or Photograph (original)
List the artist; the title of the work of art; the date of composition; the medium of composition; the institution that houses the
work. For a work in a private collection, give the name of the collection (Collection of …); and the name of the city where the
institution is located:
Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de. At the Moulin Rouge: Two Women Waltzing. 1892. Oil on cardboard. Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York.
A Performance (play, ballet, opera, concert)
List the title of the performance; the word By followed by the name of the playwright/composer/author; the abbreviation Dir.
followed by the name of the director; the abbreviation Perf. followed by a performer(s); the site of the performance usually the theater
and the city; the date of the performance; and the word Performance:
Hamlet. By William Shakespeare. Dir. John Gielgud. Perf. Richard Burton. Shubert Theatre, Boston. 4 Mar. 1964.
Performance.
A Sound Recording
List the last name of the composer, conductor, ensemble, or performer (depending on the desired emphasis); the title of the
musical composition; the manufacturer; the year of release; and the medium:
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92. Deutche Grammophon. 1996. CD.
Film or Video Recording
List the title; the abbreviation Dir. followed by the director; the abbreviation Perf. followed by the performers; the distributor;
the year of release; and the medium:
It’s a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra. Perf. James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Thomas Mitchell.
RKO, 1946. Film.
YouTube Video
List the author’s name or the poster’s username; the title of the image or video; the media type; the name of website; the
name of the website’s publisher; the date of posting; the medium marker; and the date retrieved:
Shimabukuro, Jake. “Ukulele Weeps by Jake Shimabukuro.” Online video clip. YouTube, YouTube, 22 Apr. 2006.
Web. 3 September 2013.
Personal Communication, Including Interview
Trachta, Jeffrey. Personal interview. 1 Aug. 2002.
Revised by Molloy College Writing Center, September 2013