MLA Citations
Eng I
Why are citations important?
• We must give credit to the author for his/her
ideas.
• If you do not give credit to the author, it is
called plagiarism.
• Plagiarism is not tolerated at LCHS (or
anywhere).
• When it doubt, cite it out. 
How we cite in-text in MLA format
• Place the author’s last name and page number in
parantheses after the material you used.
• Example: George and Lennie agreed to meet by
the brush if there was trouble (Steinbeck 12).
• If you use the author’s last name at the beginning
of your sentence, only use the page number after
the material.
• Steinbeck created characters that agreed to meet
by the brush if there was trouble (12).
In each paragraph…
• If you use the same author for your
information, you only need to use the author
last name once. Continue to use page
numbers.
• George and Lennie agreed to meet by the
brush if there was trouble (Steinbeck 12). This
shows George was thinking ahead. Lennie
remembered he was supposed to go to the
brush after he killed Curley’s wife (98).
For each new paragraph…
• Include the author’s last name in your first
citation, even if it is the same author as before.
•
George and Lennie agreed to meet by the
brush if there was trouble (Steinbeck 12). This
shows George was thinking ahead. Lennie
remembered he was supposed to go to the brush
after he killed Curley’s wife (98).
•
George and Lennie demonstrated true
friendship when George told Lennie to strike
Curley (Steinbeck 19).
Direct Quotes
• When you use an author’s words word for word, you must
place quotation marks around the sentence AND still cite
the source.
• Example: “A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River
drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and
green” (Steinbeck 1).
• Example: “George lay back on the sand and crossed his
hands under his head and Lennie imitated him, raising his
head to see whether he was doing it right” (Steinbeck 3).
• Anything that is a part of dialogue must get three quotes.
• “’You’re the new fellas that just come in, ain’t ya?’”
(Steinbeck 19).
• “George said, ‘Let’s go into town’” (Steinbeck 10).
Indirect quotes
• When you use an author’s ideas but put them
in your own words, you do not need quotation
marks. You still must cite the information.
• The bus driver let George and Lennie off ten
miles from the ranch (Steinbeck 1).
• Curley’s wife flirted with all the men, but she
was mean to Crooks and threatened to have
him hung (Steinbeck 85).
Your turn
• Open Of Mice and Men. On the worksheet,
practice writing four in-text citations.
• Two must be direct quotes.
• Two must be indirect quotes.
• Write them as you would if you were typing
them.
Works Cited page
• This is a separate page AFTER your paper.
• This page lists EVERY source that you used in
your paper.
• If you cite any author, the text information
must appear on the works cited page.
Book entry
• Each entry from a physical book must look like
the following:
• Author last name, Author first name. Name of
book. Publication city: Publisher, Copyright
date. Print.
• Hanover, Emily. The Way Things Work. New
York: Random House, 2007. Print.
• NOTICE: Indent every line after the first line of
the entry.
Your turn
• On your worksheet, write down the works cited
page information for Of Mice and Men. This will
help you when we type our works cited page.
• HINT: Instead of writing in italics, underline what
can be italicized.
• Find two more books around the room. Write
down their MLA works cited page information in
correct MLA format.
• Then complete the back of the worksheet. DUE
MONDAY.