Parenthetical Citations
using the
MLA
(Modern Language
Association)
Format
Parenthetical Citations
What is a parenthetical citation?
Information that is included in a paper which
tells the reader where to find the source.
Parenthetical Citations in MLA
In MLA style, when you refer to the works of others in
your text, either through paraphrasing or quoting
them directly you must: include the reference in your
paper AND then on your works cited page.
1. Provide the author's name or the title of the work
and the page or paragraph number of the work in
parentheses THEN…
2 Provide full citation information for the work on
your Works Cited page.
3 Ways to “Borrow” Information
Quote- Quote only the passages that deal directly with
your subject in memorable language.
Paraphrase- Restate the content of a short passage
phrase by phrase, rewording the author’s words in
your own (Trimmer 24).
Summarize- Shorten a long passage, keep the main
idea and outline the main points, in you own words
(Trimmer 24).
The author's name may appear in the sentence itself or in
parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase or
summary.
The page number should always appear in the
parentheses following the quotation, summary, or
paraphrase, not in the text of your sentence.
Sally Walker contends that Halifax, in Nov Scotia, Canada,
has an interesting past (1).
OR
Nova Scotia has an interesting past (Walker 1).
If no Author, use the Title
(This is especially true for some internet sources
and encyclopedia articles)
After the war, Hiroshima became the center of a
peace movement hoping to ban nuclear weapons.
(Hiroshima )
"Hiroshima." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014.
Web. 5 Mar. 2014. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/ article/40562>.
A Comparison of Quoting, Summarizing,
and Paraphrasing the same information in the
following examples.
Quoting
(Author, Page at the end of the quote).
President Truman was pleased that the testing of the atomic
bomb had gone so well, “Let there be no mistake about it. I
regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any
doubt that it should be used.” (Truman 415-21).
Long Quotations – four or more lines
Indent 1 inch one each side, do not use quotation marks,
double-space, set off by a colon,
final period goes before parenthetical citation (Trimmer 25)
In the Iliad, both Achilles and Hector call on Zeus for
protection:
Now, at last, as the two came closing for the kill
it was tall Hector, Helmet flashing, who led off:
“No more running from you in fear, Achilles!
Not as before. Three times I fled around
the great city of Priam – I lacked courage then (66)
Secondary Quotation
John Malam, in his book The Bombing of Hiroshima, recounts
statements of Albert Einstein, whose letter encouraged the U.S.
to build the atomic bomb. Einstein said, “I could burn my
fingers that I wrote that first letter to Roosevelt” (27).
OR
(Author and page at end)
Albert Einstein’s response after the bombing of Hiroshima is
telling of the horrific aftermath and his guilt resulting from the
event. In reflecting on a letter he had once written to
President Roosevelt regarding uranium, he said, “I could burn
my fingers” for ever writing it (qtd. In Malam 27).
Paraphrasing
(Author, Page at the end of the paraphrase).
President Truman was pleased that the testing
of the atomic bomb had gone so well; he felt
the use of the bomb could bring the war in
the Pacific to an end, saving countless
American lives (Malam 18).
Summarizing
(Author, Page at the end of the summary).
Though a tough political situation,
President Truman thought it would be best
to use the atomic bomb to bring the war in
the Pacific to an end (Malam 18).
Works Cited
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed. New York:
The Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Print.
"Hiroshima." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2014.
Web. 5 Mar. 2014. http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/40562.
Malam, John. The Bombing of Hiroshima. North Mankato, MN:
Smart Apple Media, 2003. Print.
Trimmer, Joseph F. A Guide to MLA Documentation. 7th ed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Print
Truman, Harry S. Memoirs. New York: Oxford, 1953. Print