CITING SOURCES - MLA

In-Text Citations

 

QUOTATION INTEGRATION

A quotation should NEVER function as an independent sentence in your essay. It should be integrated with your own ideas preceding and/or following the quotation.  You must include an in-text citation to properly credit your source.

 

**************************************************************************************************************************

BASIC FORMAT

“Quotation” (Author’s last name Page number).

“Roses are red and violets are blue” (Ski 2).

If an author is not listed, use a shortened version of the title.  If more than one work has the same title, use the year to differentiate each source.

 

PUNCTUATION

Only question marks or exclamation points are included inside the quotation marks.

When Susie says, “I’m so glad you are here!” she reveals her excitement (Ski 2).

When Susie asks, “Why didn’t you come by yesterday?” she reveals her disappointment (Ski 2).

 

OMISSION

You can omit sections of quotations by replacing those parts with an ellipsis (…).  You may NOT omit pieces that change the intended meaning.

            “It’s so hot . . . I could melt” (Ski 36).

            “Roses are red / . . . / sugar is sweet and so are you” (Ski 1, 3). 

 

PRONOUNS

If a pronoun in the quotation is unclear, insert brackets with the information needed for clarification. 

            “If it would please her [Janet], I would propose immediately” (Ski 1).

 

QUOTATION WITHIN A QUOTATION

Use single quotation marks to denote a quotation within a quotation.  .

            “When Jake said ‘I have a great idea,’ we all knew trouble was coming” (Ski 1). 

 

**************************************************************************************************************************

 

THREE WAYS TO INTEGRATE A QUOTATION

FINAL – starts with your words and ends with  the quotation

BEGINNING – starts with the quotation and ends with your own words

MIDDLE—starts and ends with your words with the quotation in the middle

 

FINAL

When the quotation is the final part of your sentence, you can introduce the quotation one of three ways:

1. with a signal phrase like he says or she says and a comma (  ,  )

2. with a complete thought and a colon ( : )

3. or as an extension of your own words (without any punctuation)

Note that the quotation begins with a lowercase letter if the quoted material is a fragment or only part of the original sentence.

 

Comma:

Atticus metaphorically explains the reason people should leave Boo Radley alone when he says, “remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 86).

Colon:

Atticus metaphorically explains why a man like Boo Radley should be left alone:  “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 86).

Extension of your own words:

The children learn to leave Boo Radley alone due to their father’s lesson that “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 86).

 

BEGINNING

When the quotation is the first part of your sentence, the parenthetical citation is at the end of that phrase (not necessarily the end of the sentence; just the first punctuation after the quotation ends). 

Again, you can integrate the quotation in three ways:

1. with a comma

2. with a colon.  Typically, this technique is used with a quotation that also begins a sentence.

3. or as an extension of your own words

 

Comma:

“Standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Lee 234), both as an epiphany and as a realization of a childhood goal, for Scout to fully empathize with Boo’s position within her own life.

Colon:

“Standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Lee 234):  Scout now has attained the empathy for Boo’s position that she lacked throughout earlier parts of the text.

Your own words:

“Standing on the Radley porch was enough” for Scout to fully empathize with Boo’s position within her own life (Lee 234).

 

MIDDLE

When placing a quotation in the middle of the sentence, the parenthetical citation is once at the end of the phrase.  Placing a quotation in the middle of a sentence is usually achieved through:

1. commas

2. a combination of commas and extending your own words

3. extension of your own words

 

Commas:

When Scout says, “Boo’s children needed him” (Lee 233), she ultimately gives Boo the responsibility for her welfare.

Extending your words (initially):

Because Scout acknowledges that “Boo’s children needed him” (Lee 233), she ultimately gives Boo the responsibility for her welfare.

Extending your words (ultimately):

As Scout says, “Boo’s children needed him” to take on the responsibility of their welfare (Lee 233).

Extending your own words (both places):

Scout’s acknowledgement that “Boo’s children needed him” reveals that she ultimately gives Boo the responsibility for her welfare (Lee 233).