MLA in-text citations are brief references in the body of a paper to a full citation in the Works Cited list.
MLA guidelines for in-text citations are explored in detail in Chapter 6 of the MLA Guide, 9th edition.
For online help with MLA in-text citations, see In-Text Citations: An Overview, by the editors.
if mentioning both authors in the text, use first and last names.
ex: Fruzsina Pittner and Iain Donald compare the character of Kurtz to the character of Jackal... (2).
In a parenthetical citation, connect last names with and.
ex: Kurtz can be compared to the Jackal character in the game Far Cry 2 (Pittner and Donald 12).
You may list all of the names.
ex: Konrad Czernichowski, Dominik Kopiński and Andrzej Polus summarized the history of African Studies in Poland.
Or list the first author's surname followed by and others or and colleagues.
ex: Konrad Czernichowski and colleagues summarized the history of African Studies in Poland.
List the first author's last name followed by et al.
ex: In Conrad’s native Poland, scholarly interest in Africa grew in the early 19th century... (Czernichowski et al. 170).
Abbreviate the name to the shortest noun phrase.
ex: The American Association for the Advancement of Science > American Association
if there is no author, use a shortened title for in-text citation.
if the title is longer than a noun phrase (adjective+noun) shorten the title.
When possible use the first noun and any preceding adjectives.
ex: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight > Sir Gawain
May be used as an alternative to a shortened title.
Titles with standard abbreviations. (MLA Guide, Appendix 1)
ex: Works by Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet > Rom.
Much Ado about Nothing > Ado
Julius Caesar > JC
Referring to multiple works by the same author.
ex: Jane Austen Novels
Pride and Prejudice > Pride
Sense and Sensibility > Sense
Mansfield Park > Mansfield
Introduce the full title in prose first, followed by the abbreviated title in parentheses. Then continue to use the abbreviated title in parenthetical citations.
As Kurtz lay dying, Marlow reflected on his moral descent. “The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own” (Conrad 70).
Parenthetical Citation
In the game Far Cry 2, “the narrative reveals the player to be, in a sense, the moral successor to the game’s Kurtz-character, the Jackal” (Pittner and Donald 12).
Citation in Prose
Fruzsina Pittner and Iain Donald compare the character of Kurtz to the character of Jackal in the game Far Cry 2 as they examine the impact on each character of the dark forces of nature and mankind (12).
Parenthetical Citation
In Conrad’s native Poland, scholarly interest in Africa grew in the early 19th century, although it did not generate academic activity until the late 1800’s (Czernichowski et al. 170).
Citation in Prose: Example #1
According to Konrad Czernichowski, Dominik Kopiński and Andrzej Polus, scholarly interest in Africa gained momentum in the late 1800's (170).
Citation in Prose: Example #2
According to Konrad Czernichowski and colleagues, scholarly interest in Africa gained momentum in the late 1800's (170).
In the King James Bible, Complete, the gospel of John (John) equates light with good and dark with evil (3.16-21). From a biblical perspective, then, Kurtz represents those post-Colonial Europeans who “loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3.19)
Parenthetical Citation
One English scholar has described Heart of Darkness as “the product of dark historical energies” (Attridge).
Citation in Prose
University of New South Wales professor John Attridge described Heart of Darkness as “the product of dark historical energies” in his contribution to an online series on the classics.
“Cuz it's the eyes of civilization that keeps humanity’s darkness in check. But when we surrounded by the silent whisper of the wilderness, we straight lose ourselves to the dark” (Wisecrack 00:02:22-00:02:31).
