MLA In-Text Citation Examples

• Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)
• Published on 12/28/2023

This guide breaks down the essential elements of MLA in-text citations, including the presentation of the author’s name and page numbers, and explores variations based on the number of authors or the absence of an identifiable author. 

• In MLA in-text citations, include the author’s name(s) and the page number in parentheses, with an option for an abbreviated author.
• Cite sources with three or more authors, by using the first author’s details followed by ‘et al.’ or ‘and colleagues’ and the page number.
• For a corporate or group author, use the full name in the narrative and a shortened form in parentheses.
• In the absence of an author, use the source’s title in both narrative and parentheses, with an abbreviated title and page number in parentheses and the full title in the narrative.

Use our MLA citation generator for citing MLA webpages, journals, and generate citations for books in accordance with MLA guidelines.

SINGLE AUTHOR

Citing a source with one author, include the author’s name and page number either within the narrative or in parentheses at the end of the quote. When integrated into the narrative, use the full author’s name.

Narrative	According to Jane Morrison, the impact of climate change is evident in rising sea levels (42).
Structure	Author First Name(s) and/or Initial(s) Author Surname (Page number)

Parenthetical	The impact of climate change is evident in rising sea levels (Morrison 42).
Structure	(Author Surname Page number)

TWO AUTHORS

Citing a source with two authors involves including both names and the page number. When integrated into the narrative, use the full author’s names. 

Narrative	Paul Johnson and Anthony Rodriguez contend that interpreting a literary work should focus on understanding its underlying themes rather than solely on deciphering its explicit meaning (122).
Structure	Author 1 First Name(s) and/or Initial(s] Author 1 Surname and Author 2 First Name(s) and/or Initial(s) Author 2 Surname (Page number)

Parenthetical	The researchers assert that a superficial analysis involves examining only what is “apparent” (Johnson and Rodriguez 122).
Structure	(Author 1 Surname and Author 2 Surname Page number)

THREE OR MORE AUTHORS 

For sources with three or more authors, include details for the first author, use ‘et al.’ in parenthetical citations, and use ‘and colleagues’ in narratives, along with the relevant page number. When integrated into the narrative, use the full author’s names. 

Narrative	According to John Whittle and colleagues the new research findings support the hypothesis (56).
Structure	Author 1 First Name(s) and/or Initial(s) Author 1 Surname and colleagues (Page number)

Parenthetical	The hypothesis is supported by the new research findings (Bressel et al. 56).
Structure	(Author 1 Surname et al. Page number)

Following the rules of MLA in-text citations is important, and it means sticking to a specific way of mentioning the author’s full name and the page number in brackets. The MLA format also lets you use shorter versions of the author’s name inside the brackets, making citations shorter and clearer. So, in MLA style, it’s crucial to stick to this structured way of citing sources, using the author’s name and page number in brackets, and you can also use shorter author names for simplicity.

CORPORATE OR GROUP AUTHOR

The narrative in-text citation typically uses the full name of the corporate or organizational author, while the parenthetical may use a shortened form of the name.

Narrative	The American Psychological Association (APA) recommends a standardized approach to citation (25).
Structure	Corporate Author Name (Page number)

Parenthetical	This approach has been widely adopted (APA 30)
Structure	(Shortened Corporate Author Name Page number)

NO AUTHORS

If there’s no author, we use the source title for in-text citations. In parentheses, use an abbreviated version of the title, and in the narrative use the full title.

Narrative	The study Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Considerations in Modern Society explores the ethical implications of AI in various contexts, highlighting the challenges society faces (32).
Structure	Full Title (Page number)

Parenthetical	Ethical considerations surrounding AI are a growing concern (AI Ethics 45).
Structure	(Abbreviated title Page number)

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