MLA Formatting

BASIC RULES

MLA-style formatting requires the use of in-text citations to cite sources, also known as parenthetical citations. This provides relevant source information when a sentence has been paraphrased or includes a quotation.

Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information in your Works Cited page. The signal phrase or word you provide in-text must be the first thing that appears in the corresponding Works Cited entry.

Please refer to the Examples of Citations Format page for specific source details.

This site includes examples of citations that are most frequently used in high school research. For additional information, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab.