In order to prove that their claims are true, effective writers and speakers support their points by quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing evidence and information from outside sources. Since we’re trying to become effective writers and speakers, we’ll be doing a lot of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing this year. Whenever we quote, paraphrase, or summarize information that comes from an outside source, it’s important that we follow MLA rules and conventions. These rules can be annoying and may seem unimportant because they focus on small things like the placement of periods and commas. Nonetheless, knowing these rules is important. Like many parts of writing—like capitalizing the first letter of each sentence—no one thinks about it when you do it right. But if you don’t do it right, it seriously damages your credibility as a writer. This page contains the most relevant and helpful rules. You should memorize these rules. If you want to print out this information, here's a Google Doc containing the information on this page. If you need more information or have a question that isn't answered below, I suggest checking out these websites...
Formatting Titles
If you’re typing, italicize the titles of longer works that are published independently. If you’re writing by hand, underline the titles of longer works that are published independently.
books
journals
paintings
plays
films
sculptures
newspapers
TV shows
radio shows
magazines
websites
albums
Use quotation marks for the titles of shorter works (especially those published within larger works).
articles
chapters
essays
TV episodes
short stories
songs
poems
speeches
Referencing an Author
The first time you refer to an author, use their full name (e.g., James Baldwin argues...). In any subsequent references, you should use only the author’s last name (e.g., Baldwin continues...).
Providing Context & Background Information About Your Sources
When introducing a source for the first time in an essay, it's important to briefly provide context about the author and the work. This might include the author’s profession, the title and type of the work (e.g., article, essay, speech), and the topic or purpose of the piece. Doing so helps your reader understand the source’s credibility and relevance to your argument.
Example: In her 2014 TED Talk “The Power of Vulnerability,” researcher and storyteller Brené Brown explains, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.”
Formatting Quotations
Writers often use quotations to support and develop their own claims and arguments; however, quotations that are improperly formatted or inadequately explained can damage, rather than increase, the effectiveness of a writer’s work. To avoid problems when quoting, be sure to do the following….
TIP #1: Do not begin a sentence with a quotation, and never let a quotation stand on its own as a sentence. Instead, integrate the quote into a sentence in one of the following ways:
Method 1: Tell the reader who you are quoting with an introductory phrase and a comma.
Example: In the second chapter of Walden, Thoreau explains, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" (28).
Method 2: Introduce the quotation using a full sentence followed by a colon.
(People often make the mistake of placing colons after verbs like “said” or “wrote.” Don’t do that! A comma, not a colon, is correct in those cases—refer back to rule #1!)
Example: In the second chapter of Walden, Thoreau directly states his purpose for going into the woods: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived" (28).
Method 3: Seamlessly integrate the quote into your own sentence.
Example: Thoreau explains that he moved to the cabin on the shores of Walden pond because he "wished to live deliberately" and experience "the essential facts of life" (28).
**Note that methods 1 & 2 require the quote you use to be at least one full clause long. Method 3 allows you to quote shorter segments of the text (i.e. phrases or even individual words).
TIP #2: Punctuate correctly.
Rule 1: When you quote something and do not use an in-text citation (which will not happen often), place the period inside the quotation marks
Example: Clarisse says, “You never stop to think what I’ve asked you.”
Rule 2: When you use an in-text citation after a quote, place a period after the in-text citation. Do not place a period inside the quotation marks.
Example: Clarisse says, “You never stop to think what I’ve asked you” (8).
Rule 3: If your quote ends in a question mark or exclamation point, preserve these inside the quote and place a period after the citation.
Example: The next morning, Montag asks, “You all right?” (18).
Rule 4: Use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks when you need to use quotation marks within a quotation.
Example: Greg Smith observes, “Shelley’s poem ‘Ozymandias’ is undoubtedly his finest work” (24).
TIP #3: Use square brackets to add/change words necessary for understanding the quotation.
Example 1: Let's pretend a woman named Grace Smith wrote the following about her mother: "She always supported me." If you quoted Smith in an essay and wanted to clarify who "she" and "me" refer to, you might use square brackets like this: Grace Smith says "[her mother] always supported [her]."
Example 2: Imagine someone originally wrote, "They run every day to prepare." If you incorporated this quote into a past tense sentence, you might adjust the verb like this: He explained that the team "[ran] every day to prepare."
TIP #4: Use ellipses (three periods in a row) to remove excess or unnecessary information from long quotes.
Good Example: Imagine a school board candidate said, "I do not support cutting funding for public schools because teachers deserve better resources, students need safe, well-equipped learning environments, and education should be a top priority." To shorten the quote, you might change it to the following: "I do not support cutting funding for public schools because...education should be a top priority."
Bad Example: It is important that using ellipses does not change or distort the original meaning of the quote. For example, it would be wrong to change the candidate's quote like this: "I do not support...public schools."
Bad Example: When using ellipses, make sure the shortened sentence still flows smoothly and makes grammatical sense. For example, it would be wrong to change the candidate's quote like this: "I do not...education should be a top priority." If the quote feels choppy or confusing, include more of the quote's original words to maintain clarity.
TIP #5: Keep quotations short. On the rare occasions you use a quotation that is more than four lines, you’ll need to format it as a block quote. Introduce block quotes with a sentence ending in a colon. Begin a new line. Indent the entire quote ½ inch from the left margin. Place the in-text citation after the period.
Example: Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration:
They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
FORMATTING IN-TEXT CITATIONS
There are many rules to follow when you use in-text citations, and you must often adapt your citations to different situations. You can’t memorize every rule, but you should know these basics.
Rule 1: The in-text citation should be placed before the sentence’s period.
Rule 2: In-text citations should generally contain the writer’s last name and the page number.
Example: Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263)
Rule 3: If you identify the writer in the sentence, or if it is otherwise clear who the writer is, the writer’s name is unnecessary. Include only the page number.
Example: Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
Rule 4: When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work (the title's first four words) instead of an author's name.
Example: We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has "more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change . . ." ("Impact of Global Warming").
Rule 5: If a paraphrase consists of several sentences, the citation should appear only after the final sentence of the paraphrase, not after every sentence.
