how to cite paraphrasing in mla

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Paraphrasing in MLA

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill. It allows you to seamlessly integrate another person’s ideas into your work, and it is the preferred way to integrate most research information into a paper.

In addition to writing a good paraphrase, you must also include a citation with the paraphrase. One effective way to do this is by using MLA in-text citations .

But first, let’s define paraphrasing.

What is a paraphrase? Why is it beneficial?

A paraphrase is a piece of information written in a new way after reading and analyzing a source.
A paraphrase translates the main ideas of a passage into a new passage that uses your own words and perspective.
A paraphrase lets you control what point or information is highlighted.
A paraphrase allows you turn a long passage into a condensed, focused passage.
Direct quotes are helpful, but paraphrasing allows you show that you truly understand a work. Think about it: Is it easier to quote a source or paraphrase?

What does MLA have to do with it?

Academic integrity is extremely important, and a paraphrase allows you to use someone’s ideas efficiently in your work…but that is only part of the work. In order to stay ethical, you’ll also need include an in-text citation. That’s where MLA style comes in.

An MLA in-text citation gives appropriate credit to the original source. By following the guidelines of the MLA style and including an accurate citation, you can avoid accusations of plagiarism.

MLA stands for the Modern Language Association, which is a scholarly association dedicated to the study and advancement of languages. The MLA style comes from their published MLA Handbook , which provides rules and guidelines on research and writing. The latest update to the MLA style occurred in 2021, and careful consideration needs to be paid to these guidelines.

Although there are other styles of research and writing, MLA is the primary style guide for humanities, language, and literature in the United States.

How to paraphrase

Steps in paraphrasing.

Read the original source material carefully. It is always a good idea to read it more than once so you can paraphrase accurately.
Consider why the source was written, when it was written, who it was written by, and who the target audience was.
What were the key ideas or points communicated?
What is the key point you want to highlight from the source?
What other contextual facts about the source do you think are important to include?
Based on your notes, put together a paraphrase.
Next, take a minute to double check your paraphrase against the original to ensure that you have used your own writing style.
Finally, add an MLA in-text citation.

How to add an MLA in-text citation

In order to give credit for ideas that are not yours, citing is key. According the MLA, after you create a paraphrase, you should include an in-text citation with the paraphrase. In addition to the short, in-text citation, a full reference of the source should be included on your Works Cited page. This article will focus only on the in-text citation, but see this guide for more information on MLA works cited citations.

An MLA in-text citation can be done in two ways:

Parenthetical

Both approaches require you to know the following:

Last name of the author
Page number

Parenthetical citation

One way to cite in the text is to use a parenthetical citation after the paraphrase. This includes putting the author’s last name and page number where you found the information at the end of the sentence, before the final period.

Using a website as a source? Note that if a source does not have page numbers, you do not have to include the page number in your parenthetical citation.

Parenthetical in-text citation structure:

Paraphrase (Author Last Name Page #)

Parenthetical example:

I kept pounding on the doors ’til my hands hurt and I woke up the dogs (Bronte 12).

Place that end punctuation carefully! Note that there is no period at the end of the sentence, but the period is outside the parentheses. Also, there is no comma between the author’s last name and the page number.

Citation in prose

A citation in prose means that you include the author’s last name within the page text and the page number at the end of the sentence in parentheses. A citation in prose would look like this:

Citation in prose citation structure:

Paraphrase with Author Last Name (Page #)

In-prose example:

Bronte explains how Lockwood kept pounding on the doors until his hands began to hurt and he woke up the dogs (12).

Example of how to paraphrase

Here is a piece of text taken from the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:

“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Elizabeth’s astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement; and the avowal of all that he felt, and had long felt for her, immediately followed. He spoke well; but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed; and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority—of its being a degradation—of the family obstacles which had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.

A paraphrase of the above would go something like this:

Mr. Darcy had meant to communicate that he loved Elizabeth, but in the end all he managed to do was communicate all the reasons he had fought against his feelings for her (Austen 390).

Notice the benefits of paraphrasing here?

The paraphrase is (thankfully) much shorter than the full excerpt.
The paraphrase writer could have mentioned several different ideas and points. Instead, paraphrasing allowed the writer to focus on the main point they wanted to highlight.
The paraphrase demonstrates the writer’s deep understanding of what was communicated in the original passage.

Also, as mentioned previously, every in-text citation needs to have a matching, full citation in the Works Cited page. Here is the full citation for the above example:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . 1813. Project Gutenberg , 2008, www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42671.

How NOT to paraphrase

When you paraphrase, do not do the follow:

Use most of the same words and switch out a few words for synonyms.
Use most of the same words and change the sentence order a little.
Take key phrases from the sentences and put them into a new paragraph without quoting them.
Create a good paraphrase but forget to include an in-text citation.
Create a good paraphrase but cite the wrong source.

Other MLA considerations

The Modern Language Association advises that summaries, paraphrases, and direct quotations can all be used to back up your argument. However, direct quotations should be used infrequently. Try to save them for experts who are speaking on the topic.

Although you are putting a paraphrase into your own words, you still need to cite it because the ideas are not your own. MLA style asks for the author’s last name and the page number where you found the information.

Key takeaways

The ability to paraphrase is of the utmost importance in regard to academic integrity.
To paraphrase well, read the original a few times, consider the context, jot down the key ideas, compose your paraphrase, compare your paraphrase to the original, and add an in-text citation.
The MLA advises using in-text citations in order to give proper credit to a paraphrase’s original source.

Published October 28, 2020. Updated July 18, 2021.

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MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

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Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the MLA Handbook and in chapter 7 of the MLA Style Manual . Both books provide extensive examples, so it's a good idea to consult them if you want to become even more familiar with MLA guidelines or if you have a particular reference question.

Basic in-text citation rules

In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations . This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as the examples below will illustrate, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.

General Guidelines

The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1) upon the source medium (e.g. print, web, DVD) and (2) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited page.
Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry on the Works Cited page.

In-text citations: Author-page style

MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.

In-text citations for print sources with known author

For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.

These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:

Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.

In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author

When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.

In-text citations for sources with non-standard labeling systems

If a source uses a labeling or numbering system other than page numbers, such as a script or poetry, precede the citation with said label. When citing a poem, for instance, the parenthetical would begin with the word “line”, and then the line number or range. For example, the examination of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” would be cited as such:

The speaker makes an ardent call for the exploration of the connection between the violence of nature and the divinity of creation. “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes," they ask in reference to the tiger as they attempt to reconcile their intimidation with their relationship to creationism (lines 5-6).

Longer labels, such as chapters (ch.) and scenes (sc.), should be abbreviated.

In-text citations for print sources with no known author

When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.

Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.

Titles longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example, To the Lighthouse would be shortened to Lighthouse .

If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:

In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:

"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs . 1999. www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.

If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.

Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.

Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions

Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's The Communist Manifesto . In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:

Author-page citation for works in an anthology, periodical, or collection

When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the internal source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in Nature in 1921, you might write something like this:

See also our page on documenting periodicals in the Works Cited .

Citing authors with same last names

Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:

Citing a work by multiple authors

For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:

Corresponding Works Cited entry:

Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.” Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR , doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1

For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al.

Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine , vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.

Citing multiple works by the same author

If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.

Citing two articles by the same author :

Citing two books by the same author :

Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):

Citing multivolume works

If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)

Citing the Bible

In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:

If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:

John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).

Citing indirect sources

Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited within another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:

Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.

Citing transcripts, plays, or screenplays

Sources that take the form of a dialogue involving two or more participants have special guidelines for their quotation and citation. Each line of dialogue should begin with the speaker's name written in all capitals and indented half an inch. A period follows the name (e.g., JAMES.) . After the period, write the dialogue. Each successive line after the first should receive an additional indentation. When another person begins speaking, start a new line with that person's name indented only half an inch. Repeat this pattern each time the speaker changes. You can include stage directions in the quote if they appear in the original source.

Conclude with a parenthetical that explains where to find the excerpt in the source. Usually, the author and title of the source can be given in a signal phrase before quoting the excerpt, so the concluding parenthetical will often just contain location information like page numbers or act/scene indicators.

Here is an example from O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh.

WILLIE. (Pleadingly) Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.

ROCKY. Den grab it. It's right under your nose.

WILLIE. (Avidly) Thanks. (He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows.) (1.1)

Citing non-print or sources from the Internet

With more and more scholarly work published on the Internet, you may have to cite sources you found in digital environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's Evaluating Sources of Information resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source on your Works Cited page.

Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers. However, these sorts of entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical citation. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:

Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
Do not provide paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
Unless you must list the Web site name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like CNN.com or Forbes.com, as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.

Miscellaneous non-print sources

Two types of non-print sources you may encounter are films and lectures/presentations:

In the two examples above “Herzog” (a film’s director) and “Yates” (a presentor) lead the reader to the first item in each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:

Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo . Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.

Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Address.

Electronic sources

Electronic sources may include web pages and online news or magazine articles:

In the first example (an online magazine article), the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below).

In the second example (a web page), a parenthetical citation is not necessary because the page does not list an author, and the title of the article, “MLA Formatting and Style Guide,” is used as a signal phrase within the sentence. If the title of the article was not named in the sentence, an abbreviated version would appear in a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:

Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant , 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009.

"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL , 2 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Accessed 2 April 2018.

Multiple citations

To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:

Time-based media sources

When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).

When a citation is not needed

Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge (For example, it is expected that U.S. citizens know that George Washington was the first President.). Remember that citing sources is a rhetorical task, and, as such, can vary based on your audience. If you’re writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, you may need to deal with expectations of what constitutes “common knowledge” that differ from common norms.

Other Sources

The MLA Handbook describes how to cite many different kinds of authors and content creators. However, you may occasionally encounter a source or author category that the handbook does not describe, making the best way to proceed can be unclear.

In these cases, it's typically acceptable to apply the general principles of MLA citation to the new kind of source in a way that's consistent and sensible. A good way to do this is to simply use the standard MLA directions for a type of source that resembles the source you want to cite.

You may also want to investigate whether a third-party organization has provided directions for how to cite this kind of source. For example, Norquest College provides guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers⁠ —an author category that does not appear in the MLA Handbook . In cases like this, however, it's a good idea to ask your instructor or supervisor whether using third-party citation guidelines might present problems.

How To - Use the MLA Style Guide: How to Paraphrase and Quote

Title of source
Title of container
Other contributors
Publication date
Optional Elements
Book with Personal Author(s)
Book with Editor(s)
Book with Organization as Author
Parts of Books
Government Publication
Journal Article
Magazine Article
Multivolume Works
Newspaper Article
Other Formats
Websites, Social Media, and Email
Works Cited Practice
About In-text Citations
In-text Examples

How to Paraphrase and Quote

Formatting Your MLA Paper
Formatting Your Works Cited List
MLA Annotated Bibliography
Using Zotero This link opens in a new window
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Citation Styles This link opens in a new window

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Last Updated: Jan 18, 2024 8:33 AM
URL: https://libguides.shepherd.edu/Style_GuidesMLA

MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): In-Text Citation

What Kind of Source Is This?
Advertisements
Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
Book Reviews
Class Handouts, Presentations, and Readings
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
Government Documents
Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs & Tables
Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
Journal Articles
Magazine Articles
Newspaper Articles
Primary Sources
Religious Texts
Social Media
Videos & DVDs
In-Text Citation

Works Quoted in Another Source

No Author, No Date etc.
Works Cited List & Sample Paper
Annotated Bibliography
Powerpoint Presentations

Number of Authors/Editors	Format of In-Text Citation
One	(Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Case 57)
Two	(Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Case and Daristotle 57)
Three or more	(Author's Last Name et al. Page Number) Example: (Case et al. 57)

If you're using information from a single source more than once in a row (with no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation. The first time you use information from the source, use a full in-text citation. The second time, you only need to give the page number.

Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20).

Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.

If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon.

(Smith 42; Bennett 71).

( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).

Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.

What Is a Long Quotation?

If your quotation is longer than four lines, it is a considered a long quotation. This can also be referred to as a block quotation.

Rules for Long Quotations

There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:

Place a colon at the end of the line that you write to introduce your long quotation.
Indent the long quotation 0.5 inches from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
Do not put quotation marks around the quotation.
Place the period at the end of the quotation before your in-text citation instead of after , as with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

Vivian Gornick describes the process of maturing as a reader as a reckoning with human limitations:

Suddenly, literature, politics, and analysis came together, and I began to think more inclusively about the emotional

imprisonment of mind and spirit to which all human beings are heir. In the course of analytic time, it became apparent

that—with or without the burden of social justice—the effort required to attain any semblance of inner freedom was

extraordinary. Great literature, I then realized, is a record not of the achievement, but of the effort.

With this insight as my guiding light, I began to interpret the lives and work of women and men alike who had

spent their years making literature. (x-xi)

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Last Updated: Sep 21, 2024 4:15 PM
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Citations - MLA: In-Text Citations - Quotations & Paraphrasing

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Artificial Intelligence: AI
Books, eBooks, & Pamphlets
Class Notes & Presentations
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries (Reference Works)
Government Documents
Images, Charts, Graphs, Maps & Tables
Journal Articles
Magazine Articles
Newspaper Articles
Pesonal Communication (Interviews, Emails, & Telephone)
Religious Texts
Social Media
Videos & DVDs
When Creating Digital Assignments
When Information Is Missing
Works in a Foreign Language
Works Quoted in Another Source (Secondary Source)
In-Text Citations - Quotations & Paraphrasing
Formatting - Essay, Works Cited, Appendix, & Sample Paper
Annotated Bibliography

Paraphrasing

In-Text Citation for One, Two, or More Authors/Editors

Unknown Author

Repeated use of sources, long quotations.

In-Text Citation for More Than One Source

Citing a Source that you Found in Another Source (Secondary Source)

Order of authors, physician credentials, about in-text citations.

In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to the full citation on the works cited list at the end of the paper.

Create in-text citations for the following:

Direct quotes

If you're using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.

Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.

What Is a Long Quotation?

If your quotation extends to more than four lines as you're typing your essay, it is a long quotation.

Rules for Long Quotations

There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:

The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
There are no quotation marks around the quotation.
The period at the end of the quotation comes before your in-text citation as opposed to after , as it does with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:

The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too . (Golding 186)

Direct Quote - Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number:

Authors Name in the Sentence & with a Direct Quote - If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name in the in-text citation, instead include the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or paraphrased section. For example:

No Page Numbers & with a Direct Quote - When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like Web pages), cite the author name only.

"Three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli).

Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.

In-Text Citation For One, Two, or More Authors/Editors

Author Known:

"Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).

Number of Authors/Editors	In-Text Citation Example
One	(Author's Last Name Page Number) (Lee 5)
Two	(Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Daristotle and Case 57)
Three or more	(Author's Last Name et al. Page Number) Example: (Daristotle et al. 57)

Number of Authors/Editors

In-Text Citation Example

One

(Author's Last Name Page Number)

(Lee 5)

Two

(Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number)

Example: (Daristotle and Case 57)

Three or more

(Author's Last Name et al. Page Number)

Example: (Daristotle et al. 57)

In-Text Citation For More Than One Source

If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon.

(Smith 42; Bennett 71).

( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).

Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.

When creating an in-text citation or full citation, the authors should be listed in the original order displayed on the item (book, article, ...).

Do not include academic credentials (e.g., MD, MPH, PhD,. DDS) when citing doctors in the in-text or full citation.

The writer may refer to the physician by Dr. (name), when writing a paraphrase or inserting a direct quotation, although, it is not required.

Using the medical credential in the sentence:

Dr. Higgins, said the reason behind the complication was "direct quote here" (257).

Dr. Price realized that nutrition was tied to health outcomes and encountered this observation in various regions of the world during his travels (390).

Omitting the medical credential from the sentence:

He sad the reason behind the complication was "direct quote here" (Higgins 257).

Price observed that nutrition was tied to health outcomes and encountered this in various regions of the world during his travels (390).

When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion.

Paraphrasing from One Page

Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).

Hunt discussed mother-infant attachment becoming a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (65).

Paraphrasing from Multiple Pages

If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include them. For example:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).

Author Unknown:

If the author's name is not given, then use the first word or words of the title. Follow the same formatting that was used in the works cited list, such as quotation marks. This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).
Where you'd normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your Works Cited list.
If the title in the Works Cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation.
If the title in the Works Cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.

( Cell Biology 12)

("Nursing" 12)

Sometimes an author of a book, article or website will mention another person’s work by using a quotation or paraphrased idea from that source. ( This may be called a secondary source.)

For example, the Kirkey article you are reading includes a quotation by Smith that you would like to include in your essay.

The basic rule: in your Works Cited and in-text citation you will still cite Kirkey NOT Smith.
A dd the words “qtd. in” to your in-text citation.

Examples of in-text citations :

According to a study by Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) 42% of doctors would refuse to perform legal euthanasia.

Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) states that “even if euthanasia was legal, 42% of doctors would be against this method of assisted dying” (A.10).

Example of Works Cited list citation:

Kirkey, Susan. "Euthanasia." The Montreal Gazette , 9 Feb. 2013, p. A.10. Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies.

<< Previous: Works Quoted in Another Source (Secondary Source)
Next: Formatting - Essay, Works Cited, Appendix, & Sample Paper >>
Last Updated: May 31, 2024 10:37 AM
URL: https://libguides.lahc.edu/mla

MLA Style: Writing & Citation

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Interviews and Emails (Personal Communications)
Journal Articles
Magazine Articles
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Religious Texts
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When Information Is Missing
Works Quoted in Another Source
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Paraphrasing

Long Quotes
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When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion.

Paraphrasing from One Page

Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).

Paraphrasing from Multiple Pages

If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include them. For example:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).

<< Previous: Unknown or Multiple Authors
Next: Long Quotes >>
Last Updated: Sep 23, 2024 11:48 AM
URL: https://libguides.gvltec.edu/CiteMLA

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How to Paraphrase Video

What is a Paraphrase

A paraphrase translates the source’s words into your own voice and your own words. If you copy three or more words in a row, you must put those words in quotation marks and name the source. Just like a quotation, a paraphrase is always cited in your paper and on a separate page at the end.

5 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

Read your passage until you comprehend its full meaning. As you read, jot down bullet points on the facts or opinions presented, but do not copy "word for word" without using quotation marks.
Put your passage aside, and write out your paraphrase in full sentences. Try u sing the notecard feature in NoodleTools and view your notes in 'detail view'.
Check your version with the original to ensure accuracy. Make any corrections about facts or details.
Use quotation marks to identify any unique phrases that you may have used directly from the source. The 'detail view' in NoodleTools lets you look at the original passage with your paraphrase below it to easily compare.
Record the source and page number so that you can refer back to it later when creating your citations.

Adapted from the Purdue Online Writing Lab's Guide to Paraphrasing .

Use Paraphrase Indicators to...

Present research as fact
Demonstrate analysis
Support ideas
Question an idea

When an author has conducted valid research via scientific methods and data collection, their findings may be presented as evidence of fact. Evaluate the credibility of your source (author's credentials + research methodology), then introduce your paraphrase using assertive language such as:

According to Cowell....

Brovick shows …, gard finds/found that…, hatton has determined ....

* Special thanks to Lora Cowell and Nancy Florio for permission to use this information.

Scholars use evidence gathered through research to develop theories. This interpretation of findings is not always black and white. If an author's interpretation is debatable, present their ideas as "analysis or opinion." You can begin the paraphrase of such ideas with phrases such as:

Moberg hypothesizes …

Scott maintains that…, van berkum predicts …, butterfield suggests ….

Use multiple credible authors to support and strengthen your arguments. Be sure that the authors are agreeing with the idea based on their own analysis and expertise. Start by paraphrasing the original idea (with citation), following with a paraphrase of agreement, such as:

Miller acknowledges …

Parker confirms ..., andrews verifies ..., fritz substantiates ....

Controversial topics generate multiple viewpoints. Acknowledge viewpoints that oppose your main thesis and then COUNTER with evidence or interpretations to support the opposing view. Introduce the opposing viewpoint with a phrase such as:

Anderson argues …

Parker contends ...

Speigle disagrees ..., jenkins responds ….

<< Previous: How to format In-Text Citations
Next: How to integrate Quotations and Paraphrases >>
Last Updated: Sep 9, 2024 10:00 AM
URL: https://libguides.kent-school.edu/citeandwrite

VCU Writes: A Student’s Guide to Research and Writing

Focused inquiry, mla quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.

An essential skill in writing is the ability to ethically and accurately share the ideas of others. Quotations, paraphrases and summaries are all methods of including research in your writing or presentations. Here is a quick overview of the difference between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing:

What it is: Using the exact words of your source; must be placed within quotation marks.
When to use it: Specific terminology, powerful phrases.
Example: McMillan Cottom explains that “Reading around a subject is about going beyond the object of study to unpack, examine, or pick apart what the person or the object of study represents” (1).

PARAPHRASING

What it is: Putting another’s ideas into your own words.
When to use it: To clarify a passage, to avoid over-quoting.
Example: McMillan Cottom contends that, in addition to reading about a subject itself, we also need to read about the ideas and concepts that are ingrained in a subject in order to truly understand its deeper meaning (1).

SUMMARIZING

What it is: Putting a larger main idea into your words.
When to use it: Overview of a topic, main point/idea.
Example: In McMillan Cottom’s article, “Sleep Around Before You Marry an Argument,” she describes the process of preparing to write about a subject and develop an argument. For her, the first and most important stage in this process is reading; however, she isn’t focused on simply reading everything ever written on a topic, but “reading around a subject.” In her view, the end goal is not just to compile facts, but to develop a thorough, but interesting final product that will connect with your audience. (1)

Work Cited McMillan Cottom, Tressie. “Sleep Around Before You Marry An Argument.” Essaying, Substack, 8 March 2021, https://tressie.substack.com/p/sleep-around-before-you-marry-an?utm_source=url

Note: This page reflects the 9th ed. of the MLA Handbook, published in April 2021.

The guidelines and examples below will help you determine when and how to appropriately incorporate research into your writing.

For the drop-down menus below, click on the plus (+) sign to open the example; click on the arrow to obtain a link for each specific item that you can copy or email to yourself.

General Guidelines

While you are still gaining experience and confidence in writing, there is often a temptation to rely heavily on the words and ideas of others. You might think, “How can I possibly say it as well as the expert?” or “How will anyone believe me unless I add in exhaustive research?” However, having confidence in your own ideas is one of the hallmarks of a more experienced writer, and this means that when incorporating the ideas of others, we should not allow them to “take over” our own ideas.

In addition, sometimes it is better to paraphrase or summarize an idea to keep it brief, rather than having an excessively long quotation. (See below for more info on both paraphrasing and summarizing ideas.)

That said, there are a number of reasons why we might want to quote the ideas of others. Here are some of the most common:

When wording is very distinctive so you cannot paraphrase it adequately;
When you are using a definition or explaining something very technical;
When it is important for debaters of an issue to explain their positions in their own words (especially if you have a differing viewpoint);
When the words of an authority will lend weight to your argument;
When the language of a source is the topic of your discussion (as in an interpretation).

Trying to balance your ideas and those of your sources takes a bit of skill and finesse. The goal is to make the ideas (both yours and those of your sources) feel and look like a conversation—a mutual exchange of voices and ideas that helps you and your audience work out your reasoning on a topic. (You can read more about this idea of academic conversations here.) Sometimes, in the process of trying to incorporate the ideas of others, things fall a bit short of the ideal. Here are some common missteps that can lead to your writing seeming less polished:

Over-using one source : If you find yourself repeatedly citing the same source again and again in your writing, it will begin to seem as if you are merely repackaging the other author’s ideas, rather than presenting your own. It also gives the appearance that your ideas are one-sided, due to the lack of a diversity of voices in the conversation.
Having more source material than your own original ideas *: Try color-coding your writing. Highlight each instance where you are quoting, paraphrasing or summarizing a source. What’s left? Is your essay a rainbow of colors, with little else? Or are the majority of ideas/sentences yours, with a few well-chosen instances of source material? Aim for the latter; otherwise, it will seem like you are just “reporting out” on all the research you have gathered, rather than developing your own thinking on a subject.
Does every aspect of this passage relate to my own paragraph ideas?
Can I cut out a section of this quotation to emphasize the points that are most relevant? (If yes, see below on proper formatting when you eliminate a portion of the quoted material.)
Would it be easier/better/more concise to paraphrase this idea? (If yes, see below on how to correctly and incorrectly paraphrase.)
Dropping in a random quote or source reference : Ideas without context are always confusing, whether they are yours or someone else’s. Make sure you provide adequate context and make connections between your ideas and those of your sources.
Signal phrase (a few words that introduce the author of the source; this might also include credentials of the author and/or title of work);
Quoted, paraphrased or summarized material, followed by a parenthetical citation;
Your own thinking that expands upon the ideas from the source material, and connects it back to your larger point.

For more on how to effectively incorporate evidence into your writing or presentation, see the handout “What Is Evidence?” here on VCU Writes.

*NOTE : This goal is more applicable to some writing situations than others. In a lab report or literature review, for example, the majority of your discussion might include restating/sharing research. Always confirm with your instructor if you are not sure what the appropriate balance of source material should be for your specific writing situation.

When quoting material from a source, wording and punctuation should be reproduced exactly as it is in the original. If you need to alter the quotation in any way, you must indicate this through punctuation or added material. Otherwise, you will be misrepresenting the ideas of others.

When paraphrasing or summarizing source info, you should still use quotation marks and cite any distinctive wording that you kept from the original.

For examples of how to correctly alter a quotation, see the “quoting material with alternate spellings or errors,” “omitting part of a quotation,” and “adding to or changing material in a quotation” sections below.

In certain instances, you do not need to cite information. Some examples include “common knowledge,” “passing mentions,” allusions, or epigraphs. To learn more about these situations and why we don’t need to cite them, see “when documentation (aka citation) is NOT needed” on the MLA parenthetical citations page of this site.

Direct Quotation of Sources

A. Quotations that are fewer than four lines should be included in the text and enclosed in quotation marks. If you introduce the quotation in a signal phrase with the author’s full name (or source title, if the author’s name is not provided), include the page number in parentheses after the end of the quotation and before the period. It is not necessary to repeat the name in the parenthetical citation:

On the efficacy and importance of religion, David Hume asserts , “The life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster” (319) .

B. If you do not introduce the quotation with the author’s full name (or source title, if the author’s name is not provided), include the author’s last name and page number in parentheses after the end of the quotation and before the period:

When considering the efficacy and importance of religion, one must understand that “the life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster” (Hume 319) .

C. If the quotation appears mid-sentence , end the passage with any applicable punctuation and a closing quotation mark, finish the sentence, and then cite the source in parentheses at the end of the sentence :

Based on the findings, Sommerfeldt argued that “the normative role of public relations in democracy is best perceived as creating the social capital that facilitates access to spheres of public discussion,” challenging dominant notions of democratic discourse (664).

(An exception to the mid-sentence example above would be if you have more than one source cited in the same sentence. In that case, include the parenthetical citation directly after each quotation in the sentence.)

Quotations that are more than four lines should be displayed in block quotation format . This is an indented passage that does not require quotation marks (the indent serves in place of quotation marks):

The question of voters’ reasons for picking a specific candidate or side in an issue is a complicated one.

Voters should have good grounds for thinking that they are voting for policies or candidates that will promote the common good. In general, there are three ways that voters will violate this norm. Bad voters might vote out of 1) ignorance, 2) irrational beliefs, or 3) immoral beliefs. In contrast, good voters not only know what policies candidates will try to implement, but also know whether those policies would tend to promote or harm the common good. Voters should aim to promote the common good rather than narrow self-interest. (Brennan 37)

Given that voters often don’t vote with the common good in mind, what steps can the community take to help change that?

Note that the period at the end of the block quotation is placed at the end of the sentence, rather than after the parenthetical citation. After the quotation is completed, continue your paragraph on the left margin (i.e., don’t indent as if it were a new paragraph).

If the quotation includes an alternate spelling (i.e., British English) or an error in grammar, punctuation, or spelling, write the word “sic” in brackets directly after the alternate spelling or error inside the quotation:

“VCU is well known for it’s [sic] diversity” (Jones 43).

This lets the reader know that it is the original writer’s spelling or error.

It is often useful to omit material when you do not need all words or sentences included in the passage you are citing. If you omit material, use three spaced periods (. . .) within a sentence (the three periods are called an ellipsis) to indicate that you have omitted material from the original source:

Ariel Levy notes that “in the decades since the McKennas’ odyssey, the drug . . . has become increasingly popular in the United States” (34).

If you omit material after the end of a sentence, use four spaced periods (. . . .) . This is a period, followed by an ellipsis.

A. Though direct quotations must be accurate, the first letter of the first word in the quotation may be changed either as uppercase or lowercase to match the flow of your sentence. Additionally, the punctuation mark ending a sentence may also be changed if necessary for appropriate syntax.

B. It is sometimes important to insert material when it will help the reader understand a quotation. When inserting material, enclose it in brackets :

Original quotation : “By programming a variety of Twitter bots to respond to racist abuse against black users, he showed that a simple one-tweet rebuke can actually reduce online racism” (Yong 45).

Revised quotation with inserted material for clarity : “By programming a variety of Twitter bots to respond to racist abuse against black users, he [Kevin Munger] showed that a simple one-tweet rebuke can actually reduce online racism” (Yong 45).

C. If you decide to italicize part or all of a quotation to emphasize a point you’re trying to make, add “emphasis added” in the parenthetical citation directly after the quotation :

The Dalai Lama has said, “Whether you call it Buddhism or another religion, self-discipline, that’s important. Self-discipline with awareness of consequences” (1, emphasis added) .

Note : If words were already italicized in the quoted material, you do not need to include the “emphasis added” designation. It is assumed that all formatting is original to the quotation unless you indicate otherwise.

Paraphrasing source material

When a writer uses another person’s idea but puts it in their own words, the writer is paraphrasing . We use paraphrasing when we wish to preserve the original ideas in their entirety (as opposed to summarizing the main points). Some reasons a writer might choose to do this include preserving the flow of their writing, or if quoting the material directly would take up too much space.

It is important to remember that just as with quotations, paraphrased material requires an in-text citation to give credit to the original author.

When paraphrasing or referencing an idea from another source, make sure that you provide enough information for the reader to easily locate the passage from the source you reference (for example, the page number or the paragraph number).

Example paraphrase : Original passage : “Reading around a subject is about going beyond the object of study to unpack, examine, or pick apart what the person or the object of study represents” (McMillan Cottom).

Unacceptable paraphrase : It’s important to read around the subject that we are studying by examining what that subject represents.

Issue 1: Certain words from the original are simply moved around.
Issue 2: Certain words are only replaced with synonyms or similar words.
Issue 3: The sentence structure has remained the same.
Issue 4: The source citation is missing.

Acceptable Paraphrase : McMillan Cottom contends that, in addition to reading about a subject itself, we also need to read about the ideas and concepts that are ingrained in a subject in order to truly understand its deeper meaning (1).

Work Cited McMillan Cottom, Tressie. “Sleep Around Before You Marry An Argument.” Essaying , Substack, 8 March 2021, https://tressie.substack.com/p/sleep-around-before-you-marry-an?utm_source=url

Many writers are reluctant to paraphrase because they worry about making mistakes and unintentionally plagiarizing ideas in their writing. This is a valid concern, but with practice this skill can be developed just like any other. Learning to paraphrase effectively can demonstrate a deeper understanding and command of the ideas you are discussing, and aid in the flow of ideas in your essay or presentation. That said, there are some common mistakes that should be avoided:

When paraphrasing, make sure that you don’t copy the same pattern of wording as the original sentence or passage . This sometimes happens when a writer tries to just swap out a few words, but keeps the structure of the sentence the same or very similar.
Likewise, avoid using the same or very similar wording as the original . If your paraphrase includes a word or phrase borrowed from the original, make sure to put that portion in quotation marks.
As noted above, paraphrases require citations, just like direct quotations. Always include a signal phrase and parenthetical citation to indicate that the info you are sharing is not your own. This is especially important in paraphrasing to make a clear distinction between the writer’s own ideas and the source info. Also, citing your source makes sure that you provide enough information for the reader to easily locate the passage from the source you reference.

To make sure that you don’t fall prey to the above mistakes, read the passage you wish to paraphrase and then put it aside. Without looking at it, try to think about how you can say it in your own words, and write it down. Make sure you aren’t including your own ideas—just try to capture the essence of the original in as clear and straightforward a manner as possible.

Summarizing source material

As explained at the top of this page, a summary is when a writer wants to provide a brief overview of a larger idea. This is distinct from a paraphrase, which usually focuses on a single sentence or paragraph. A writer can summarize an entire essay, a section of an article, or the overall main idea of a composition. While summarizing is perhaps not used as frequently as quoting or paraphrasing in academic writing, it can be an effective critical thinking and reading tool. In fact, your instructor may ask you to do a summary as part of your reading and research gathering to demonstrate your understanding of the material. In most academic writing, summaries should be used sparingly, but can be an efficient way to provide additional context to the intended audience.

It is important to remember that just as with quotations and paraphrases, summarized material requires an in-text citation to give credit to the original author.

When summarizing an idea from another source, make sure that you provide enough information for the reader to easily locate the passage from the source you reference (for example, the page number or the paragraph number).

Example summary :

The following summary focuses on an online article written by Tressie McMillan Cottom, which you can read in full here .

In Tressie McMillan Cottom’s article, “Sleep Around Before You Marry an Argument,” she describes the process of preparing to write about a subject and develop an argument. For her, the first and most important stage in this process is reading; however, she isn’t focused on simply reading everything ever written on a topic, but “reading around the subject.” In her view, the end goal is not just to compile facts, but to develop a thorough, but interesting final product that will connect with your audience. (1)

McMillan Cottom, Tressie. “Sleep Around Before You Marry An Argument.” Essaying , Substack, 8 March 2021, https://tressie.substack.com/p/sleep- around-before-you-marry-an?utm_source=url

There are some common mistakes that should be avoided when summarizing a source:

Providing too much detail : While a summary is by its nature longer than a paraphrase, too much detail means that you are getting a bit “in the weeds” with your writing. A summary should be focused on the big ideas of a piece of writing, rather than the individual sections or minor points. A good summary should be much shorter than the original; in most cases, a full paragraph will be more than enough.
Using the same or very similar wording for part of the summary : Just as with paraphrasing, you want to avoid words, phrases, or patterns of wording from the original source. Stick to your own wording/ideas; if your summary does include a word or phrase borrowed from the original, make sure to put that portion in quotation marks.
Not providing a citation : As with paraphrases and quotations, summaries also require citations. Always include a signal phrase and parenthetical citation to indicate that the ideas you are summarizing are not your own. This is especially important in summarizing to make a clear distinction between your own ideas and the source info. Also, citing your source makes sure that you provide enough information for the reader to easily locate the source you reference.

To make sure that you don’t fall prey to the above mistakes, read the item you wish to summarize and then put it aside. Without looking at it, try to think about how you would explain the main ideas from the source to someone else in your own words, and write that down. Make sure you don’t add your own analysis or opinion—just try to capture the essence of the original in as clear and straightforward a manner as possible.

MLA Citation Guide

MLA Citations
MLA Style Rules and Elements
Library Database Citation Examples
Online Sources Citation Examples
Print Book Citation Examples
Other Source Citation Examples

In-Text Citations

Works Cited List
Formatting Your Paper
General Information
Verbs in Signal Phrases
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

In addition to crediting other creators, the point of in-text citations is to get your reader to the long-form citation on the Works Cited page. According to the MLA Handbook , the citation should interrupt the text of your essay as little as possible (227). There are two ways to do this:

Signal phrase (" Citation in prose " in the MLA Handbook ) : Introducing the name of the author or the work's title in the text of your sentence.
Parenthetical citation: Paraphrasing an idea or using a quotation without the author/title in your sentence text. The author/title goes in parentheses at the end of your sentence.

Signal Phrase

The signal phrase lets your reader know that you are paraphrasing or quoting an idea from someone else's work. If your paper deals with a particular work of literature, or if you are relying heavily on the work of one or more sources, a signal phrase introducing the source is recommended.

Page or paragraph numbers go in parentheses at the end of your sentence. (If your source has no page/paragraph numbers, do not include them.)
If you are quoting a source, the in-text citation always comes after the closing quotation mark.
If there is no author, use the title of the work in your signal phrase.

Examples of a Signal Phrase

Parenthetical citations.

When you do not include the author/title in your sentence text of the paragraph, a complete parenthetical citation is necessary.

Quotes in your paper flow better when they are integrated the into a sentence.
If the work has no author, use a shortened version of the title in your parenthetical citation.
Page or paragraph numbers come after the author or shortened title.

Examples of a Parenthetical Citation

Works cited.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . 1813. The Modern Library, 1995.

Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business . Random House, 2012.

Kite, Allison. "Report: Residents in Kansas, Missouri Get Drinking Water from Lead Pipes at High Rates." Kansas Reflector , 15 Jul. 2021, kansasreflector.com/briefs/report-residents-in-kansas-missouri-get-drinking-water-from-lead-pipes-at-high-rates/.

MLA Handbook . 9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Upson, Matt, et al. Information Now: A Graphic Guide to Student Research . U of Chicago P, 2015.

Author Named in Your Paper

Duhigg argues that we can change our habits, but it can be a struggle to do so (20).

Kite reports that Kansas has 5,446 lead pipes per 100,000 residents, the third highest rate in the United States.

Two Authors Named in Your Paper

Strunk and White argue that writers should use the active voice because it is "direct and vigorous" (18).

Three or More Authors Named in Your Paper

For a source with three or more authors, the MLA Handbook recommends using the first author's name followed by one of the following phrases: "and colleagues" or "and others" (232-233).

Taylor and colleagues explore doctors' responses to patients with chronic illnesses after the doctors' diagnoses with long COVID (839).

One or Two Authors Not Named in Your Paper

We can change our habits, but because they are deeply ingrained into the brain, it can be a struggle to do so (Duhigg 20).

Writers should use the active voice because it is "direct and vigorous" (Strunk and White 18).

Three or More Authors Not Named in Your Paper

Although "research is a collective process, one shared and added to by all researchers," it is unacceptable to plagiarize someone else's work (Upson et al. 90).

If the source has no named author, your in-text citation will be an abbreviated version of the title. If it is a very short title, you may use the entire title. If the work without an author is an article, put quotes around the shortened title in the parenthetical citation; if it is a book, italicize it.

Full Title: Go Ask Alice

The diarist describes her first experience with LSD as "tremendous and wonderful and miraculous" ( Go Ask 30).

In Go Ask Alice, the diarist describes her first experience with LSD as "tremendous and wonderful and miraculous" (30).

Source with No Page Numbers

When citing an article without page numbers in your paper, omit the page element from your in-text citation.

According to DeRuy, a baby’s caretakers "have an enormous role in creating an environment where children have both the freedom and support to learn."

A baby’s caretakers "have an enormous role in creating an environment where children have both the freedom and support to learn" (DeRuy).

DeRuy, Emily. “The Complex Lives of Babies.” The Atlantic , 20 June 2016, www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/06/the-complex-lives-of-babies/487679/.

Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business . Random House, 2012.

Go Ask Alice . 1971. Simon Pulse, 2006.

Strunk, William, Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style . 4th ed., Allyn and Bacon, 2000.

Taylor, Anna K., et al. “‘Reluctant Pioneer’: A Qualitative Study of Doctors’ Experiences as Patients with Long COVID.” Health Expectations , vol. 24, no. 3, June 2021, pp. 833–842. doi.org/10.1111/hex.13223.

Upson, Matt, et al. Information Now: A Graphic Guide to Student Research . U of Chicago P, 2015.

To avoid overusing the words "say/says" and "according to," try mixing it up with one of the verbs listed below. For example, instead of writing the following sentence:

Using a variety of verbs can make your writing more interesting to your reader.

Alternatives to "Says"

acknowledges adds admits agrees argues asserts believes claims comments compares confirms contends declares denies disputes emphasizes endorses grants illustrates implies insists notes observes points out reasons refutes rejects reports responds suggests thinks writes

Powers, William. Hamlet's BlackBerry: Building a Good Life in the Digital Age . Harper Perennial, 2011.

Quoting Sources

When you quote a source, you include the author's exact words in your text. Use "quotation marks" around the author's words. Include signal phrases and an in-text citation to show where the quote is from.

Bad Example

The example below is technically correct, but the quote disrupts the flow of the essay.

Better Example

The sentences below have better flow because the quote is introduced with a signal phrase.

Paraphrasing and Summarizing Sources

When you paraphrase or summarize a source, you restate the source's ideas in your own words and sentence structure. Select what is relevant to your topic, and restate only that. Changing only a few words is not sufficient in paraphrasing or summarizing. Instead, you need to completely rephrase the author's ideas in your own words. Since you are restating the idea in your own words instead of quoting it, do not use quotation marks.

Always use in-text citations when you paraphrase or summarize so that the reader will know that the information or opinion comes from someone other than you. Continue to use signal phrases as well.

Plagiarism Example

The example below does not significantly change the source material - it uses the same sentence structure and most of the same words for key ideas. It is also plagiarism because it does not provide a citation.

Correctly Paraphrased Example

The next example is not plagiarism - it restates the author's idea, and it provides a citation in MLA format.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . 1813. The Modern Library, 1995.

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Mla quick citation guide.

In-text Citation
Citing Generative AI
Citing Web Pages and Social Media
Citing Articles
Citing Books
Other formats
MLA Style Quiz

Using In-text Citation

Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your reference list.

MLA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith).

For more information on in-text citation, see the MLA Style Center .

Example paragraph with in-text citation

A few researchers in the linguistics field have developed training programs designed to improve native speakers' ability to understand accented speech (Derwing et al. 246; Thomas 15). Their training techniques are based on the research described above indicating that comprehension improves with exposure to non-native speech. Derwing and others conducted their training with students preparing to be social workers, but note that other professionals who work with non-native speakers could benefit from a similar program (258).

Works Cited List

Derwing, Tracey M., et al. "Teaching Native Speakers to Listen to Foreign-accented Speech." Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, vol. 23, no. 4, 2002, pp. 245-259.

Thomas, Holly K. Training Strategies for Improving Listeners' Comprehension of Foreign-accented Speech. University of Colorado, Boulder, 2004.

Citing Web Pages In Text

Cite web pages in text as you would any other source, using the author if known. If the author is not known, use the title as the in-text citation.

Your in-text citation should lead your reader to the corresponding entry in the reference list. Below are examples of using in-text citation with web pages.

Entire website with author: In-text citation Parents play an important role in helping children learn techniques for coping with bullying (Kraizer).

Works cited entry Kraizer, Sherryll. Safe Child. Coalition for Children, 2011, www.safechild.org.

Web page with no author: In-text citation The term Nittany Lion was coined by Penn State football player Joe Mason in 1904 ("All Things Nittany").

Works cited entry "All Things Nittany." About Penn State. Penn State University, 2006, www.psu.edu/ur/about/nittanymascot.html.

General Guidelines

In MLA style the author's name can be included either in the narrative text of your paper, or in parentheses following the reference to the source.

Author's name part of narrative:

Gass and Varonis found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (163).

Author's name in parentheses:

One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (Gass and Varonis 163).

Group as author: (American Psychological Association 123)

Multiple works: (separate each work with semi-colons)

Research shows that listening to a particular accent improves comprehension of accented speech in general (Gass and Varonis 143; Thomas 24).

Direct quote:

One study found that “the listener's familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (Gass and Varonis 85).

Gass and Varonis found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (85).

Note: For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, display quotations as an indented block of text (one inch from left margin) and omit quotation marks. Place your parenthetical citation at the end of the block of text, after the final punctuation mark.

In addition to awareness-raising, practicing listening to accented speech has been shown to improve listening comprehension. This article recommends developing listening training programs for library faculty and staff, based on research from the linguistics and language teaching fields. Even brief exposure to accented speech can help listeners improve their comprehension, thereby improving the level of service to international patrons. (O'Malley 19)

Works by Multiple Authors

When citing works by multiple authors, always spell out the word "and." When a source has three or more authors, only the first one shown in the source is normally given followed by et al.

One author: (Field 399)

Works Cited entry: Field, John. "Intelligibility and the Listener: The Role of Lexical Stress." TESOL Quarterly , vol. 39, no. 3, 2005, pp. 399-423.

Two authors: (Gass and Varonis 67)

Works Cited entry: Gass, Susan, and Evangeline M. Varonis. "The Effect of Familiarity on the Comprehensibility of Nonnative Speech." Language Learning , vol. 34, no. 1, 1984, pp. 65-89.

Three or more authors: (Munro et al. 70)

Works Cited entry: Munro, Murray J., et al. "Salient Accents, Covert Attitudes: Consciousness-raising for Pre-service Second Language Teachers." Prospect , vol. 21, no. 1, 2006, pp. 67-79.

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Last Updated: Feb 14, 2024 8:47 AM
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The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples

The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples

Published on March 14, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on February 28, 2024.

An in-text citation is a short acknowledgement you include whenever you quote or take information from a source in academic writing. It points the reader to the source so they can see where you got your information.

In-text citations most commonly take the form of short parenthetical statements indicating the author and publication year of the source, as well as the page number if relevant.

We also offer a free citation generator and in-depth guides to the main citation styles.

Generate accurate citations with Scribbr

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What are in-text citations for, when do you need an in-text citation, types of in-text citation, frequently asked questions about in-text citations.

The point of an in-text citation is to show your reader where your information comes from. Including citations:

Avoids plagiarism by acknowledging the original author’s contribution
Allows readers to verify your claims and do follow-up research
Shows you are engaging with the literature of your field

Academic writing is seen as an ongoing conversation among scholars, both within and between fields of study. Showing exactly how your own research draws on and interacts with existing sources is essential to keeping this conversation going.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

An in-text citation should be included whenever you quote or paraphrase a source in your text.

Quoting means including the original author’s words directly in your text, usually introduced by a signal phrase . Quotes should always be cited (and indicated with quotation marks), and you should include a page number indicating where in the source the quote can be found.

Paraphrasing means putting information from a source into your own words. In-text citations are just as important here as with quotes, to avoid the impression you’re taking credit for someone else’s ideas. Include page numbers where possible, to show where the information can be found.

However, to avoid over-citation, bear in mind that some information is considered common knowledge and doesn’t need to be cited. For example, you don’t need a citation to prove that Paris is the capital city of France, and including one would be distracting.

Different types of in-text citation are used in different citation styles . They always direct the reader to a reference list giving more complete information on each source.

Author-date citations (used in APA , Harvard , and Chicago author-date ) include the author’s last name, the year of publication, and a page number when available. Author-page citations (used in MLA ) are the same except that the year is not included.

Both types are divided into parenthetical and narrative citations. In a parenthetical citation , the author’s name appears in parentheses along with the rest of the information. In a narrative citation , the author’s name appears as part of your sentence, not in parentheses.

Examples of different types of in-text citation
	Parenthetical citation	Narrative citation
Author-date (APA)	The treatment proved highly effective (Smith, 2018, p. 11).	Smith states that the treatment was highly effective (2018, p. 11).
Author-page (MLA)	The treatment proved highly effective (Smith 11).	Smith states that the treatment was highly effective (11).

Note: Footnote citations like those used in Chicago notes and bibliography are sometimes also referred to as in-text citations, but the citation itself appears in a note separate from the text.

An in-text citation is an acknowledgement you include in your text whenever you quote or paraphrase a source. It usually gives the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number of the relevant text. In-text citations allow the reader to look up the full source information in your reference list and see your sources for themselves.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.

APA Style is the most popular citation style, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.
MLA style is the second most popular, used mainly in the humanities.
Chicago notes and bibliography style is also popular in the humanities, especially history.
Chicago author-date style tends to be used in the sciences.

Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.

The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2024, February 28). The Basics of In-Text Citation | APA & MLA Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/in-text-citation-styles/

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MLA Style Guide, 8th & 9th Editions: How to Paraphrase and Quote

Works Cited entries: What to Include
Title of source
Title of container
Contributors
Publication date
Supplemental Elements
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Multivolume Works
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Websites, Social Media, and Email
About In-text Citations
In-text Examples

How to Paraphrase and Quote

Citing Poetry
Formatting Your MLA Paper
Formatting Your Works Cited List
MLA Annotated Bibliography
MLA 9th Edition Quick Guide
Submit Your Paper for MLA Style Review

Block Quotes in MLA Style

Short quotations can be included as part of a larger sentence or within a paragraph in the body of your paper. For quotations longer than four lines, use a block quote. Press enter to start the quotation on a new line. Press Tab to indent the entire quotation 1/2 inch from the left margin. Continue double spacing for the quotation. Do not use double quotation marks. Place your in-text citation at the end after the closing punctuation mark.

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

Source Types
Evaluating Sources
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing
Advertisements
Audio Materials
Books, eBooks & Course Packs
Creative Commons Licensed Works
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
Games & Objects
Government Documents
Images, Infographics, Maps, Charts, & Tables
Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers (Oral Communication)
Journal Articles
Magazine Articles
Newspaper Articles
Personal Communications (including emails and interviews)
Religious Works
Social Media
Websites (including documents/PDFs posted on websites)
When Information Is Missing
Works Quoted in Another Source
Works Cited & Paper Format
Plagiarism & Academic Integrity
End of Paper Checklist

Quoting vs Paraphrasing

Quoting vs paraphrasing: what's the difference.

There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing.

Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation.

Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation.

"The Basics of MLA In-text Citations." Video, 4:13. Posted by Scribbr, 2021. Accessed April 24, 2021. YouTube. YouTube, 2021.https://youtu.be/ypWxhhpGeyM

Long quotations
Modifying quotations

Quoting - Example:

There are two basic formats that can be used when quoting a source:

Parenthetical Style:

Narrative Style:

Note: If there are no page numbers, as in a website, cite the author name only.

What is a Long or Block Quotation?

A long or block quotation is a quotation which is 4 lines or more.

Rules for Long Quotations

There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:

The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
There are no quotation marks around the quotation.
The period at the end of the quotation comes before your in-text citation as opposed to after , as it does with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:

Modifying Quotations

Sometimes you may want to make some modifications to the quote to fit your writing. Here are some MLA rules when changing quotes:

Changing Quotations

Omitting parts of a quotation

If you would like to exclude some words from a quotation, replace the words you are not including with an ellipsis - ...

Adding words to a quote

If you are adding words that are not part of the original quote, enclose the additional words in square brackets - [XYZ]

Paraphrasing

Correct vs. incorrect paraphrasing
Long paraphrases

Paraphrasing - Examples:

When you write information from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion as follows:

If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number if there is one:

Correct vs. Incorrect Paraphrasing

Original Source

Homeless individuals commonly come from families who are riddled with problems and marital disharmony, and are alienated from their parents. They have often been physically and even sexually abused, have relocated frequently, and many of them may be asked to leave home or are actually thrown out, or alternatively are placed in group homes or in foster care. They often have no one to care for them and no one knows them intimately.

Source from:

Rokach, Ami. "The Causes of Loneliness in Homeless Youth." The Journal of Psychology, 139, 2005, pp. 469-480. Academic Search Premier.

Example: Incorrect Paraphrasing

Example: Correct Paraphrasing

Long Paraphrases

If you paraphrase a source more than once in a single paragraph and no other sources are mentioned in between, provide an in-text citation for the source at the end of each paraphrase. In the examples, the second in-text citation only includes the page number since it is clear that the same source is still being paraphrased.

If your paraphrase continues to another paragraph and/or you include paraphrases from other sources within the same paragraph, repeat the in-text citations for each.

In-text Citation Tips

Repeated use of sources
Sources with same author and publication year
Citing more than one source

If you are using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.

Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.

When you are citing two different sources that share the same author, for the Works Cited List list the first title only, and for any subsequent titles by the same author list three dashes (---) in place of the author name.

For in-text citations, include a shortened version of the source title following the author name.

If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon (;).

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MLA Citation Guide: Quoting, Paraphrasing and Abbreviating

Journal Articles
Magazines and Newspapers
Class Notes & Presentations
Social Media
Artificial Intelligence & Chatbots
Religious Texts
Videos & Digital Media
Images, Artwork, Charts, Graphs & Tables
Quoting, Paraphrasing and Abbreviating
Works Cited Page & Sample Papers
Annotated Bibliography

Abbreviations

MLA citation style regularly uses abbreviations in the list of works cited and in parenthetical citations, but rarely in academic prose. If you use abbreviations in your writing, always choose accepted forms, often found in the dictionary. While saving space is important, clarity is more so. Spell out a term if the abbreviation might confuse your reader.

Measurements of time

Examples: a.m.; Apr.(April); Sat.(Saturday); yr.(year); min.(minute)

University Press - UP (New York UP)

Months of more than 4 letters are abbreviated. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Please refer to Appendix 1 (pp. 293-301) of the MLA Handbook (9th ed.) for the complete information on how to abbreviate.

Quoting Directly

When you quote directly from a source, enclose the quoted section in quotation marks. Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number, like this:

"Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).

"Here's a direct quote" ("Trouble" 22).

Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.

Paraphrasing

When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion, like this:

This is a paraphrase (Smith 8).

This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).

Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).

Note: If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include all of the page numbers.

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).

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Paraphrasing

Why Paraphrase?
Paraphrasing Is a Process
Step 1: Read
Step 2: Take Notes
Step 3: Think About What You Read
Step 4: Write It In Your Own Words
Step 5: Cite Your Source
Citing in APA

Citing in MLA

Paraphrasing Gone Bad Video
What's Wrong With This Paraphrase? (A)
What's Wrong With This Paraphrase? (B)
What's Wrong With This Paraphrase? (C)

And here is how your article citation would look if you're using MLA.

In-text citation:

Parents should be concerned about online advertising. These advertisers are manipulative, and children are more vulnerable than most parents expect ( Cornish 454 ).

Works Cited page:

Cornish, Lara Spiteri. "'Mum, Can I Play On the Internet?' Parents' Understanding, Perception and Responses To Online Advertising Designed For Children." International Journal of Advertising , vol. 33, no.3, 2014, pp. 437-473.

As with APA, citations will have different formats d epending on what you're citing (a book, an article from a database, a video, etc.). Want to see more examples of MLA citations? Go to OWL at Purdue.

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Next: Paraphrasing Problems >>
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024 4:34 PM
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Paraphrasing in MLA

Paraphrasing can be a useful tool to help you avoid relying too heavily on quotes. You should avoid using too many quotes in your writing.

That being said, you still need to cite your sources properly when paraphrasing. You are borrowing other people’s ideas, so it’s important to give credit where it’s due.

If your instructor wants you to use MLA-style citations, it’s important to know how this works in regard to paraphrasing.

What is MLA style?

MLA stands for “Modern Language Association.” This association was founded in 1983, and it’s the leading professional academic organization in the United States. The MLA style is frequently used by schools, instructors, and academic organizations. While many students use the MLA style when writing, it’s especially popular in humanities courses.

What is paraphrasing?

When you paraphrase a passage, you are putting it in your own words. In most cases, the result is that this passage becomes clearer and easier to understand. Paraphrases can be shorter, longer, or the same length as the original passage. Paraphrasing is useful because it shows that you actually understand the key ideas behind the passage.

Paraphrasing & citing in MLA style

Once you understand the system for citing your sources in MLA style, paraphrasing is easy. You can use this process to cite your sources when paraphrasing, summarizing, or using direct quotes.

1. Create a works cited page

Both a works cited page and a bibliography list sources that were used in the making of your paper. The main difference is that a works cited page only includes sources that were referenced in your work (via an in-text citation). On the other hand, a bibliography includes all sources consulted, even if they were not directly referenced in your work. Both are placed at the end of your research paper or essay and follow the same MLA guidelines. It is important to create a works cited page because your in-text citations will help your reader to identify the source you are referencing from that list.

To create a works cited page based on the MLA format, you need to follow a number of guidelines.

This is the basic structure for a book reference in MLA format:

Author Last, Author First, Middle Initial. Title of Work . Publisher, Year.

Here’s an example:

Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis . Modern Library, 1915.

For more help creating citations, visit the Citation Machine MLA citation generator .

2. In-text citations

When writing according to the MLA style citation guide, you will use in-text citations. The goal of in-text citations is to direct your reader to the appropriate citation in your works cited list. At the end of your paraphrase, you’ll write the last name of the author and the page number you’re referencing.

This is the basic structure for an in-text citation in MLA format:

(Author Last Name Page number).

For example:

Captain Montgomery forced Pendrick off his ship, claiming that Pendrick was in league with “beasts and cannibals” (Wells 26).

The period is always placed after the parentheses.

If there’s more than one author, you simply use both of their last names, followed by the page number.

(Smith and Jones 77).

If there are three or more authors, you simply use the first author’s last name and then write “et al.”

(Smith et al. 77).

If there is no page number, just use the author’s last name. You’ll likely need to do this if you’re citing a web page or another source where page numbers are not included.

If you’re repeatedly citing the same source, you can simply refer to the page number after the first time. Note that you can only do this if you’re not citing other sources in between and this shouldn’t be used if it will cause confusion.

Captain Montgomery forced Pendrick off his ship, claiming that Pendrick was in league with “beasts and cannibals” (Wells 26). After being stranded on a small dinghy, Pendrick begs God to end his suffering (30).

You can also use only the page number if you have included the author’s name within the test itself. This is called a narrative citation.

Basic structure:

Text that mentions the author’s last name (page number).

Wells writes that Captain Montgomery forced Pendrick off his ship, claiming that Pendrick was in league with “beasts and cannibals” (26).

Key takeaways

When paraphrasing, you need to put the writing in your own words.
Citing your sources is important when paraphrasing.
The MLA style is used for academic writing, especially in the humanities.
The first step is to create a works cited page.
Next, you use in-text citations after your paraphrases to direct your reader to the source listed in your works cited page.
You generally use the last name of the author and the page number in parentheses after your paraphrases.

Published October 29, 2020.

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

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Artificial Intelligence
Audio Materials
Books, eBooks & Course Packs
Case Studies
Class Materials
Creative Commons Licensed Works
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
Games & Objects
Government Documents
Images, Infographics, Maps, Charts, & Tables
Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers (Oral Communication)
Journal Articles
Legal Resources
Magazine Articles
Newspaper Articles
Personal Communications (including emails and interviews)
Religious Works
Social Media
Websites (including documents/PDFs posted on websites)
When Information Is Missing
Works in Another Language / Translations
Works Quoted in Another Source
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing
MLA Citation FAQs

Quoting vs Paraphrasing: What's the Difference?

There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing.

Quoting Examples

Long Quotations

Modifying Quotations

Quoting - Example:

There are two basic formats that can be used when quoting a source:

Parenthetical Style:

Narrative Style:

Note: If there are no page numbers, as in a website, cite the author name only.

What is a Long or Block Quotation?

A long or block quotation is a quotation which is 4 lines or more.

Rules for Long Quotations

There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:

The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
There are no quotation marks around the quotation.
The period at the end of the quotation comes before your in-text citation as opposed to after, as it does with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:

Sometimes you may want to make some modifications to the quote to fit your writing. Here are some MLA rules when changing quotes:

Changing Quotations

Omitting parts of a quotation

If you would like to exclude some words from a quotation, replace the words you are not including with an ellipsis - ...

Adding words to a quote

If you are adding words that are not part of the original quote, enclose the additional words in square brackets - [XYZ]

Paraphrasing

Correct vs. Incorrect Paraphrasing

Long Paraphrases

Paraphrasing - Examples:

When you write information from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion as follows:

If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number if there is one:

Original Source

Source from:

Rokach, Ami. "The Causes of Loneliness in Homeless Youth." The Journal of Psychology, 139, 2005, pp. 469-480. Academic Search Premier.

Example: Incorrect Paraphrasing

Example: Correct Paraphrasing

If your paraphrase continues to another paragraph and/or you include paraphrases from other sources within the same paragraph, repeat the in-text citations for each.

In-Text Citation Tips

Repeated Use of Sources
Sources with Same Author and Publication Year
Citing More Than One Source
AI-Generated Text

If you are using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.

For in-text citations, include a shortened version of the source title following the author name.

Example: In-text citations (Haynes, Noah's Curse 84) (Haynes, The Last Segregated Hour 57)

If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon (;).

In-text Citations & AI-generated Text

AI-generated content may not be considered as an acceptable source for your course work. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you are permitted to use it as a source. See Citation Examples: Artificial Intelligence for more information. For in-text, include the shortened text of the prompt surrounded by quotation marks such as: ("Shortened text of prompt").

Direct Quote Example

Paraphrasing Example

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Last Updated: Jul 27, 2024 1:40 PM
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How do I cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence?

Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook . For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook .

If you need to cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence, you may provide the page numbers at the end of the sentence:

Andrew Davis asserts that the strategies undertaken by the institution were well formulated but ultimately unsuccessful because the institution failed to persuade employees that the “preemptive” efforts were in their best interest (165; see 160-68).

You could also provide the page number for the quotation in parentheses and then insert an endnote about the paraphrase:

Andrew Davis asserts that the strategies undertaken by the institution were well formulated but ultimately unsuccessful because the institution failed to persuade employees that the “preemptive” efforts were in their best interest (165). 1 For Davis’s discussion of the strategies, see 160-68.

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What Is Paraphrasing? Definition, Steps & Examples

What Is Paraphrasing? Definition, Steps & Examples

Published on September 23, 2024 by Nicole Routh, M.Ed .

Paraphrasing involves rewording information from an outside source that you’re using as evidence in your own writing. Most academic writing includes paraphrases from multiple sources to show your readers that you researched your topic thoroughly.

Paraphrasing also helps you avoid overusing quotations so that the majority of your sentences reflect your own writing voice.

However, paraphrasing incorrectly can lead to plagiarism . To paraphrase correctly, you must state the information in your own words and give credit to the source with an in-text citation .

Paraphrase vs quotation example
APA style quotation	APA style paraphrase
Haidt (2024) explained, “Experience, not information, is the key to emotional development. It is in unsupervised, child-led play where children best learn to tolerate bruises, handle their emotions, read other children’s emotions, take turns, resolve conflicts, and play fair” (p. 53).	Haidt (2024) argued that unsupervised free play is crucial for emotional development because it helps children learn how to bear minor discomforts, regulate their emotions, empathize with others, and resolve conflicts.

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What is paraphrasing, summarizing vs paraphrasing, how to paraphrase correctly, how to cite a paraphrase, frequently asked questions about paraphrasing.

When you paraphrase, you use your own words to describe the information in a short excerpt (e.g., one paragraph) from another source. By definition, paraphrasing includes a few essential features.

A paraphrase has the same meaning as the sentences in the original source.
The syntax differs from the original author’s syntax. For example, you might use fewer sentences and different sentence structures. Paraphrases are often shorter than the original passage.
Most but not all of the word choices are different. Paraphrases include synonyms (words with the same meaning) for most of the words in the original source.
Some words can be the same if there are no other words that have the same meaning (e.g., numbers, percentages, or technical terms).
A paraphrase gives credit to the original source with an in-text citation. The format for in-text citations varies according to the style you’re using to cite sources (e.g., APA, MLA, or Chicago style).

Paraphrasing example
Original passage	MLA-style paraphrase
In early August, Janis departed on what became her last tour, which kicked off with a triumphant return to New York, performing to fifteen thousand at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.	Janis Joplin’s final tour began in August, 1970 with a concert for 15,000 attendees at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in New York (George-Warren 303).

A paraphrase focuses on rewording a small excerpt of an outside source. A summary is a synopsis of the main idea and key points of the entire source.

Summarizing and paraphrasing also have different purposes:

A paraphrase provides evidence (usually in a body paragraph) that supports your main argument or main idea. Paraphrasing shows readers that your main idea is substantiated by experts.
A summary provides context about why the source is relevant and what it’s mostly about. Summarizing is useful in introductions for literary analysis or rhetorical analysis essays. It’s also an essential aspect of annotated bibliographies and literature reviews .

Summarizing vs paraphrasing example
APA style summary	APA style paraphrase
In , Haidt (2024) described several of the ways in which a phone-based childhood resulted in a mental health epidemic and provided several strategies that caregivers, policymakers, and schools can implement to promote a play-based childhood.	Haidt (2024) urged cities and towns to implement more playgrounds and other infrastructure to improve children’s ability to interact and mingle face-to-face rather than online.

Paraphrasing correctly to avoid plagiarism involves a few important steps:

Review the sentences you want to paraphrase in the original source to make sure you understand what they mean.
Write a draft of your paraphrase without looking at the original source.
Compare your paraphrase with the original source to ensure that your syntax and word choices are different from the original source. Use sentence structures that are different from the original source. For example, if the author uses a complex sentence , consider using a compound sentence instead. Replace identical words with synonyms (different words that have the same meaning).
Review the original source again to confirm that your paraphrase is accurate. It should have the same meaning as the original source even though your wording is different.
Add an in-text citation. Minimally, this should include an author’s last name (or the name of an organization for sources with organizational authors). Depending on the citation style you’re using, your in-text citations may need a year of publication, a page number, or other elements.

How to paraphrase correctly APA style example
Original passage	Incorrect paraphrase	Correct paraphrase
People tend to think of paleontology as a field-based discipline, focusing on the romantic allure of summers spent in remote desert locales with pickaxe in hand, collecting fossils of long-extinct animals new to science. But these days paleontologists are just as likely to make their most significant discoveries in the laboratory using cutting-edge technologies from biomedicine and neuroscience.	People might consider paleontology as a hands-in discipline, focusing on a romanticized vision of warm, dry locations with pickaxe in hand, gathering fossils of animals that have been extinct for a long time. However, nowadays, paleontologists are just as probable to make their most important discoveries in the laboratory using the latest and greatest technologies from neuroscience and biomedicine.	Balanoff and Kspeka (2024) explained that despite popular belief that paleontology always involves gathering fossils on location, many of the most important discoveries take place in the laboratory, where paleontologists use neuroscience and biomedicine to learn about dinosaurs’ abilities and behaviors.

In the above correct example, the writer cited the source and used sentence structures and word choices that differed from the original passage.

Anytime you paraphrase information from another source, you must include an in-text citation to show where the information came from. The information in each in-text citation varies according to the citation style you’re using.

The three most common citation formats are APA, MLA, and Chicago Author-Date.

For each style, there are two types of in-text citations: narrative and parenthetical .

Narrative in-text citations use the author’s last name in the narrative of the sentence, usually with a signal phrase (e.g., “According to Jones”).
Parenthetical in-text citations go at the end of the sentence in parentheses, like this APA example: (Vandolet, 2022). The period that ends the sentence always goes after the parenthetical citation.

How to paraphrase APA

APA in-text citations should include the author’s last name and year of publication . If a source has two authors, use both authors’ last names. If a source has three or more authors, use the first author’s last name and “ et al. ” before the year.

A page number is optional for paraphrases but only required for quotations.

For APA narrative citations , the author does not go in parenthesis because it’s part of the narrative of the sentence. The year goes in parentheses right after the author’s last name. Use past-tense for signal phrase verbs in APA writing (e.g., “explained” or “found”). If you cite the page number, place it in parentheses at the end of the sentence before the period.

In APA parenthetical citations , the author, year, and if applicable, the page should go at the end of the sentence in parentheses before the period. Place a comma between the author, year, and if applicable, the page number: ( Murphy & Watkins , 2017 , p. 43 ).

How to paraphrase MLA

As a general rule, MLA in-text citations for paraphrases need an author and a page number or other locator information. If the source has two authors, use both of their names. For sources with three or more authors, use the first author’s name with “et al.”

If a source doesn’t have numbered pages or paragraphs (or other locator information), you only need to cite the author. For example, MLA citations for websites often only cite the author.

In MLA narrative citations , include the author’s name in the narrative of the sentence with a present-tense verb (e.g., “explains” or “writes”). The first time you cite the source, use the author’s full name. At the end of the sentence, place the page number in parentheses before the period. Do not include “p” before the page number.

In MLA parenthetical citations , include the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence without any punctuation or other information, like this example: ( Kramer 58 ).

How to paraphrase Chicago style

The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) includes guidelines for two types of citation formats: Notes-bibliography and author-date .

The Chicago notes-bibliography format involves placing a superscripted number at the end of the paraphrase.

This number corresponds to a footnote at the bottom of the page with bibliographic details about the source. The footnote includes the author’s name and title along with other details depending on the type of source (e.g., book or journal article).

The Chicago author-date format uses narrative and parenthetical in-text citations that are more similar to APA and MLA. Author-date citations for paraphrases require the author , year , and page number . For sources with two authors, use both names. For sources with three or more authors, use the first author’s name with “et al.”

For web pages and other sources without numbered pages , you can usually cite the author and year only .

In Chicago author-date narrative citations , the year goes in parentheses right after the author’s last name. Use present tense for signal phrase verbs (e.g., “explains”). Place the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence before the period. Do not use “p” before the page number, like so: (22).

In Chicago author-date parenthetical citations , include the author’s last name, year of publication, and page number together in one parentheses, like this example: ( Benes 2016 , 91 ). Only place a comma between the year and page number.

Paraphrasing plagiarism happens when someone paraphrases an outside source in a piece of writing without giving credit to the original source.

When you paraphrase ideas from outside sources in your own words, you must show where that information came from in order to avoid plagiarism . Sentences that have paraphrased information should include in-text citations .

An in-text citation includes the author’s name at a minimum, and depending on the citation style you’re using, it might include other elements such as a year of publication or a page number.

For example, APA citations for paraphrases should include the author and year of publication.

According to a recent survey, nearly half of dog owners in the U.S. said that they are unlikely to purchase pet insurance in the near future.
According to Megna (2024), nearly half of dog owners in the U.S. said that they are unlikely to purchase pet insurance in the near future.

You can avoid paraphrasing plagiarism by using QuillBot’s free Plagiarism Checker to look for paraphrases in your writing that need citations.

You can paraphrase a source without plagiarizing by following both of these steps.

Write the information in your own words without using the same phrases and sentences from the original source.
Give credit to the source you paraphrased with an in-text citation . For example, APA citations for paraphrases should include the author and year of publication.

If you need help paraphrasing a source without plagiarizing, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can reword excerpts from outside sources. QuillBot’s free Plagiarism Checker will help you find paraphrases in your writing that need in-text citations.

You should paraphrase information instead of using a direct quote when the information that you’re sharing with your readers is more important than the original source’s style of writing.

Use paraphrases to share facts and statistics from outside sources. In this situation, the original author’s wording is less important than the information. Paraphrasing helps you maintain your own writing voice.

Use direct quotes from outside sources in these situations:

When the information is worded so creatively that you can’t express the author’s full intended meaning by paraphrasing
When your purpose is to analyze another piece of writing (e.g., a poem or novel), in which case, direct quotes are evidence of the writer’s style, word choices, or use of literary devices

Whether you paraphrase or quote another writer’s ideas, use in-text citations to avoid plagiarism .

QuillBot’s free Citation Generator can help you create in-text citations for direct quotes and paraphrases.

You always have to cite a paraphrase in order to avoid plagiarism .

An in-text citation helps your readers differentiate between your original ideas and other writers’ ideas.

The format for in-text citations varies by each citation style (e.g., APA , MLA , or Chicago). In MLA writing, in-text citations should include the author’s last name and the page number where the information is located in the original source.

QuillBot’s free Citation Generator can help you cite a paraphrase in your writing.

The main difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is that paraphrasing involves rewording part of an outside source, but summarizing involves describing what an entire source is mainly about.

A paraphrase rephrases a specific fact, statistic, or idea from an outside source that you’re using as evidence in academic writing .

A summary is a synopsis that describes the main topic and key points of a complete text (e.g., an article) in order to give your readers context about why the source is significant. Summaries are common in literature reviews and annotated bibliographies .

To avoid plagiarism , use your own words anytime you paraphrase or summarize another person’s work in your writing, and give credit to the original source with a signal phrase or an in-text citation .

If you need help with paraphrasing and summarizing, QuillBot’s free Paraphrasing Tool can reword ideas from another source. QuillBot’s free Citation Generator can also help you create in-text citations.

Is this article helpful?

Nicole Routh, M.Ed

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COMMENTS

Paraphrasing in MLA
To paraphrase well, read the original a few times, consider the context, jot down the key ideas, compose your paraphrase, compare your paraphrase to the original, and add an in-text citation. The MLA advises using in-text citations in order to give proper credit to a paraphrase's original source.
Paraphrasing
6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing. Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card. Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the ...
MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics
In-text citations: Author-page style. MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number (s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the ...
If my paraphrase consists of several sentences, should a citation for
No. The citation should appear only after the final sentence of the paraphrase. If, however, it will be unclear to your reader where your source's idea begins, include the author of the source in your prose rather than in a parenthetical citation. For example, the following is a paraphrase from an essay by Naomi S. …
Use the MLA Style Guide: How to Paraphrase and Quote
How To - Use the MLA Style Guide; How to Paraphrase and Quote; Search this Guide Search. How To - Use the MLA Style Guide: How to Paraphrase and Quote. About MLA; Works Cited Core Elements Toggle Dropdown. Author ; Title of source ; ... Subjects: Citation Guides, Faculty, General Guides, How To.
LibGuides: MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): In-Text Citation
Indent the long quotation 0.5 inches from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text. Do not put quotation marks around the quotation. Place the period at the end of the quotation before your in-text citation instead of after, as with regular quotations. Example of a Long Quotation.
MLA In-text Citations
Revised on March 5, 2024. An MLA in-text citation provides the author's last name and a page number in parentheses. If a source has two authors, name both. If a source has more than two authors, name only the first author, followed by " et al. ". If the part you're citing spans multiple pages, include the full page range.
MLA: In-Text Citations
In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to the full citation on the works cited list at the end of the paper. Create in-text citations for the following: Direct quotes; Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing. When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion. Paraphrasing from One Page. Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example: Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic ...
LibGuides: Citation and Writing: How to Paraphrase
5 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing. Read your passage until you comprehend its full meaning. As you read, jot down bullet points on the facts or opinions presented, but do not copy "word for word" without using quotation marks. Put your passage aside, and write out your paraphrase in full sentences. Try using the notecard feature in NoodleTools ...
MLA Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing
Here is a quick overview of the difference between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing: QUOTING. What it is: Using the exact words of your source; must be placed within quotation marks. When to use it: Specific terminology, powerful phrases. Example: McMillan Cottom explains that "Reading around a subject is about going beyond the object of ...
LibGuides: MLA Citation Guide: In-Text Citations
According to the MLA Handbook, the citation should interrupt the text of your essay as little as possible (227). There are two ways to do this: Signal phrase (" Citation in prose " in the MLA Handbook): Introducing the name of the author or the work's title in the text of your sentence. Parenthetical citation: Paraphrasing an idea or using a ...
Library Guides: MLA Quick Citation Guide: In-text Citation
MLA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the page number from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken, for example: (Smith 163). If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation: (Smith). For more information on in-text citation, see the MLA Style Center.
The Basics of In-Text Citation
When do you need an in-text citation? An in-text citation should be included whenever you quote or paraphrase a source in your text.. Quoting means including the original author's words directly in your text, usually introduced by a signal phrase.Quotes should always be cited (and indicated with quotation marks), and you should include a page number indicating where in the source the quote ...
MLA Style Guide, 8th & 9th Editions: How to Paraphrase and Quote
Learn how to paraphrase and quote sources correctly in MLA style with this guide. Find examples, tips, and exercises to improve your writing skills.
MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Quoting vs. Paraphrasing
Long Paraphrases. If you paraphrase a source more than once in a single paragraph and no other sources are mentioned in between, provide an in-text citation for the source at the end of each paraphrase. In the examples, the second in-text citation only includes the page number since it is clear that the same source is still being paraphrased.
MLA Citation Guide: Quoting, Paraphrasing and Abbreviating
When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion, like this: This is a paraphrase (Smith 8). This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22). Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation. Example:
SJSU Research Guides: Paraphrasing: Citing in MLA
Citing in MLA. And here is how your article citation would look if you're using MLA. In-text citation: Parents should be concerned about online advertising. These advertisers are manipulative, and children are more vulnerable than most parents expect (Cornish 454). Works Cited page:
Research Guides: MLA Citation Guide: Quoting & Paraphrasing
Quoting, Paraphrasing & In-Text Video. Creating In-Text Citations Video (MLA Format) Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing, Signal Phrases and In-Text citation video tutorial.
Everything about Paraphrasing in MLA|Citation Machine
Once you understand the system for citing your sources in MLA style, paraphrasing is easy. You can use this process to cite your sources when paraphrasing, summarizing, or using direct quotes. 1. Create a works cited page. Both a works cited page and a bibliography list sources that were used in the making of your paper.
MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Quoting vs. Paraphrasing
When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation. Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there.
MLA Citation Style 9th Edition: How to Paraphrase and Quote
For works in a language not written in the Latin alphabet, writers must choose between giving titles and quotations in romanization or in the language's writing system (MLA 2.98). Two forward slashes (//) mark stanza breaks in run-in quotations of verse (MLA 6.37). If a block quotation of prose contains internal paragraphing, the first line ...
How do I cite a paraphrase and a quotation that ...
For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. If you need to cite a paraphrase and a quotation that occur in the same sentence, you may provide the page numbers at the end of the sentence: Andrew Davis asserts that the strategies undertaken by the institution were well formulated but ultimately unsuccessful because the ...
What Is Paraphrasing? Definition, Steps & Examples
How to paraphrase APA parenthetical citation example Blueberry supplements equivalent to .5 cups of blueberries per day may have the potential to reduce the risk of dementia (Krikorian et al., 2022). How to paraphrase MLA. As a general rule, MLA in-text citations for paraphrases need an author and a page number or other locator information. If ...

Paraphrasing in MLA

What is a paraphrase? Why is it beneficial?

What does MLA have to do with it?

How to paraphrase

How to add an MLA in-text citation

Parenthetical citation

Citation in prose

Example of how to paraphrase

How NOT to paraphrase

Other MLA considerations

Key takeaways

Plagiarism Checker

MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

Basic in-text citation rules

In-text citations: Author-page style

In-text citations for print sources with known author

In-text citations for print sources by a corporate author

In-text citations for sources with non-standard labeling systems

In-text citations for print sources with no known author

Author-page citation for classic and literary works with multiple editions

Author-page citation for works in an anthology, periodical, or collection

Citing authors with same last names

Citing a work by multiple authors

Citing multiple works by the same author

Citing multivolume works

Citing the Bible

Citing indirect sources

Citing transcripts, plays, or screenplays

Citing non-print or sources from the Internet

Miscellaneous non-print sources

Electronic sources

Multiple citations

Time-based media sources

When a citation is not needed

Other Sources

How To - Use the MLA Style Guide: How to Paraphrase and Quote

How to Paraphrase and Quote

MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): In-Text Citation

Works Quoted in Another Source

On This Page

Citations - MLA: In-Text Citations - Quotations & Paraphrasing

On This Page

Paraphrasing

Unknown Author

Citing a Source that you Found in Another Source (Secondary Source)

In-Text Citation For One, Two, or More Authors/Editors

In-Text Citation For More Than One Source

MLA Style: Writing & Citation

Paraphrasing

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VCU Writes: A Student’s Guide to Research and Writing

General Guidelines

Direct Quotation of Sources

Paraphrasing source material

Summarizing source material

MLA Citation Guide

In-Text Citations

Signal Phrase

Examples of a Signal Phrase

Examples of a Parenthetical Citation

Author Named in Your Paper

Two Authors Named in Your Paper

Three or More Authors Named in Your Paper

One or Two Authors Not Named in Your Paper

Three or More Authors Not Named in Your Paper

Source with No Page Numbers

Alternatives to "Says"

Quoting Sources

Bad Example