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MLA in-text citation (9th edition)
An MLA in-text citation gives the author’s surname and the page number, with no comma: (Kahneman 45). If you name the author in your sentence, put just the page in brackets: Kahneman argues … (45).
MLA in-text citation rules
- Two authors: (Watson and Crick 737). Three or more: (Nguyen et al.).
- No author: use a shortened title — italic for stand-alone works, in quotation marks for articles and web pages that are part of a site.
- No page numbers (most web pages): give the author alone — no paragraph numbers unless the source numbers them (par. 4).
- Video or audio: give the time range or timestamp — (Kurzgesagt 2:15).
- Secondary source: (qtd. in Smith 18). Only Smith goes in Works Cited.
- The year is not part of an MLA in-text citation.
Source: MLA Handbook, 9th edition (2021), chapter 6; style.mla.org.
MLA in-text citation examples
| Situation | In-text citation |
|---|---|
| One author, page | Parenthetical (Kahneman 45) Narrative According to Kahneman, … (45) |
| Two authors | Parenthetical (Watson and Crick 737) Narrative According to Watson and Crick, … (737) |
| Three authors | Parenthetical (Nguyen et al.) Narrative According to Nguyen et al., … |
| Four or more | Parenthetical (Nguyen et al.) Narrative According to Nguyen et al., … |
| Organisation as author | Parenthetical (World Health Organization) Narrative According to World Health Organization, … |
| No author, italic title (book, report) | Parenthetical (Climate Change and Health) |
| No author, quoted title (article) | Parenthetical (“Rising Seas Threaten Coastal Aquifers”) |
| No date | Parenthetical (Mayo Clinic) Narrative According to Mayo Clinic, … |
| Page range | Parenthetical (Kahneman 45–47) Narrative According to Kahneman, … (45–47) |
| Web page paragraph | Parenthetical (Mayo Clinic, par. 4) Narrative According to Mayo Clinic, … (par. 4) |
| Video timestamp | Parenthetical (Kurzgesagt 2:15) Narrative According to Kurzgesagt, … (2:15) |
| Quoted in another source | Parenthetical (qtd. in Smith 18) |
Need the full reference-list entry too? Use the MLA citation generator; it gives the reference and the matching in-text citation together.
MLA in-text citation questions
What is the MLA in-text citation format?
(Author page) with no comma between them: (Kahneman 45). If the author is already named in the sentence, give only the page: (45).
How do you do an MLA in-text citation for a website?
Use the author’s surname alone, because web pages have no page numbers: (World Health Organization). With no author, use the page title in quotation marks: (“Climate Change and Health”).
Does MLA use the year in in-text citations?
No. MLA in-text citations give the author and the location (page, line or timestamp) only. The date is in the works-cited entry.
When does MLA use et al.?
For three or more authors: (Nguyen et al. 12). Two authors are both named: (Watson and Crick 737).
How do I cite a quote I found in another source in MLA?
Name the original author in your sentence and cite the source you read with “qtd. in”: (qtd. in Smith 18).