Reading Quiz 2.1: MLA Citation & Plagiarism

In-text (Parenthetical) Citations

Modern Language Association

In-text citations  In-text citations let the reader know in a quick and

concise manner where your quote, paraphrase, or summary came from.

 They are intimately related to the Works Cited list at the end of your essay.

 The most common information used in the parentheses is the author’s last name and a page number.

 If there is no author, use the first significant word in the title of the article.

 The final period goes after the closed parentheses.

Examples with authors  One author:

(Fisher 184).  Two authors:

(Fisher and Smith 184).  Three or more authors:

(Fisher et al. 184). Always list authors in the order they appear on the essay, not alphabetically. They appear in the order of who does the most work!

Examples without authors  Without an author, use the first word in the title.

If the first word is the or a, include the second word as well. Make sure your in-text citation is in the same format as it is listed on the Works Cited sheet:

(“Internet”). OR (“The Olympics”).  Articles without authors are usually websites, so

there is commonly no page number.  If the title is in italics (like a DVD), make sure

your in-text citation reflects that as well. (Gaudi).

Listing the author in the text  If you refer to the author of your quote in the text,

then you do not need to list him or her in the parentheses at the end of the sentence. You only need the page number.

According to Professor of Humanities Frederick Turner at The University of Texas at Dallas, “no truly great poetry has been written in English since the Second World War” (77).

Turner, Frederick. “Mighty Poets in their Misery Dead: A Polemic on the Contemporary Poetic Scene.” The Missouri Review, vol. 4, no.1, 1980, pp. 77-96.

Paraphrasing and Summarizing You must include an in-text citation even if

you paraphrase or summarize. Place your citation at the end of the sentence

when you paraphrase. Place your citation at the end of the

paragraph when you summarize. Failing to cite your paraphrase or summary

is plagiarism.

Examples of in-text citations Wordsworth argued that Romantic poetry is signified by a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (263).

Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).

Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads, Oxford U.P., 1967.

A quote within a quote  If you borrow the words of someone from

another author’s essay, you must give the original author credit for doing the research or interview.

 Sometimes, you simply cannot interview a source (President Obama for example), and you need to borrow another author’s work; therefore, you must include that information in the in-text citation.

 However, your Works Cited list should only reflect the original author’s name, not the person you are quoting’s name.

A Quote Within a Quote Example According to First Lady Michelle Obama, the power of an artistic performance can be diplomatic: “That's the beauty of arts and culture, music and dance. It's a universal voice” (qtd. in Brown).

Brown, Laura. “Michelle Obama: America's Got Talent.” Harper’s BAZAAR, 13 Oct. 2010, www.harpersbazaar.com/magazine/feature- articles/michelle-obama-interview, accessed 20 June 2017.

Block Quotes Only use a block quote when the quote is

more than four lines long in your paper (that’s five lines long minimum).

Use block quotes sparingly. Most block quotes can be reduced. Only

quote the most important information that is absolutely necessary for understanding.

Try paraphrasing or summarizing instead.

Citing a Block Quote

Block quotes are formatted differently than in-text quotes: Set quote off by a left indent (do not center). Double space quote. Do not use quotation marks. Final punctuation goes before the citation.

Block Quote Example Grammarian and author Joseph Williams argues sentence length and variation are important:

Those who can write individually clear and concise sentences have achieved a good deal, and much more if they can assemble them into coherent passages. But a writer who can’t write clear sentences longer than twenty words or so is like a composer who can write only short jingles. No one can communicate complex ideas in short sentences alone, so you have to know how to assemble a sentence long and complex enough to express complex ideas, but still clear enough to be read easily. You can do that, if you know some principles of sentence construction that go beyond SUBJECTS and VERBS, CHARACTERS and ACTIONS. (166)

Too Much? Reduce for Clarity

When discussing sentence length and variation, grammarian and author Joseph Williams argues that “no one can communicate complex ideas in short sentences alone, so you have to know how to assemble a sentence long and complex enough to express complex ideas, but still clear enough to be read easily” (166).

Williams, Joseph M. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace. 6th ed., Longman, 2000.

Works Cited Example

Where to find help: Purdue University Online Writing Lab

(OWL): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resou rce/747/02/

Bibliomaker (internet not required after download): http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/biblio maker/