Anyone who’s ever faced a deadline knows that sinking feeling when you realize you’ve cited a source wrong. Getting an MLA in-text citation right might seem like a small detail, but it’s the difference between a paper that flows and one that leaves a professor reaching for a red pen.

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Year of last update: 2021 ·
Publisher: Modern Language Association ·
Number of pages in MLA Handbook: 367 ·
Core element: author and page number

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Future updates to MLA style beyond the 9th edition
  • Exactly how to cite emerging digital formats not yet covered in the Handbook
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Master the parenthetical and narrative citation styles now — they will carry you through any future edition

How do you do an in-text citation for MLA?

MLA in-text citations follow a simple core structure: the author’s last name followed by the page number, all enclosed in parentheses. This is the author-page method described by the University of Nevada, Reno Library citation guide. Every in-text citation points to a full entry in your Works Cited list, so readers can track down your sources easily.

Basic format: (Author Page)

  • (Burke 3) — one author, one page
  • (Smith and Jones 45) — two authors
  • (Smith et al. 67) — three or more authors

The basic format always places the author and page number together. But there are two ways to deliver this: parenthetical or narrative.

Narrative vs parenthetical citations

In a parenthetical citation, both the author and page number go in parentheses at the end of the sentence. In a narrative citation, you integrate the author’s name into your sentence and put only the page number in parentheses at the end. The Los Angeles Pierce College Library MLA 9 guide explains that when the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence, you can omit it from the parentheses and use only the page number.

Parenthetical example: The study found that “the results were consistent across all groups” (Burke 12).

Narrative example: Burke argues that “the results were consistent across all groups” (12).

Citing sources with one author

For a source with one author, the California State University, Dominguez Hills Library MLA citation guide shows the pattern: last name and page number. Example: (Burke 3). If you use the author’s name in the sentence, parentheses contain only the page number.

Citing sources with two authors

Two authors means you connect their last names with “and” and add the page number. The CSU Dominguez Hills guide for two-author format shows it as (Smith and Jones 45). No comma before “and.”

The upshot

The parenthetical vs. narrative choice isn’t just formatting — it changes how your reader experiences the source. Narrative citations weave the author into your argument; parenthetical ones keep the focus on the data. Use narrative when the author’s authority matters to your point.

Bottom line: The pattern: Two citation forms, one rule. Whether you use narrative or parenthetical style, the data inside the parentheses stays the same: author and page. The choice is about voice, not compliance.

What are MLA citations examples?

Seven different scenarios, one consistent logic: the author and page number, adapted for each situation. Here are concrete examples drawn from university library guidelines.

Four common source types, each with a clear example:

Source type In-text citation Notes
One author (book) (Burke 3) Standard case
Two authors (article) (Smith and Jones 45) Use “and”
No page number (webpage) (Author) Omit page number
No author (webpage) (“Shortened Title” 4-7) Use shortened title

Example with one author

A direct quote from a print book with one author: “The narrative structure mirrors the protagonist’s internal conflict” (Burke 23). If you use the author’s name in the sentence, you can write: Burke writes that “the narrative structure mirrors the protagonist’s internal conflict” (23) — as shown in the CSU Dominguez Hills guide for direct quote examples.

Example with two authors

Two authors writing together: (Smith and Jones 45). The University of Nevada, Reno Library guide for two-author citations confirms that both last names appear in the parenthetical, never using “et al.” for exactly two authors.

Example with no page number

For webpages, articles, or digital sources without page numbers, the Los Angeles Pierce College Library guidance on no page number says to omit the page number entirely. If the source has numbered paragraphs or sections, use those instead: (Author, par. 4).

Example with a website

For a website with an author: (Smith). For a corporate author: (World Health Organization). The Pierce College guide for corporate author citations explains that a group or organization acts as the author in the in-text citation.

Why this matters

The pattern across all these examples is consistency: the in-text citation always leads with the first element of the Works Cited entry. If the reference starts with an author, the in-text citation uses that author. If it starts with a title (because there’s no author), the in-text citation uses that title. This rule never breaks.

How to cite Shakespeare’s Macbeth?

Shakespeare presents a special case because MLA requires act, scene, and line numbers — not page numbers. The California State University, Dominguez Hills Library play citation guide outlines the format: (Shakespeare 1.3.12) means act 1, scene 3, line 12.

Citing a play with act, scene, line

  • Parenthetical: (Shakespeare 1.3.12)
  • Narrative: Shakespeare writes “look like the innocent flower” (1.3.12)
  • Works Cited entry: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Edited by Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2014.

For a play with only act numbers, use a comma: (Shakespeare, act 1). But for Macbeth, the standard is act.scene.line, with periods separating the components, no spaces.

In-text citation example: (Shakespeare 1.3.12)

The full pattern: “Look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t” (Shakespeare 1.3.12-13). Notice the line range uses a hyphen when the quote spans multiple lines. The period goes after the closing parenthesis.

Works cited entry for Macbeth

Your Works Cited entry for Macbeth should include the editor and publisher. The in-text citation (Shakespeare 1.3.12) points readers to this full entry. No line number in the Works Cited — only in the in-text citation.

The catch: Line numbers vary by edition. If you’re using an edition without line numbers, use page numbers instead. Most scholarly editions of Shakespeare include line numbers, but always check your specific edition.

How to cite a source with no page number in MLA?

No page number? No problem. The Los Angeles Pierce College Library missing information guide explains that MLA allows you to omit the page number from the in-text citation when there’s no page number to use. But what about no author at the same time?

Citing a webpage without page numbers

If the webpage has an author, use the author only: (Smith). If the page has numbered paragraphs or sections, use those instead: (Smith, par. 4). The Pierce College guide for paragraph citations shows this alternative for longer digital sources with structure.

Citing a source with no author

When no author is listed, MLA instructs you to shorten the title. The Los Angeles Pierce College Library no-author guidance recommends shortening to the first 2-4 words. If the work is an article or webpage, the shortened title goes in quotation marks. If it’s a book or longer work, use italics.

  • Article with no author: (“Climate Change Impact” 3)
  • Book with no author: (Handbook of Chemistry 112)

Citing a paragraph instead of page number

If the source uses numbered paragraphs but no pages, use “par.” or “pars.” in the citation. Example: (Smith, par. 4). The University of Nevada, Reno Library guide for citing sections notes that this works for legal documents, some government publications, and long online articles.

The trade-off

Citing without page numbers is acceptable, but you lose a precision tool. Your reader can’t instantly verify the exact location of your quote. Use paragraph numbers when available to offset this loss.

How to cite multiple authors in MLA in-text?

More than one author means the format changes based on the exact number. The California State University, Dominguez Hills Library multiple authors guide breaks it down by count.

Three author counts, three distinct formats — the exact number determines the structure. The line between two and three authors is where the comma-and-et.al. threshold lives.

Number of authors In-text citation format Example
1 author (Author Page) (Burke 3)
2 authors (Author and Author Page) (Smith and Jones 45)
3 authors (Author, Author, and Author Page) (Smith, Jones, and Lee 45)
4+ authors (Author et al. Page) (Smith et al. 67)

Two authors: (Smith and Jones 23)

Use “and” to connect the last names. No comma. The CSU Dominguez Hills guide for two authors confirms: (Smith and Jones 23). This applies to both parenthetical and narrative styles.

Three authors: (Smith, Jones, and Lee 45)

For three authors, list all three last names separated by commas, with “and” before the last author. Example: (Smith, Jones, and Lee 45). The period goes after the closing parenthesis: (Smith, Jones, and Lee 45).

Four or more authors: (Smith et al. 67)

For four or more authors, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” and the page number. The CSU Dominguez Hills guide for et al. format shows: (Smith et al. 67). Note that “et al.” is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase et alii meaning “and others.”

What this means: The tipping point is at four authors. For two or three, you name everyone. At four, you switch to the shorthand. This saves space while maintaining the first author’s credit.

Additional sources

library.ctstate.edu, cccs.libguides.com, youtube.com, style.mla.org

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between narrative and parenthetical in-text citations?

A narrative citation integrates the author’s name into the sentence with the page number in parentheses at the end. A parenthetical citation places both the author and page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. Both are correct in MLA style.

Do I need to include page numbers for online sources?

No. When citing a webpage or online source without page numbers, omit the page number from the in-text citation. If the source includes numbered paragraphs or sections, you can use those instead.

How do I cite a source with two authors in MLA?

For two authors, connect their last names with “and” and add the page number: (Smith and Jones 45). Do not use a comma before “and.” This applies to both parenthetical and narrative citations.

How do I cite a direct quote in MLA?

Place the quoted material in quotation marks, then add the author and page number in parentheses. If you mention the author in the sentence, only the page number goes in parentheses. The period goes after the closing parenthesis.

How do I cite a source that I found within another source (secondary source)?

Use “qtd. in” (quoted in) to indicate you are citing a source found within another source. Example: (qtd. in Smith 12). Your Works Cited entry should list only the source you actually read, not the original source.

How do I cite a source with a corporate author?

Use the name of the organization as the author in the in-text citation. Example: (World Health Organization 5). If the corporate name is long, you may abbreviate it in the in-text citation but spell it out in the Works Cited entry.

How do I cite a source with no date?

Use “n.d.” in place of the date in your in-text citation and Works Cited entry. Example: (Smith, n.d. 3). This informs the reader that no publication date is available.

For anyone writing academic papers, the choice is clear: learn the MLA author-page method, and you can handle any edge case — no author, no page number, multiple authors, or Shakespeare. The pattern holds. The rest is just practice.