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An MLA in-text citation is a short parenthetical note, placed right after the quotation or paraphrase, that points the reader to the matching entry in the works-cited list. In MLA 9th edition style it normally contains the author’s last name and a page number with no comma between them, for example (Baron 194). This guide shows the pattern with examples and the most common errors. Examples below come from the MLA Style Center and Purdue OWL (sources checked 2026-10-29).
How to do an in-text citation in MLA
Start from the works-cited entry. According to the MLA Style Center, the in-text citation begins with whatever comes first in the works-cited entry, the author’s name or the title, so the reader can find the right entry. Add the page, line or time-stamp marker in parentheses when you quote or paraphrase a specific part of the work. The MLA Style Center says all in-text references should be concise.
- Find the first element of the works-cited entry (usually the author’s last name, otherwise the title).
- Locate the page number (or line or time stamp) of the passage you used.
- Put both inside parentheses after the quotation or paraphrase, before the closing punctuation of the sentence: (Baron 194).
- If you name the author in your own sentence, give only the page: (194).
MLA in-text citation examples
Author in parentheses
The MLA Style Center’s own example: Reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (Baron 194). Purdue OWL gives the same pattern: Romantic poetry is characterized by the “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” (Wordsworth 263).
Author named in the sentence
MLA’s example: According to Naomi Baron, reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (194). Purdue OWL: Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as “symbol-using animals” (3). Do not name the author in both the sentence and the parentheses.
Two authors
Both last names are joined by “and”. Purdue OWL’s parenthetical example: the authors claim that surface reading looks at what is “evident, perceptible, apprehensible in texts” (Best and Marcus 9). The MLA Style Center’s quiz on complex in-text citations shows the same joining, as in (Buurma and Heffernan).
Three or more authors
Give the first author followed by “et al.”. Purdue OWL’s rule: for a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name and replace the additional names with et al. Its example in prose: According to Franck et al., “Current agricultural policies in the U.S. are contributing to the poor health of Americans” (327). See also et al. citation usage rules and how to cite multiple authors in MLA.
No author
The citation begins with the title or a shortened title, because the title is the first element of the entry. Purdue OWL’s example for a short work puts the title in quotation marks: (“Impact of Global Warming”). The shortened form should still lead the reader to the full entry. Details are in MLA citation with no author.
No page number
If the work has no page, line or time-stamp marker, cite the author or the title only. For an unpaginated reference work the MLA Style Center says the citation should contain just the title or shortened title of the entry, and that an online work should not note that it is online. Purdue OWL adds that web entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical. See MLA page numbers.
Common errors
| Error | Why it is wrong | Correct form |
|---|---|---|
| (Baron, 2015) | MLA is author-page, not author-date. The year belongs in the works-cited entry. | (Baron 194) |
| (Baron, 194) | The examples from the MLA Style Center and Purdue OWL show no comma between name and page. | (Baron 194) |
| (Baron p. 194) | The page number stands alone, without “p.” The MLA Style Center’s changes page for the 8th edition says page numbers in in-text citations are not preceded by p. or pp. | (Baron 194) |
| According to Naomi Baron … (Baron 194) | The author is named twice. | According to Naomi Baron … (194) |
Where the citation sits in the sentence
The citation goes at the end of the borrowed material, before the sentence’s closing punctuation. For paraphrase, see MLA paraphrase citation; for longer quoted passages, see MLA quotation format. Every citation must correspond to an entry in the list described in MLA works cited format. The general idea is covered in the dictionary entry for parenthetical citation.
If your journal asks for MLA
Most journals set their own reference style and say so in their author instructions. Where a journal does specify MLA, follow its instructions first and use the MLA Handbook (9th edition, sections 6.3 to 6.30 on in-text citations, as pointed to by the MLA Style Center) for anything the instructions do not cover.
FAQ
How do you do an in-text citation in MLA?
Put the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses after the quotation or paraphrase, with no comma: (Baron 194). If there is no author, use the title or a shortened title.
What does an MLA in-text citation example look like with the author in the sentence?
Give only the page: According to Naomi Baron, reading is “just half of literacy. The other half is writing” (194).
Do I need a page number for a website?
Not if the source has no page, line or time-stamp marker. Cite the author or title only.
Is the year part of an MLA in-text citation?
No. MLA in-text citations use author and page; the year appears in the works-cited entry.
Sources
- MLA Style Center, In-Text Citations: An Overview (checked 2026-10-29).
- Purdue Online Writing Lab, MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics (a university writing lab, secondary to MLA; checked 2026-10-29).
- MLA Style Center, What’s New (8th edition changes) (checked 2026-10-29).
- MLA Style Center, Quiz: Complex In-Text Citations (checked 2026-10-28).
