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To cite two sources in one sentence in MLA, put both citations inside a single set of parentheses and separate them with a semicolon: (Alvarez 41; Okafor 112). Each source keeps its own author name and page number. The MLA Style Center adds that the order of the sources is up to you.
The format
The pattern has four parts, repeated once per source:
- Author. The surname, as it leads the matching Works Cited entry (or a shortened title when there is no author).
- A space. No comma between the author and the page number.
- Location. The page number, with no “p.” before it.
- A semicolon. It separates one source from the next, and the whole group sits inside one pair of parentheses.
Template: (Author Page; Author Page). This follows the example in the UNLV University Writing Center handout “MLA In-Text Citations (9th Edition)”, which shows the pattern as “(Wordsworth 13; Stein 5)”. Related reading: the parenthetical citation definition covers what the parentheses are doing, and MLA in-text citation examples covers single-source cases.
Examples
All authors and claims below are invented for illustration. They are not real publications.
Both citations in parentheses at the end of the sentence
Several recent studies report that shared protocols reduce rework (Alvarez 41; Okafor 112).
Names in the sentence, pages in the parentheses
Alvarez and Okafor both report that shared protocols reduce rework (41; 112).
When the names are already in the sentence, the parentheses carry only the page numbers, still separated by a semicolon (the UNLV handout shows this as “According to Wordsworth and Stein. . . (13; 5)”).
Sources with no page number
Some sources have no page or other location marker. Then the parentheses carry the author names alone, as in the MLA Style Center’s own example: (Foucault; Barthes). In our invented case: (Alvarez; Okafor).
A source with two authors, and one with no author
Two authors are joined by “and” and three or more use “et al.”: (Alvarez and Okafor 41; Lindqvist et al. 8). For a source with no author, the shortened title in quotation marks takes the author’s place: (Alvarez 41; “Reproducibility Gaps” 12). The guide to multiple authors in MLA and the guide to MLA citations with no author cover those source types in full.
In-text citation version
In a thesis chapter or manuscript, the in-text citation is the only thing the reader sees in the sentence; the full details live in the Works Cited list. Every name inside the parentheses must therefore match the first word of an entry in that list. If both sources support the same claim, one combined citation keeps the sentence readable. If each source supports a different half of the sentence, split the citations and place each one right after the part it supports.
One case is easy to confuse with this one. When a single source is cited at two locations, the locations belong to that one source and are not two sources. That situation is covered in the MLA paraphrase citation guide.
Common errors
| Error | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Comma between author and page | (Alvarez, 41; Okafor, 112) | (Alvarez 41; Okafor 112) |
| “p.” before the page number | (Alvarez p. 41; Okafor p. 112) | (Alvarez 41; Okafor 112) |
| Two separate parentheses back to back | (Alvarez 41) (Okafor 112) | (Alvarez 41; Okafor 112) |
A comma between author and page is not the MLA pattern; the MLA Style Center and UNLV examples have none. A fourth mistake is believing the order is fixed. The MLA Style Center says the order (alphabetic, by importance, by date) is up to you, so pick one logic and use it consistently in your document.
Library guidance also offers a style choice: the Linfield University Libraries FAQ says it is generally best to stay away from citing more than one source in the same sentence. If a sentence becomes crowded, two sentences with one citation each are a clean alternative. See the broader guide to citing sources properly.
Style-guide edition
This page follows the MLA Handbook, 9th edition (2021), the current edition. The MLA Style Center page on ordering sources in a parenthetical citation (published 1 September 2021) refers to the ninth edition (checked 2026-10-29). If you work in APA, the pattern differs; see how to cite two sources in one sentence in APA.
FAQ
How do you cite two sources in one sentence in MLA?
Put both inside one pair of parentheses, separated by a semicolon: (Alvarez 41; Okafor 112).
Does the order of the two sources matter?
No fixed order applies. The MLA Style Center says the order of the sources (alphabetic, by importance, by date) is up to you.
What if I name the authors in the sentence?
Then the parentheses hold only the page numbers, still separated by a semicolon: Alvarez and Okafor both report this (41; 112).
Do I put “p.” before the page number?
No. The MLA and UNLV examples give the page number alone: (Alvarez 41; Okafor 112).
Sources
- MLA Style Center, “How should I order the sources in a parenthetical citation?” (published 1 September 2021), https://style.mla.org/order-of-sources-in-citations/. Checked 2026-10-29.
- UNLV University Writing Center, “MLA In-Text Citations (9th Edition)” (PDF handout), https://www.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/media/document/2023-05/MLA-9th-In-text-Citation.pdf. Checked 2026-10-29.
- Linfield University Libraries, MLA FAQ (last updated 20 March 2023), https://linfield.libanswers.com/MLAFAQS/faq/385146. Checked 2026-10-29.
