In-Text Citations

1. Short quotation (up to 4 lines of text)

If you are directly quoting a short passage from a source, place the quoted words in double quotation marks, with a citation at the end, inside a period to end the sentence.

Example:

Theories can shed light on how we view our leisure time activities: “No matter what we do, there is never enough time to accomplish everything on our ‘to-do' lists” (Carlaw 24).

2. Long quotation (over 4 lines of text)

For a quotation that occupies more than 4 lines of text in your paper, indent one inch from the left margin and double space. This is called a block quotation. Long quotes do not require double quotation marks. Place the citation outside the final punctuation of the quoted passage.

Example:

Ralithan theorizes the causes behind our perceived loss of free time in the digital world:

Technology has undoubtedly increased the speed at which we can complete tasks. . . . However, it           

seems that just as we complete one assignment, another is added to our list. This speed has not   

liberated our schedules, but rather we have filled them with ever more work as our technological           

capabilities have grown. Yes, we can indeed complete twice the work in half the time, but we      

are not   any more at leisure than we were before. (39)

Note: Ellipsis points (spaced periods) are used to indicate where you have omitted words, phrases, or sentences within a quotation. Use three periods for the ellipsis, and add a fourth if the omission includes the end of a sentence in the original.

3. Citing indirect sources

While it is always best to take material from the original source, not at second-hand, sometimes you may need to use indirect sources. If you quote or paraphrase from a quotation in your source, use qtd. in (“quoted in”) before the citation of the source you have used.

Example:

Even varsity athlete Joe MacDonald acknowledges that making time for relaxation “is pretty well impossible until exams are over for another term” (qtd. in Winters 165).

4a. Citing a source with page numbers

Cite by author's surname and page number, where these are available (e.g., in a PDF document). Use the page numbers of the original document—not what your printer or browser adds to the bottom of each page. This will make the citation look just like one for a print source; the entry in the Works Cited list will document the electronic format.

4b. Citing a source without page numbers

When pages are not numbered, you should cite the entire work. For clarity, it is preferable to include in your text the name of the person (e.g., author) or the title of the work, whichever begins the corresponding entry in the Works Cited list. If your source uses paragraph numbers rather than page numbers, give the relevant number preceded by the abbreviation par. or pars.

Examples:

1. [with page numbers]: “The study of leisure time,” Alison Mulcahy asserts, “will become increasingly important as the population ages” (22).

2. [no page numbers]: Dr. Ian MacDonough points out that “relaxing during your leisure time cannot compensate for a generally unhealthy lifestyle (par. 3).”

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York : Modern Language Association, 2003.