03 Oct 2007 — extracted and expanded from a handout that focused on finding good sources . 04 Nov 2011 — reorganization and updates 20 Dec 2016 — further reorganization and updates 06 Dec 2017 — expanded Kanye example
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great posting thanks a lot !!
still confused on how to insert things when needed and basically using it in general paper is due wednesday rough draft
Leslie, it’s great that your instructor is giving you the chance to revise. He or she is doing twice or three times the work it would take just to give you a single grade, and you will learn a lot if you take full advantage of the opportunity.
You are bang on correct!
I’m looking at the author’s footnote, and it says “…STATISTICS”.
So I Google the article in the NYT by it’s title: “Belt-Loosening in the Work Force” (NYT 2 Mar 2003)
and the article’s author writes:
______________________________________
The economists — Shin-Yi Chou, Henry Saffer and Michael Grossman — presented their findings in a working paper called ” An Economic Analysis of Obesity ” for the National Bureau of Economic Research . In the paper, the economists note that… ______________________________________
So I Google An Economic Analysis of Obesity and find it’s REALLY:
An Economic Analysis of Adult Obesity: Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Shin-Yi Chou, Michael Grossman and Henry Saffer NBER Working Paper No. 9247 October 2002 JEL No. I12, I18
The mis-cited, mis-cited :) statement is on page 28:
“Without trend terms, the increase in the per capita number of restaurants makes the largest contribution to trends in weight outcomes, accounting for 69 percent of the growth in BMI and 68 percent of the rise in the percentage obese.” (Chou 28)
So, first, kudos to you!!! – for even taking the time to fact-check the quote… If it wasn’t for you, I’d have been wrong, and wronger :)
Second, now that I have the correct citation information, do I
a) cite Banzhaf only, and b) with a [sic]?
The reason I ask is… I learned from you, elsewhere on your site, that I should not quote from an “outside source”… If I quote Chou’s paper, I’m thinking that is considered an “outside source”?
Wow. You blow my doors off with your attention to detail. Excellent, sir. Pure excellence.
Your own detective work was pretty good, too! Most professional researchers will put this level of scrutiny into every source they plan to use in their papers, which is why it’s worth the effort for students to find and use peer-reviewed academic sources, rather than random web pages.
If you want to use that statistic, I wouldn’t cite Banzhaf at all — which looked like a random website, not a scholarly publication. Just cite the MBER paper directly.
I just wanted to catch up and say thanks for your help.
I was (and still am) under a ton of deadlines, so I wasn’t able to stop back here right away…
FYI: The Banzhaf essay in question is in a textbook called: “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing : With Readings. By Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel K. Durst. 1st ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-0393931747
The final was due within hours of my last post, so I had to make a corporate decision as to what(whom) I should cite…I picked Banzhaf. Citing him was easier than going with the MBER paper :)
I received a solid “B”. I kinda thought I was getting an A (hah! giggle…) When I read my professor’s critiques of my paper, however, she was deadly accurate as to what I needed to improve upon. It certainly was not an A paper, after all. So, I’ve got new goals for paper #2 :)
She made this very neat-o checklist of what constitutes A level work, B level work, C level work, etc… I’ll ask her permission to scan in and send to you…might be something cool to pass along.
An interesting anecdote: Discovering the mis-cited, mis-cited information in the Banzhaf essay/NYT article led me to my thesis topic for paper #2.
(I’m still trying to work out how I’m going to explain somewhere in that paper that ya’ got ta’ put da’ lime in de’ coconut… but it’ll come to me…)
Keep up the awesome work on helping all of us of out here in “the intertoobs” land… we, the unwashed masses of inept paper writers :) You rock!
How delightful to hear your update! If you are taking your learning this seriously, I don’t see how you can go wrong.
I love your website! I’m in a college English Comp class and am working on a thesis paper.
(MLA format)
I’m quoting an author named John Banzhaf and have a question about how to cite the quote.
My author’s essay is actually a transcript of his Congressional testimony. He uses footnotes to provide references to validate his statements.
In one of his footnotes, he quotes an excerpt from an article in the New York Times.
I’ve quoted that same NYT excerpt.
How would I format the quote citation?
Do I cite the quote as coming from the author’s body of work, and not worry about it’s original source?
I’m thinking it should be: (I’ve included my own lead-in, for your to see what I’m trying to quote)
…it is one of these footnotes that refers us to a study done by the National Bureau of Economic Statistics and subsequently reported in the New York Times that the “growth of fast-food accounted for 68 percent of the rise in American obesity”. (Banzhaf 166)
I asked my professor, and she wasn’t sure. MLA’s website doesn’t provide specific formatting help (buy the book :) and Purdue doesn’t mention a quote within a quote…
Thank you for any help!!! You are an ENORMOUS help to us literary n00bs :)
You’re playing the telephone game — I am reading what you say Banzhaf said the New York Times said something called the “National Bureau of Economic Statistics” said.
I just did a Google search, and I found a US Bureau of Economic Analysis and National Bureau of Economic Research. I don’t know anything about economics, so I don’t know whether perhaps the same organization had a recent name change, but it looks to me like Google references to NBES are actually talking about the NBER instead. At any rate, that’s enough of a warning sign that I’d say the problem is not how to cite Banzhaf, but rather how to trace the 68% statistic directly to its source. (I’d start by looking for the NYT article that Banzhaf mentions.)
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Repeated use of sources, long quotations.
Order of authors, physician credentials, about in-text citations.
In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to the full citation on the works cited list at the end of the paper.
Create in-text citations for the following:
If you're using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.
Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20).
Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.
What Is a Long Quotation?
If your quotation extends to more than four lines as you're typing your essay, it is a long quotation.
Rules for Long Quotations
There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:
Example of a Long Quotation
At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:
The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too . (Golding 186)
Direct Quote - Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number:
Mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (Hunt 358).
Authors Name in the Sentence & with a Direct Quote - If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name in the in-text citation, instead include the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or paraphrased section. For example:
Hunt explains that mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (358).
No Page Numbers & with a Direct Quote - When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like Web pages), cite the author name only.
"Three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli).
Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.
Author Known:
Number of Authors/Editors | In-Text Citation Example |
---|---|
One | (Author's Last Name Page Number) (Lee 5) |
Two | (Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Daristotle and Case 57) |
Three or more | (Author's Last Name et al. Page Number) Example: (Daristotle et al. 57) |
If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon.
(Smith 42; Bennett 71).
( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).
Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.
When creating an in-text citation or full citation, the authors should be listed in the original order displayed on the item (book, article, ...).
Do not include academic credentials (e.g., MD, MPH, PhD,. DDS) when citing doctors in the in-text or full citation.
The writer may refer to the physician by Dr. (name), when writing a paraphrase or inserting a direct quotation, although, it is not required.
Using the medical credential in the sentence:
Dr. Higgins, said the reason behind the complication was "direct quote here" (257).
Dr. Price realized that nutrition was tied to health outcomes and encountered this observation in various regions of the world during his travels (390).
Omitting the medical credential from the sentence:
He sad the reason behind the complication was "direct quote here" (Higgins 257).
Price observed that nutrition was tied to health outcomes and encountered this in various regions of the world during his travels (390).
When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion.
Paraphrasing from One Page
Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example:
Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).
Hunt discussed mother-infant attachment becoming a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (65).
Paraphrasing from Multiple Pages
If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include them. For example:
Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).
Author Unknown:
( Cell Biology 12)
("Nursing" 12)
Sometimes an author of a book, article or website will mention another person’s work by using a quotation or paraphrased idea from that source. ( This may be called a secondary source.)
For example, the Kirkey article you are reading includes a quotation by Smith that you would like to include in your essay.
Examples of in-text citations :
According to a study by Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) 42% of doctors would refuse to perform legal euthanasia.
Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) states that “even if euthanasia was legal, 42% of doctors would be against this method of assisted dying” (A.10).
Example of Works Cited list citation:
Kirkey, Susan. "Euthanasia." The Montreal Gazette , 9 Feb. 2013, p. A.10. Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies.
About in-text citations, no known author, quoting directly, paraphrasing, no page numbers, repeated use of sources, in-text citation for more than one source, long quotations, quoting and paraphrasing: what's the difference, signal phrases, avoiding plagiarism when using sources.
T here are two ways to integrate others' research into your assignment: you can paraphrase or you can quote.
Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must restate the meaning of the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words and voice, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation.
Quoting is copying the wording from someone else's work, keeping it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting, place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation.
If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation. Instead include the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or paraphrased section.
Hunt explains that mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (358).
In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the Works Cited list at the end of the paper.
Number of Authors/Editors | Format of In-Text Citation |
---|---|
One | (Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Case 57) |
Two | (Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Case and Daristotle 57) |
Three or more | (Author's Last Name et al. Page Number) Example: (Case et al. 57) |
When a source has no known author, use the first one, two, or three words from the title instead of the author's last name. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your Works Cited list.
If the title in the Works Cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation.
( Cell Biology 12)
If the title in the Works Cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.
("Nursing" 12)
When you quote directly from a source, enclose the quoted section in quotation marks. Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number, like this:
"Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).
"Here's a direct quote" ("Trouble" 22).
Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.
Mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (Hunt 358).
When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion, like this:
This is a paraphrase (Smith 8).
This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).
Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).
Note: If the paraphrased information/idea summarizes several pages, include all of the page numbers.
Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).
When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like webpages), cite the author name only. If there is no author, cite the first word or words from the title only.
"Three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli).
"Nutrition is a critical part of health and development" ("Nutrition").
Sources that are paraphrased or quoted in other sources are called indirect sources. MLA recommends you take information from the original source whenever possible.
If you must cite information from an indirect source, mention the author of the original source in the body of your text and place the name of the author of the source you actually consulted in your in-text citation. Begin your in-text citation with 'qtd. in.'
Kumashiro notes that lesbian and bisexual women of colour are often excluded from both queer communities and communities of colour (qtd. in Dua 188).
(You are reading an article by Dua that cites information from Kumashiro (the original source))
Note: In your Works Cited list, you only include a citation for the source you consulted, NOT the original source.
In the above example, your Works Cited list would include a citation for Dua's article, and NOT Kumashiro's.
If you're using information from a single source more than once in a row (with no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation. The first time you use information from the source, use a full in-text citation. The second time, you only need to give the page number.
Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20).
Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.
If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon.
(Smith 42; Bennett 71).
( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).
Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.
What Is a Long Quotation?
If your quotation is longer than four lines, it is a considered a long quotation. This can also be referred to as a block quotation.
Rules for Long Quotations
There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:
Example of a Long Quotation
Vivian Gornick describes the process of maturing as a reader as a reckoning with human limitations:
Suddenly, literature, politics, and analysis came together, and I began to think more inclusively about the emotional
imprisonment of mind and spirit to which all human beings are heir. In the course of analytic time, it became apparent
that—with or without the burden of social justice—the effort required to attain any semblance of inner freedom was
extraordinary. Great literature, I then realized, is a record not of the achievement, but of the effort.
With this insight as my guiding light, I began to interpret the lives and work of women and men alike who had
spent their years making literature. (x-xi)
Last Updated: October 12, 2023
This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. This article has been viewed 390,587 times.
MLA (Modern Language Association) format is a popular citation style for papers and essays. You may be unsure how to quote and cite play using MLA format in your essay for a class. Start by following the correct formatting for a quote from one speaker or from multiple speakers in the play. Then, use the correct citation style for a prose play or a verse play.
To quote and cite a play in your essay using MLA format, start by referencing the author and title of the play in the main body of your essay. Then, name the speaker of the quote so it’s clear who’s talking. For example, write, “In Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? the character Honey says…” After introducing the quote, frame the dialogue with quotation marks to make it clear that it’s a direct quote from a text. If your dialogue is written in verse, use forward slashes to indicate each line break. For more tips from our English co-author, including how to quote dialogue between multiple speakers in your essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1/2 inch from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing ...
To introduce a quote in an essay, don't forget to include author's last name and page number (MLA) or author, date, and page number (APA) in your citation. Shown below are some possible ways to introduce quotations. The examples use MLA format. Use A Full Sentence Followed by A Colon To Introduce A Quotation Examples: The setting emphasizes ...
Revised on March 5, 2024. When you include a long quote in an MLA paper, you have to format it as a block quote. MLA style (8th edition) requires block quote formatting for: An MLA block quote is set on a new line, indented 0.5 inches, with no quotation marks. The MLA in-text citation goes after the period at the end of the block quote.
Use an ellipsis of three dots to shorten longer quotations by removing non-essential words and ideas from the middle of the quote. The quotation must fit grammatically into the sentence even with the ellipsis. It must also retain enough of the quotation so that it still makes sense in your essay and you do not distort its meaning.
Indent the quote ½ inch or five spaces from the left margin for the entire quote (not just the first line). Do not use quotation marks. Double space the quote. Put the parenthetical citation after the final punctuation mark in the quote. Comment on the quote after using it. Do not end a paragraph with a block quote.
A long or block quotation is a quotation which is 4 lines or more. Rules for Long Quotations. The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon. The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text. There are no quotation marks around the ...
After you have adequately introduced your source, you no longer need to mention all of the information listed above in subsequent references; however, you should still be aware of your audiences need for info and context when referencing outside sources in your essay. ^Dropped quotations are confusing for readers _ (Brennan 10).
Quotations are effective in academic writing when used carefully and selectively. Although misquoting or quoting too much can confuse or overwhelm your audience, quoting relevant and unique words, phrases, sentences, lines, or passages can help you achieve your purpose. The Modern Language Association (MLA) provides guidelines/rules for quoting:
While MLA Style generally expects authors to save details for the Works Cited pages, there's nothing wrong with introducing the work more fully — if you have a good reason to do so. For example, in a paper on the history of the typewriter, you might want to refer to the typist who appears in T. S. Eliot's poem, "The Waste Land."
Punctuate the quote correctly. Use double quotation marks for the quote itself and, where applicable, single quotation marks for quotes within the quote. You may include a question mark or exclamation mark within the quotation marks if they are part of the original text. All other punctuation should be located after the citation.
In most cases, use a colon to introduce the quotation. Indent the quotation one half inch from the left margin. Double space the quotation. Do not use quotation marks. Place the parenthetical citation (author and page number) after the period (or other mark of punctuation) that closes the block quotation.
Basic in-text citation rules. In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations. This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses ...
Second, choose which way you want to use your source. 1. Direct Quotation: A direct quotation is the use of the author's exact words in your essay. When you use a direct quotation, indicate this by putting the author's words in quotation marks. Example: When describing her mother's English, Tan writes, "My mother's expressive command
There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations: The line before your block quotation, when you're introducing the quote, ends with a colon. The bock quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text. There are no quotation marks needed when using block ...
Integrate quotations into your own sentences. Do not stand quotations alone as sentences. Provide signal phrases, which include the author's name and a signal verb. MLA style uses present tense signal verbs, in- text citations, and full source listings on the works-cited list at paper's end.
3. Discuss each of those four moves in detail, and direct the suggestions below to students. Move One: Introduce. Notice that the subject and verb of the sentence with the quotation is often in this part. A concrete, simple subject and verb are often the key to making this complex sentence clear. Choose a clear subject.
1. Make a free-standing blockquote for quotes longer than 4 lines. Start the quote on a new line and type the quote exactly as it appears in the source text, including punctuation. Do not enclose blockquotes in double quotation marks. [6] The entire blockquote is indented .5 inches (1.3 cm) from the left margin.
Citing a quote in APA Style. To cite a direct quote in APA, you must include the author's last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas. If the quote appears on a single page, use "p."; if it spans a page range, use "pp.". An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative.
In-Text Citations: An Overview. In-text citations are brief, unobtrusive references that direct readers to the works-cited-list entries for the sources you consulted and, where relevant, to the location in the source being cited. An in-text citation begins with the shortest piece of information that directs your reader to the entry in the ...
While MLA Style generally expects authors to save details for the Works Cited pages, there's nothing wrong with introducing the work more fully — if you have a good reason to do so. For example, in a paper on the history of the typewriter, you might want to refer to the typist who appears in T. S. Eliot's poem, "The Waste Land."
If your quotation extends to more than four lines as you're typing your essay, it is a long quotation. Rules for Long Quotations. There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations: The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
Place a colon at the end of the line that you write to introduce your long quotation. Indent the long quotation 0.5 inches from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text. Do not put quotation marks around the quotation. Place the period at the end of the quotation before your in-text citation instead of after, as with regular ...
1. Place the citation in-text. MLA format requires you to put citations for a verse play in the text of your essay. Use parentheses around the citation and place it at the end of the quotation. [4] 2. Note the act number and the scene number. All verse plays will have acts and scenes that are ordered numerically.