To cite in-text in MLA, use the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses, like this: (Smith 45).

Core MLA in‑text citation format

  • Basic pattern: (Author last name page number).
* Example: (Smith 163).
  • No comma between name and page number.
  • Put the citation right after the quote or paraphrase and before the period.

If you already mention the author in the sentence, only put the page number in parentheses.

  • Example: Smith argues that reading improves empathy (163).

Common situations (with quick examples)

1. One author

  • Parenthetical:
    • Example: Reading fiction can build empathy (Moore 37).
  • Narrative (author in sentence):
    • Example: Moore notes that reading fiction can build empathy (37).

2. Two authors

  • Format: (Author and Author page).
  • Example: (Moore and Patel 48–50).

3. Three or more authors

  • In parentheses: use et al. after the first author.
* Example: (Case et al. 57).
  • In the sentence (outside parentheses), you can say “and others” or “and colleagues.”

No page numbers or special source types

4. No page numbers (like many websites)

If there are no page numbers, just give the author’s last name.

  • Example: (Smith).

If there’s also no named author, use the first words of the title instead.

  • Example book title: To the Lighthouse → (Lighthouse).
  • Drop starting articles like “A,” “An,” or “The.”

5. Multiple pages

  • Continuous range: use an en dash.
* Example: (Moore and Patel 48–50).
  • Non‑consecutive pages: separate with commas.
* Example: (Moore et al. 34, 59).

6. Time‑based media (movies, podcasts, etc.)

For things with a runtime, cite hours:minutes:seconds.

  • Example: (00:02:15–00:02:35).

When do you need MLA in‑text citations?

You should include an MLA in‑text citation every time you:

  • Quote a source directly.
  • Paraphrase or summarize someone else’s idea.
  • Refer to specific data, images, tables, or figures.

Every in‑text citation must match an entry in your Works Cited list.

Tiny example paragraph (to model your own)

Many researchers argue that reading literary fiction can improve empathy and social understanding (Moore 37). Others suggest that the effect depends on the reader’s prior engagement with stories (Moore and Patel 48–50). When readers are already highly exposed to narratives, the gains may be smaller, but they are still measurable (Case et al. 57).

TL;DR: In MLA, put the author’s last name and page number in parentheses right after the quote or paraphrase, like (Smith 45), and make sure it matches a full entry in your Works Cited.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.