A Brief Introduction toIn-text Citations MLA Style

In-Text Citation

also known as parenthetical documentation or citation (pcit)

used to cite borrowed words facts or ideas at the point they are used in the document

used in conjunction with and not as a replacement for the Works Cited page

In-text citations lead readers to specific works listed on the Works Cited page

Use an In-Text Citation When1 You use an idea from a source The idea is

not originally yours It belongs to the author(s) of the source and must be cited

2 You paraphrase or summarize a source (even if you change the word order and replace words with synonyms)

3 You directly quote a source4 You use information that is not common

knowledge

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

Place the in-text citation where a pause occurs naturally for example before the punctuation that concludes the phrase the clause the sentence or the paragraph containing the borrowed information

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with one authorHelpfulness and listening skills are key components of consulting success (Burkhart 6)

There should be an entry on the Works Cited Page that corresponds to this in-text citation

Burkhart Mary Tips for Writing Consultants Scranton Scranton Books 2008 Print

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with no authorUse the title or a shortened version

of the title in quotation marks if it is a short work or in italicsunderline if it is a long work (ldquoWorking with Student Writersrdquo 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with twothree authors

Separate last names with any necessary commas and the word ldquoandrdquo (Burkhart and Smith 6)

For a source with fourmore authors

Include all last names or include first last name followed by ldquoet alrdquo (Burkhart et al 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase (tag)

Include just the page number Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6)

For a source without page numbers

Include just the authorrsquos name (Burkhart)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

In-Text Citation

also known as parenthetical documentation or citation (pcit)

used to cite borrowed words facts or ideas at the point they are used in the document

used in conjunction with and not as a replacement for the Works Cited page

In-text citations lead readers to specific works listed on the Works Cited page

Use an In-Text Citation When1 You use an idea from a source The idea is

not originally yours It belongs to the author(s) of the source and must be cited

2 You paraphrase or summarize a source (even if you change the word order and replace words with synonyms)

3 You directly quote a source4 You use information that is not common

knowledge

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

Place the in-text citation where a pause occurs naturally for example before the punctuation that concludes the phrase the clause the sentence or the paragraph containing the borrowed information

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with one authorHelpfulness and listening skills are key components of consulting success (Burkhart 6)

There should be an entry on the Works Cited Page that corresponds to this in-text citation

Burkhart Mary Tips for Writing Consultants Scranton Scranton Books 2008 Print

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with no authorUse the title or a shortened version

of the title in quotation marks if it is a short work or in italicsunderline if it is a long work (ldquoWorking with Student Writersrdquo 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with twothree authors

Separate last names with any necessary commas and the word ldquoandrdquo (Burkhart and Smith 6)

For a source with fourmore authors

Include all last names or include first last name followed by ldquoet alrdquo (Burkhart et al 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase (tag)

Include just the page number Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6)

For a source without page numbers

Include just the authorrsquos name (Burkhart)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Use an In-Text Citation When1 You use an idea from a source The idea is

not originally yours It belongs to the author(s) of the source and must be cited

2 You paraphrase or summarize a source (even if you change the word order and replace words with synonyms)

3 You directly quote a source4 You use information that is not common

knowledge

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

Place the in-text citation where a pause occurs naturally for example before the punctuation that concludes the phrase the clause the sentence or the paragraph containing the borrowed information

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with one authorHelpfulness and listening skills are key components of consulting success (Burkhart 6)

There should be an entry on the Works Cited Page that corresponds to this in-text citation

Burkhart Mary Tips for Writing Consultants Scranton Scranton Books 2008 Print

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with no authorUse the title or a shortened version

of the title in quotation marks if it is a short work or in italicsunderline if it is a long work (ldquoWorking with Student Writersrdquo 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with twothree authors

Separate last names with any necessary commas and the word ldquoandrdquo (Burkhart and Smith 6)

For a source with fourmore authors

Include all last names or include first last name followed by ldquoet alrdquo (Burkhart et al 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase (tag)

Include just the page number Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6)

For a source without page numbers

Include just the authorrsquos name (Burkhart)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

Place the in-text citation where a pause occurs naturally for example before the punctuation that concludes the phrase the clause the sentence or the paragraph containing the borrowed information

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with one authorHelpfulness and listening skills are key components of consulting success (Burkhart 6)

There should be an entry on the Works Cited Page that corresponds to this in-text citation

Burkhart Mary Tips for Writing Consultants Scranton Scranton Books 2008 Print

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with no authorUse the title or a shortened version

of the title in quotation marks if it is a short work or in italicsunderline if it is a long work (ldquoWorking with Student Writersrdquo 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with twothree authors

Separate last names with any necessary commas and the word ldquoandrdquo (Burkhart and Smith 6)

For a source with fourmore authors

Include all last names or include first last name followed by ldquoet alrdquo (Burkhart et al 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase (tag)

Include just the page number Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6)

For a source without page numbers

Include just the authorrsquos name (Burkhart)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with one authorHelpfulness and listening skills are key components of consulting success (Burkhart 6)

There should be an entry on the Works Cited Page that corresponds to this in-text citation

Burkhart Mary Tips for Writing Consultants Scranton Scranton Books 2008 Print

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with no authorUse the title or a shortened version

of the title in quotation marks if it is a short work or in italicsunderline if it is a long work (ldquoWorking with Student Writersrdquo 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with twothree authors

Separate last names with any necessary commas and the word ldquoandrdquo (Burkhart and Smith 6)

For a source with fourmore authors

Include all last names or include first last name followed by ldquoet alrdquo (Burkhart et al 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase (tag)

Include just the page number Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6)

For a source without page numbers

Include just the authorrsquos name (Burkhart)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with no authorUse the title or a shortened version

of the title in quotation marks if it is a short work or in italicsunderline if it is a long work (ldquoWorking with Student Writersrdquo 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with twothree authors

Separate last names with any necessary commas and the word ldquoandrdquo (Burkhart and Smith 6)

For a source with fourmore authors

Include all last names or include first last name followed by ldquoet alrdquo (Burkhart et al 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase (tag)

Include just the page number Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6)

For a source without page numbers

Include just the authorrsquos name (Burkhart)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with twothree authors

Separate last names with any necessary commas and the word ldquoandrdquo (Burkhart and Smith 6)

For a source with fourmore authors

Include all last names or include first last name followed by ldquoet alrdquo (Burkhart et al 6)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase (tag)

Include just the page number Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6)

For a source without page numbers

Include just the authorrsquos name (Burkhart)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Some In-Text Citation Guidelines

For a source with the author named in a signal phrase (tag)

Include just the page number Mary Burkhart reports that effective

listening and communication skills are imperative (6)

For a source without page numbers

Include just the authorrsquos name (Burkhart)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Introduce (tag) your Quotations

Always introduce quotations before they appear in your paper No quotation should stand by itself as a separate sentence Instead your introductory phrasing should tie the quotation into the flow of your paper and you should follow each quotation by explaining why it is important or what point it illustrates

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo

Bad Example 1 There are many examples of self-analysis in Platos philosophy The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Bad Example 2 Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Better Examples

Acceptable Example Plato thinks people should analyze their own lives The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) [In this example the author uses a colon to show that a quote follows the first sentence]

Better Example Plato believes that people should analyze their own lives As he writes in one dialogue The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45) His attitude is a common one among Greek philosophers

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark

It varies It goes before the quotation mark when

there is no parenthetical citation of a direct quote

When using quotation marks without using parenthetical documentation the normal rule for MLA guidelines is to place the comma inside the final punctuation mark So unless you are quoting material and using a parenthetical citation commas always go inside the quotation marks rather than just after them for instance

Hemingway is an authorial stud one who wrote

manly books

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Titles of short works

Titles of short stories songs short poems and newspaper and magazine articles always go in quotation marks

Put your punctuation mark inside the quotation mark for example

Ulysses is similar to Hemingways hero in The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the character called Francis Macomber in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

End Punctuation

When the sentence ends with a period place the period outside of the pcit for example

The unexamined life is not worth living (Plato 45)

If your quotation is a question or an exclamation keep the or and add a period after the pcit for example

ldquoHow should I live What life or ideal should I live or die forrdquo (Kierkegaard 12)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

New MLA rules for writing numbers

If the number can be written in two words or less for instance ldquotenrdquo or ldquotwenty-onerdquo you spell it out

Any number that cannot is typed in numeric form for instance ldquo731rdquo or ldquo314159rdquo

Exceptions addresses statistics percentages or decimals and page numbers

Always spell out a word that begins a sentence Avoid using one of the above to start a sentence whenever possible

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Works Cited

Hacker Diana and Nancy Sommers ldquoMLA Papersrdquo A Writerrsquos

Reference 7th ed Boston Bedford 2011 371-428 Print

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 7th ed New York

MLA 2009 Print

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 3rd ed New

York MLA 2008 Print

Russell Tony Allen Brizee and Elizabeth Angeli MLA

Formatting and Style Guide The Purdue OWL Purdue U

Writing Lab 16 Nov 2010 Web 22 Feb 2011

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Punctuating In-Text Citations

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Instructions

Identify the problems with the following examples of formatting and punctuating in-text citations

In-text citations = parenthetical citations = pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Problem

The period inside the quotation mark doesnt belong there It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Problem

Now the writer has a redundant period Now there are two periods clashing with each other

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Problem

The comma doesnt belong inside the pcit Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit for a simple print source Exceptions do apply so see your handbook for details

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley pg 148)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Problem

MLA usually does not call for the pg abbreviation though some abbreviations may be appropriate at times See your handbook and follow on a case-by-case basis

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (httpwwwthisisareallylongurlcom)

Problem

Rarely does a web address belong in the body of the essay Rather refer to the author of the site or its title or its responsible party Here the unnecessary URL is distracting If needed you can place the URL in the citation on your Works Cited page

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Frankenstein 148)

Problem

bull Unless you are discussing multiple pieces written by the author and there is a possibility your readers may get confused as to which piece you are quoting the authors last name gets placed into the pcit and not the title of the novel Of course if an authors name is unknown (anonymously written pieces for instance) then you cannot place the authors name in the pcit When this arises you place the title of the piece in the pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

bull Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Solution

bull For a simple print source end the quote type a space begin the parenthetical citation list the authors name type a space list the page number alone without any punctuation or abbreviation close the parenthetical citation and then place your end punctuation if needed

bull For examples of other types of sources refer to your MLA handout

• A Brief Introduction to In-text Citations MLA Style
• In-Text Citation
• Use an In-Text Citation When
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (2)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (3)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (4)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (5)
• Introduce (tag) your Quotations
• Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo
• Better Examples
• Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark
• Titles of short works
• End Punctuation
• New MLA rules for writing numbers
• Works Cited
• Punctuating In-Text Citations
• Instructions
• Whatrsquos wrong
• Problem
• Whatrsquos wrong (2)
• Problem (2)
• Whatrsquos wrong (3)
• Problem (3)
• Whatrsquos wrong (4)
• Problem (4)
• Whatrsquos wrong (5)
• Problem (5)
• Whatrsquos wrong (6)
• Problem (6)
• Whatrsquos wrong (7)
• Solution

Whatrsquos wrong

Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Frankenstein 148)

Problem

bull Unless you are discussing multiple pieces written by the author and there is a possibility your readers may get confused as to which piece you are quoting the authors last name gets placed into the pcit and not the title of the novel Of course if an authors name is unknown (anonymously written pieces for instance) then you cannot place the authors name in the pcit When this arises you place the title of the piece in the pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

bull Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Solution

bull For a simple print source end the quote type a space begin the parenthetical citation list the authors name type a space list the page number alone without any punctuation or abbreviation close the parenthetical citation and then place your end punctuation if needed

bull For examples of other types of sources refer to your MLA handout

• A Brief Introduction to In-text Citations MLA Style
• In-Text Citation
• Use an In-Text Citation When
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (2)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (3)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (4)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (5)
• Introduce (tag) your Quotations
• Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo
• Better Examples
• Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark
• Titles of short works
• End Punctuation
• New MLA rules for writing numbers
• Works Cited
• Punctuating In-Text Citations
• Instructions
• Whatrsquos wrong
• Problem
• Whatrsquos wrong (2)
• Problem (2)
• Whatrsquos wrong (3)
• Problem (3)
• Whatrsquos wrong (4)
• Problem (4)
• Whatrsquos wrong (5)
• Problem (5)
• Whatrsquos wrong (6)
• Problem (6)
• Whatrsquos wrong (7)
• Solution

Problem

bull Unless you are discussing multiple pieces written by the author and there is a possibility your readers may get confused as to which piece you are quoting the authors last name gets placed into the pcit and not the title of the novel Of course if an authors name is unknown (anonymously written pieces for instance) then you cannot place the authors name in the pcit When this arises you place the title of the piece in the pcit

Whatrsquos wrong

bull Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Solution

bull For a simple print source end the quote type a space begin the parenthetical citation list the authors name type a space list the page number alone without any punctuation or abbreviation close the parenthetical citation and then place your end punctuation if needed

bull For examples of other types of sources refer to your MLA handout

• A Brief Introduction to In-text Citations MLA Style
• In-Text Citation
• Use an In-Text Citation When
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (2)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (3)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (4)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (5)
• Introduce (tag) your Quotations
• Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo
• Better Examples
• Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark
• Titles of short works
• End Punctuation
• New MLA rules for writing numbers
• Works Cited
• Punctuating In-Text Citations
• Instructions
• Whatrsquos wrong
• Problem
• Whatrsquos wrong (2)
• Problem (2)
• Whatrsquos wrong (3)
• Problem (3)
• Whatrsquos wrong (4)
• Problem (4)
• Whatrsquos wrong (5)
• Problem (5)
• Whatrsquos wrong (6)
• Problem (6)
• Whatrsquos wrong (7)
• Solution

Whatrsquos wrong

bull Victor Frankenstein when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster states that to do so would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness (Shelley 148)

Solution

bull For a simple print source end the quote type a space begin the parenthetical citation list the authors name type a space list the page number alone without any punctuation or abbreviation close the parenthetical citation and then place your end punctuation if needed

bull For examples of other types of sources refer to your MLA handout

• A Brief Introduction to In-text Citations MLA Style
• In-Text Citation
• Use an In-Text Citation When
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (2)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (3)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (4)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (5)
• Introduce (tag) your Quotations
• Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo
• Better Examples
• Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark
• Titles of short works
• End Punctuation
• New MLA rules for writing numbers
• Works Cited
• Punctuating In-Text Citations
• Instructions
• Whatrsquos wrong
• Problem
• Whatrsquos wrong (2)
• Problem (2)
• Whatrsquos wrong (3)
• Problem (3)
• Whatrsquos wrong (4)
• Problem (4)
• Whatrsquos wrong (5)
• Problem (5)
• Whatrsquos wrong (6)
• Problem (6)
• Whatrsquos wrong (7)
• Solution

Solution

bull For a simple print source end the quote type a space begin the parenthetical citation list the authors name type a space list the page number alone without any punctuation or abbreviation close the parenthetical citation and then place your end punctuation if needed

bull For examples of other types of sources refer to your MLA handout

• A Brief Introduction to In-text Citations MLA Style
• In-Text Citation
• Use an In-Text Citation When
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (2)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (3)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (4)
• Some In-Text Citation Guidelines (5)
• Introduce (tag) your Quotations
• Bad ldquoExamplesrdquo
• Better Examples
• Does the punctuation mark go before or after the quotation mark
• Titles of short works
• End Punctuation
• New MLA rules for writing numbers
• Works Cited
• Punctuating In-Text Citations
• Instructions
• Whatrsquos wrong
• Problem
• Whatrsquos wrong (2)
• Problem (2)
• Whatrsquos wrong (3)
• Problem (3)
• Whatrsquos wrong (4)
• Problem (4)
• Whatrsquos wrong (5)
• Problem (5)
• Whatrsquos wrong (6)
• Problem (6)
• Whatrsquos wrong (7)
• Solution