45 MLA: In-text Citations

MLA style asks that you include the following elements for in-text citations:

• the author’s last name(s)
• the page number (if available)

This applies to all types of sources you use in MLA citation, whether it is a book, an article, a website or any other item.

How would this look?

You can either start your sentence by mentioning the author, followed by the year in parentheses or put the elements in parentheses after the information you borrowed.

Example: 

According to Smail, Darwinian evolution “follows a rhythm dictated by the rapidity of generational turnover” (99).

One opinion is that Darwinian evolution “follows a rhythm dictated by the rapidity of generational turnover” (Smail 99).

What if there is no author? What if there are multiple authors? What if there is no page number? 

Whatever the situation, you still need to cite your source. Check out the MLA Citation guide for answers to these and other questions, and if you need help, please ask a librarian.