|
In-text
citations consist of two elements: tags and parentheses
| Introductory
Tag: |
Parenthetical
citation: |
| In
a 1964 essay titled "Reposing in the Preparation
Room," author Jessica Mitford argues that . . . |
(25-29). |
| Subsequent
Tags: |
Subsequent
parentheses: |
|
Mitford says . . . |
(26). |
| Mitford goes
on to say . . . |
(27). |
| Mitford concludes
. . . |
(28). |
|
|
If you don't put the author's
name in the tag, include it in the parentheses:
| Morticians
are reluctant to let people see what they do behind
the "formaldehyde curtain" (Mitford 26). |
If there is no author,
use the title of the work instead:
| Time Magazine reports that a severe earthquake killed at least eighty people in southwestern Pakistan ("Strong" 5). |
| An earthquake struck Pakistan two hours before dawn, killng at least eighty people ("Strong" 5). |
Note: It is very important that citations in the text point to specific sources on the list of works cited. So if you cite Time magazine in your tag, be sure you put the title of the article in parentheses, because that will be the way the source is listed on your works cited page -- i.e.:
"Strong Quake Hits Pakistan, at Least 80 Killed." Time Magazine Online. Time Magazine, 29 Oct. 2008. Web. 29 Oct. 2008.
|
To cite a source within a source:
| Mr. John Eckles of Eckles College of Mortuary Science states that every mortician has his own preferred site from which to drain blood from a corpse (qtd. in Mitford 23). |
In this case, the citation would look like this:
| Mitford, Jessica. "Reposing in the Preparation Room." English 102: Writing With Sources. Ed. Patricia Garrison. Ellensburg: The University Store, 2008. 17-21. |
To cite a corporate author such as the US Drug Enforcement Agency, you can do this:
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reports that on October 27th, a major Mexican drug lord was captured in Tijuana. OR:
|
| A major Mexican drug lord was recently captured in Tijuana (U.S Drug Enforcement Administration). |
The citation (taken from the DEA web site) would then look like this:
| U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "Gun Battle Ends With Arrest of Eduardo Arellano-Felix." U.S. Department of Justice, 27 Oct. 2008. Web. 28 Oct. 2008. |
There are many other
variations on this basic pattern. For more specific examples,
please see the MLA Handbook or your English
handbook.
|
