The Basics of MLA In-Text Citations

True or False

You should include an in-text citation every time you paraphrase or quote a source.

• True

• False

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Short Answer

What do in-text citations include?

Answer explanation

Author's name and page number

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Short Answer

Where should you place a parenthetical citation?

Answer explanation

Directly after a quote or paraphrase and before the period or other punctuation mark.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

True or False

If you have already named the author in your sentence, you only have to cite the page numbers in parenthesis at the end.

• True

• False

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Fill-in-the-blank

If you are combining sources from two or more authors, use the (a)   punctuation mark to separate them.

Answer explanation

semi-colon

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Short Answer

In what situation would you name the author of a source "et al"?

Answer explanation

If there were were 3 or more authors of the source, you would provide one name and then "et.al".

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Multiple Choice

What does "et al" mean?

• limited to

• everyone else

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Short Answer

What do you do when a source you want to use doesn't have an author?

Answer explanation

You might have to use the organization's name or a shortened version of the source's title.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Short Answer

If a title is longer than four words, what should you do?

Answer explanation

If the title you're using is longer than four words, you should shorten the title down to the first word or phrase.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Fill-in-the-blank

If a source is contained within a larger whole, for example, if your source is an article from a magazine or a chapter from a book, you should punctuate the title with

(a)  

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9