This document summarizes MLA style guidelines for citing and quoting sources in academic papers. It provides instructions on incorporating short and long quotes into a paper with proper parenthetical citations. It also describes how to format a Works Cited list, which only includes sources that were directly cited in the paper. The document concludes by explaining how to format references in a Reference List, with examples of different source types such as books, articles, websites, and films.

1. University of the Sacred Heart
Department of Humanities
Center for Language Development Across the Disciplines (LAD)
MLA Style
Citations and Quotations
• In MLA style, you should refer to the works you cite or quote in two ways:
1. Put the author’s name (or title of the work) and the page number in
parenthesis, right after the cite or quote. This is known as parenthetical
citation.
2. At the end of your paper include a list with the complete information on the
works you cited or quoted. This list is not the reference list.
• If you add a word (s) or an explanation within a cite or quote, put it in brackets.
Example:[word(s)].
• If you omit a word(s) in a cite or quote, put in its place an ellipsis mark within
brackets […].
• The author’s name may appear in the text, but the page number should always
appear in parenthesis after the cite or quote.
Short cites or quotations
• Short cites or quotes of four lines or less should be enclosed in quotation marks
and incorporated to the text.
• Punctuation marks should appear after the parenthetical citation. Question marks
and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part
of the quoted passage, but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your
text.
“This is a short quotation.” (Author 00).
Long cites or quotations
• Indent long quotations one inch from the margins, and maintain double spacing.
• The parenthetical citation should appear after the closing punctuation mark.
This is a longer quotation, which you should indent
one inch from the paragraph’s original indentation.
Note that all margins should be aligned with the new
indentation. Also, remember that the cite or quote should
maintain the double spaced type. (Author 00)

2. Works Cited
• The list of work cited is not the list of references. In this list, you will only include
the full information of those works you cited in your paper.
• You can provide the information as you would do in the list of references, and
include full details.
• Write on top of a new page Works Cited, and center it.
• Start to list the sources you used next to the left margin. If the work has two lines
or more, indent each additional line (you can do this by pressing Ctrl + t). Do this
with each entry.
• Keep double spacing, with no extra spaces between each source listed.
• List the sources in alphabetical order.
• Make sure to include the number of pages if you consulted a book or periodical.
Reference List
• Always list your references in alphabetical order
• Abbreviate the names of the months
Book with one author
Author, Name. Title of the Book. Place of publication: Publisher, (year).
Two books by the same author - replace the name in the second entry with (---.)
Author, Name. Title of the Book. Place of publication: Publisher, (year).
---. Title of the Book. Place of publication: Publisher, (year).
Book with more than one author
Author , Name A., and Name B. Author. Title of the Book. Place of publication:
Publisher, (year).
Book with a corporate author
Corporation or Institution. Title of the Book. Place of publication: Publisher, (year).
Book with no author named
Title of the Book. Place of publication: Publisher, (year).

3. Article in a periodical
Author, Name. “Title of the Article.” Name of Periodical Day Month year: page(s).
Article with no author named
“Title of the Article.” Name of Periodical Day Month year: page(s).
Anthology or collection
Editor, Name, ed. Title of the Book. Place of publication: Publisher, (year).
Article or essay in a collection
Author, Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of Collection. Ed. Name Editor. Place of
publication: Publisher, (year). Page(s).
Article from a reference book
“Title of the Article.” Name of the Reference Book. year ed.
Article in a scholarly journal
Author, Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Journal. Vol. 21 (year): page(s).
Internet - A web page
Author, Name. Name of Page. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of institution/organization
affiliated with the site. Date of Access <www.electronicaddress.com>.
Article on a web site
Author, Name. “Title of Article”. Title of Journal Vol. 20. year: pages/paragraphs. Date
of access <www.electronicaddress.com>.
Government publication
Governmental Department or Division. Title of the Publication. Place of publication:
Publisher, year.

4. Pamphlet
Institution or Corporation. Title of the Pamphlet. Place of publication: Publisher, year.
Interview that you conducted
Interviewer, Name. Personal Interview. Day Month Year.
Example:
Pérez, Juan. Personal Interview. 15 June 2003.
Television or radio program
“Title of the Broadcast.” Title of the Series or Program. Television Channel. Network or
Company, Place. Day Month Year.
Sound recording
Musical group or Speaker. Title of the Recording. Company, year.
Film
Title of the Film. Dir. Name of director. Perf. Name of performer, Name of performer,
and Name of performer. Company, year.
Example:
The Usual Suspects. Dir. Bryan Singer. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz
Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro. Polygram, 1995.
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Prepared by: Thalia N. Nazario-Santiago
English mentor
Center for Language Development Across the Disciplines (LAD)
February, 2003