English Language Arts
Grade 8
15 min
Use in-text citations with MLA formatting
Use in-text citations with MLA formatting
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the purpose of in-text citations in academic writing.
Distinguish between proper and improper MLA in-text citation formats.
Construct basic MLA in-text citations using author-page format.
Apply MLA in-text citation rules for sources with no author.
Integrate in-text citations smoothly into sentences using signal phrases.
Explain the connection between in-text citations and the Works Cited page.
Ever wondered how writers show where they got their amazing facts without interrupting their flow? 🤔 It's all about giving credit where credit is due!
In this lesson, you'll learn the essential skill of using in-text citations with MLA formatting. This helps you avoid plagiarism, strengthen your arguments, and show you've done your researc...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
In-text CitationA brief reference within the body of your paper that directs readers to the full source details on your Works Cited page.The study concluded that sleep improves memory (Johnson 45).
Parenthetical CitationA type of in-text citation enclosed in parentheses, usually containing the author's last name and a page number.(Smith 12)
Works Cited PageA separate page at the end of your paper that lists all the sources you cited, in alphabetical order, with full publication details.Smith, John. *The Art of Writing*. Academic Press, 2021.
SourceAny material (book, article, website, interview, video) from which information is obtained and used in your writing.A chapter from a science textbook or an article from a reputable news website.
PlagiarismPresenting so...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Basic Author-Page Format
Place the author's last name and the page number in parentheses after the quoted or paraphrased material, but before the final punctuation mark.
Use this when you know the author and page number from a print source. The citation should appear at the end of the sentence or clause where the borrowed information ends.
Integrating with Signal Phrases
If you mention the author's name in a signal phrase (e.g., 'According to Smith,'), only include the page number in the parentheses.
This makes your writing flow more smoothly and avoids repetitive information. The author's name should appear in your sentence before the citation.
Sources Without an Author
If a source has no author, use a shortened version of the title (usually t...
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Challenging
A student is writing an argumentative essay and wants to use a quote from page 78 of a book by historian Laura Vance. The quote is: "Primary sources offer an unfiltered glimpse into the past." Which of the following sentences most effectively and correctly integrates this evidence to support a claim?
A.To prove this point, "Primary sources offer an unfiltered glimpse into the past" (Vance 78).
B.Historian Laura Vance supports this idea, stating that "Primary sources offer an unfiltered glimpse into the past" (78).
C.There is a quote that says, "Primary sources offer an unfiltered glimpse into the past" (Vance 78).
D.Primary sources are important. "Primary sources offer an unfiltered glimpse into the past" (Vance 78).
Challenging
Read the following paragraph and identify the incorrectly formatted citation:
(1) The Amazon rainforest is often called the "lungs of the planet" because it produces a significant amount of the world's oxygen (Miller 14). (2) According to scientist Maria Flores, this ecosystem is home to millions of species (Flores 22). (3) Unfortunately, deforestation threatens this biodiversity ("Rainforest Peril"). (4) We must act now to protect this vital resource (National Geographic, p. 6).
A.The citation in sentence (1) is incorrect.
B.The citation in sentence (2) is incorrect.
C.The citation in sentence (3) is incorrect.
D.The citation in sentence (4) is incorrect.
Challenging
A source is an online article titled "Understanding the Nuances of Photosynthesis" with no author and no page numbers. Its Works Cited entry begins with the full title. A student writes: `The process converts light into energy ("Understanding Photosynthesis").` Why might this citation be considered more accurate than `("Photosynthesis")`?
A.Because MLA requires the full title of an article to always be used in the citation.
B.Because a shorter title like "Photosynthesis" might be too generic and could be confused with other sources on the Works Cited page.
C.Because quotation marks should only be used for full titles, not shortened ones.
D.Because online articles without page numbers require a longer title in the citation.
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