The purpose of in-text citation is to give credit and location to the creator of any idea that does not originate in your own brain. Whether you quote directly or summarize in your own words what you have read, you must give credit and location in MLA 8th Edition Style. What you put in your () is the key to finding that source in your Works Cited list.
Look over the examples on this guide. Try to use these methods in your own writing.
1) Using the author in the sentence, with a direct quote, page number in () at the end of the sentence:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
What this means is that if I go to the Works Cited of the essay that uses this quote, I can look up Wordsworth. When I find that name, I will find information about the text that holds this quote on page 236.
2) Using the direct quote alone, with the author and page number in () at the end of the sentence:
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
3) Summarizing in my own words, showing the owner of the idea and the page number I found it on in () at the end of the sentence:
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
And a few more notes worth having - but always check an MLA Style Guide for all the possibilities!
1) Two authors are best cited at the beginning of your sentence:
Jones and Marcus argue that one should read a text for what it says on its surface, rather than looking for some hidden meaning (9).
2) Three or more authors:
Smith, et. al. argue that one should read a text for what it says on its surface, rather than looking for some hidden meaning (16).
3) When you have no known author, put the title in the ():
We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has "more readily accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change . . ." ("Impact of Global Warming").
Works Cited
“MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics.” PurdueOWL,
https://tinyurl.com/y9pgra2z. Accessed 18 October 2018.
