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In MLA style, in-text citations are inserted into the body of your paper following the use of a quote or paraphrase from a source, to briefly document the borrowing of another person's ideas to backup your thoughts. In-text citations point the reader to more complete information about your source in the works cited list at the end of your paper. Every source found in the body of your paper must have a corresponding entry in your works cited page.
The sources you choose are important because you want credible information to back up your own thoughts about your topic. It is important to read or skim through the entire source to make sure that you are incorporating the most accurate quotes from the resource you've chosen to use. The title of a source definitely won't tell you everything you need to know, and although abstracts (short descriptions of the source, usually found in the beginning of the source) are good tools for determining whether this source might be useful, you may not quote or cite information from an abstract, because it does not contain information from the source, only about the source.
You incorporate sources into your paper with a signal phrase, which introduces someone else's ideas (your source) as enhancements to your own ideas on your topic.
A signal phrase is a group of words that lets your reader know that you are going to introduce someone else's idea into your paper. This is the beginning of incorporating the sources that you've chosen into your paper, using either direct quotes or paraphrases, using in-text citations.
Some examples of signal phrases, highlighted in yellow:
Nora feels that her life is out of control, “The universe tended towards chaos and entropy. That was basic thermodynamics. Maybe it was basic existence too” (Haig 12).
or
Green writes, “The Anthropocene is a proposed term for the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity" (4).
Quoting Directly:
A direct quote is when you use an idea word-for-word from your source. When using direct quotes, you must put quotation marks around them:
“The Anthropocene is a proposed term for the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity" (Green 4).
Paraphrasing:
When paraphrasing -- putting someone else's ideas into your own words -- you must still cite your source, but there is no need for quotation marks:
Though the Earth is in what is officially called the Holocene age, the term Anthropocene can also be used to describe the time in which humans have had a clear impact on its history (Green 4).
If you are going to include a quote in your paper that is more than 4 lines long, you'll use what is called a block quotation, so-called because it is indented to look like a block of text. (Press the tab key at every new line.)
There are four rules to follow when using block quotes:
1.) The introductory sentence --or signal phrase -- ends with a colon.
2.) The entire block quote is indented a 1/2 inch from the left-hand margin. (Pres tab key)
3.) Even though it is a direct quote, no quotation marks are necessary.
4.) Although there is still a parenthetical citation at the end of the block quote, the period goes after the last word of the quote, not after the closing parenthesis.
Example:
In a conversation with Mrs. Elm, Nora realizes how arbitrary success is:
‘I would like a life where I am successful.’
Mrs. Elm tutted disapprovingly. ‘For someone who has read a lot of books, you aren’t very specific with your choice of words.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Success. What does that mean to you? Money?’
‘No. Well, maybe. But that wouldn’t be the defining feature.’
‘Well, then, what is success?’
Nora had no idea what success was. (Haig 79)
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