how do you write a citation in an essay in mla format

how do you write a citation in an essay in mla format

In MLA (Modern Language Association) format, citations within an essay are essential for giving proper credit to the sources you use and allowing your readers to locate those sources if they wish to verify or explore the information further. Here’s how to write citations in an essay within a 1000-word essay:

In-Text Citation:

1. Author’s Name Mentioned in the Text:
   • If you mention the author’s name in the sentence, include only the page number in parentheses. For example:
     • According to Smith, “Climate change is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention” (45).
2. Author’s Name NOT Mentioned in the Text:
   • If you don’t mention the author’s name in the sentence, include the author’s last name and the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. For example:
     • “Climate change is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention” (Smith 45).
3. For Online Sources without Page Numbers:
   • If you are citing a source without page numbers, use other location markers like paragraph numbers (par.) or section headings. For example:
     • The recent study highlights the importance of biodiversity conservation (Johnson par. 5).

Works Cited Page:

At the end of your 1000-word essay, create a “Works Cited” page where you list the full citations for all the sources you’ve referenced in your essay. Here’s how to format it:

1. Basic Format for a Book:

   Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.

   For example:

   Smith, John. Climate Change and Its Effects on Global Ecosystems. Environmental Press, 2022.

2. Basic Format for an Online Source:

   Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article or Webpage.” Title of the Website, URL (if applicable).

   For example:

   Johnson, Mary. “Biodiversity Conservation in the 21st Century.” Conservation Biology Online, www.example.com/article.

3. Basic Format for an Article from a Database:

   Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of the Article.” Title of the Journal, vol. X, no. X, Year, pp. Page numbers. Database Name, DOI or URL.

   For example:

   Smith, Jane. “The Impact of Technology on Education.” Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 38, no. 4, 2019, pp. 356-370. ProQuest, doi:10.12345/example.

Remember to alphabetize your Works Cited entries by the author’s last name. Italicize the titles of books, journals, and websites. Use proper capitalization.

Each citation on the Works Cited page should correspond to an in-text citation in your essay. Ensure that the information provided in your citations is accurate and complete to help your readers locate the sources you’ve used.