Okay, let's talk about how to quote in MLA format. I remember my first college research paper – I spent three hours trying to cite a YouTube video correctly while my roommate laughed at me. MLA quoting isn't rocket science, but man, those tiny formatting rules can trip you up when you're rushing before deadline. Whether you're a student panicking over an essay or a researcher polishing a paper, this guide cuts through the academic jargon. We'll cover exactly how to handle quotes in MLA style, including those weird cases your professor forgot to mention.
Why Bother With MLA Quoting Anyway?
Look, I get it – citation styles feel like busywork. But here's the thing: when you learn how to quote in MLA format properly, you're actually doing three important things. First, you're giving credit where it's due (stealing ideas is bad karma). Second, you're helping readers find your sources. And third – this is the practical one – you're avoiding those awkward "see me after class" moments with your instructor. The MLA Handbook (9th edition) is the bible here, but at 400+ pages? Let's just say I've condensed the crucial bits.
In-Text Citations: The Nuts and Bolts
These little parenthetical notes are your bread and butter for how to quote in MLA format. The basic formula is simple: (Author's Last Name Page Number). Like this: (Smith 42). But real life gets messy fast. What if there's no author? Or three authors? Or you found it on some sketchy website?
Common In-Text Citation Scenarios
| Situation | Format | Real Example |
|---|---|---|
| Single author | (Last Name Page) | (Morrison 75) |
| Two authors | (Last Name and Last Name Page) | (Gaiman and Pratchett 112) |
| Three or more authors | (First Author et al. Page) | (Watson et al. 203) |
| No author | (Shortened Title Page) | ("Climate Change Effects” 8) |
| Corporate author | (Abbreviated Name Page) | (Natl. Research Council 16) |
| Multiple works same author | (Last Name, Shortened Title Page) | (Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman” 27) |
Pro Tip: That "et al." is short for et alia – Latin for "and others." Use it for three+ authors. Saves tons of space.
Where to Place Citations
This trips people up constantly. Your citation goes after the quote but before the period. Like this:"The sky was the color of television tuned to a dead channel" (Gibson 3).See? Period comes after the parentheses. But if you're quoting a question, keep the question mark inside the quotes:Did he really ask, "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" (Coupland 45)Simple, but I've seen smart people mess this up.
Block Quotes: When Your Quote Takes Over
So your quote runs longer than four typed lines? Time for a block quote. Honestly, these intimidated me until my third year of college. Here's the lowdown:
- Start on a new line
- Indent entire quote 0.5 inches from left margin
- No quotation marks (the indentation does the job)
- Double-space (like rest of paper)
- Citation goes after the final punctuation
Atwood’s dystopian vision remains hauntingly relevant:
Better never means better for everyone, she says. It always means worse, for some. The temptation is to say that all progress is illusion, but that’s not true either. What is progress, anyway? For every gain in convenience, there is a corresponding loss in tranquility. (215)
Notice two things here: First, no quotation marks around the block. Second, that period comes before the citation – opposite of short quotes. Took me ages to internalize that flip.
Works Cited Page: Your Reference Cheat Sheet
Your Works Cited page is where you give full source details. Formatting here is brutal – one missing comma can make your citation wrong. I once lost points because I italicized "Journal of" instead of just the journal name. Seriously.
Works Cited Format Essentials
| Source Type | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Print Book | Author. Title. Publisher, Year. | Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. HarperCollins, 1960. |
| Journal Article (Online) | Author. "Article." Journal, vol., no., Year, pages. Database, DOI/URL. | Choi, Min. "Neural Pathways in Creativity." Science Today, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021, pp. 45-67. JSTOR, doi:10.1234/56789. |
| Website Page | Author. "Page Title." Site Name, Publisher, Date, URL. | Green, Elena. "MLA Citation Update 2023." Research Hub, Academic Press, 5 Mar. 2023, www.researchhub.com/mla-update. |
| YouTube Video | "Video Title." YouTube, uploaded by Username, Date, URL. | "Understanding MLA 9th Edition." YouTube, uploaded by CitationLab, 14 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcd1234. |
Warning: See those italics? Book and journal titles get italicized. Article and webpage titles go in "quotes". Mess this up and eagle-eyed graders will notice.
Weird Sources Even Your Professor Dreads
Ever tried citing a TikTok? MLA actually has rules for that now. Here's how to quote in MLA format for unusual sources:
- Tweets: @handle (Twitter). "Full tweet text." Date, Time, URL.
@NeilTyson (Twitter). "The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you." 15 Oct. 2022, 9:30 p.m., twitter.com/neiltyson/status/12345. - Interviews: Last Name, First Name. Personal interview. Date.
Watanabe, Kenji. Personal interview. 12 Nov. 2023. - Spotify Song: Artist. "Song Title." Album, Record Label, Year. Spotify, URL.
Beyoncé. "Formation." Lemonade, Parkwood, 2016. Spotify, open.spotify.com/track/6Ug0YHMH.
Top 5 MLA Quoting Mistakes to Avoid
After reviewing hundreds of papers, here's what always trips students up when learning how to quote in MLA format:
- Forgetting the hanging indent on Works Cited (use Ctrl+T in Word)
- Mixing up journal/article title formatting (journal in italics, article in quotes)
- Placing periods outside parentheses in citations (always inside!)
- Omitting URLs for online sources (MLA 9 requires them)
- Not updating from MLA 8 to MLA 9 rules (container changes still confuse people)
Your MLA Quoting Questions Answered
How do I cite a quote within a quote?
Ah, nested quotes! Use single quotes inside double quotes: She recalled him saying, 'The data proves nothing,' which shocked everyone" (Kim 77). For block quotes, keep the original quotation marks.
What if there's no page number?
Web sources often lack pages. Use paragraph numbers (par. 3), section headings (sec. 4), or timestamps for videos (01:15:23). Like this: (Johnson, par. 12)
Can I change words in a quote?
Yes, but carefully. Use square brackets for minor changes: "She [the president] vetoed the bill". For bigger edits, consider paraphrasing instead.
How many authors before switching to "et al."?
Three or more authors get the "et al." treatment in-text. But list all in your Works Cited – no shortcuts there.
Is citing ChatGPT allowed in MLA?
Currently, MLA says treat AI like software: "Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, 24 Oct. 2023, chat.openai.com". But check your professor's policy – many ban AI sources entirely.
Why I Actually Prefer MLA Over APA
Don't tell my academic friends, but after using both styles for years, MLA feels more humane. No obsessive capitalization rules like APA. No confusing DOIs before URLs. Just clean author-page citations. That said, MLA's container concept (for websites and databases) still makes me twitch sometimes. Why can't they just say "website"?
Practical Checklist Before Submission
Run through this before printing:
- ✔️ All quotes have corresponding Works Cited entries
- ✔️ Page numbers in citations match actual source
- ✔️ URLs work when clicked (test them!)
- ✔️ Hanging indents applied to ALL Works Cited entries
- ✔️ Italics vs. quotation marks applied correctly
- ✔️ "Accessed" dates removed (MLA 9 ditched these)
Mastering how to quote in MLA format takes practice, but once you internalize these patterns, it becomes second nature. Well, mostly – I still double-check YouTube citations. Some habits die hard.