Angelina Del Balzo

HUM 111/112
Basic Citation Guide (MLA)

In-Text Citations

In-text citations are done in parentheses at the end of the sentence, regardless of where the quote
appears. Titles of books are always italicized or underlined.

For prose (novels, newspaper articles, anything not in verse), the information include the
author’s last name and the page number. If there is no known author or if there are multiple
works by the same author being discussed, include the title.
Example: (Plato 145) or (Phaedo 145)

For poetry and plays in verse, the information should include the author’s last name and the line
numbers. If there is no known author or if there are multiple works by the same author being
discussed, include the title. If the work includes multiple acts, books, or other sections, include
the section number before the line number, with a period dividing them.
Examples: (Iliad 16.420-425) or (Sophocles 3.129) or (Sappho 13-14)

If you are only discussing one text in a response, just include the page/line number citation, no
author or title needed. Example: (16.420-425)

Quotations

*Be judicious with quotation length. Quotes that are too long will make it difficult to know
which parts of the quote are important to your analysis. Quotes that are too short will not provide
enough context to support your analysis. As a GENERAL GUIDELINE, I recommend quotes
that are 3 words minimum and 3-4 lines or sentences maximum.

Quotations should be set up with a complete sentence, followed by a colon before the quote. To
indicate omitted words from the passage you are quoting, use ellipses […]. Punctuate this way:

Socrates accuses Cebes of erroneously locating causation: “‘Fancy being unable to

distinguish between the reason for a thing, and the condition without which the reason
couldn’t be operative!’” (174).

When quoting poetry, indicate line breaks with forward slashes, with the line numbers at the end:

“So they fought to the death around that benched beaked ship / as Patroclus reached
Achilles, his great commander” (16.1-2).
When the quotation comes at the end of your sentence, punctuate it this way, keeping in mind the
general rule that punctuation comes after the reference in most cases. Another general rule of
punctuating quotations is that they are kept inside the closed quotation marks in most cases:
According to Socrates, it would be unphilosophical if he “clung to life,” refusing to go to
his death willingly (197).

If you find it necessary to use a longer quotation (three or more lines of text), inset the quotation
an additional inch from the left tab and right margin settings. Blocked poetry should maintain the
original line divisions. Example:

Verse
Achilles both infantilizes and feminizes Patroclus’ distress, ironically anticipating
his own reaction to his companion’s death:
Why in tears, Patroclus?
Like a girl, a baby running after her mother,
begging to be picked up, and she tugs her skirts,
holding her back as she tries to hurry off—all tears,
fawning up at her, till she takes her in her arms…
That’s how you look, Patroclus, streaming live tears. (16.7-12)

Prose
Socrates’ death is described in detail, as the poison moves up his body:
The man (he was the same one who had administered the poison) kept his
hand upon Socrates, and after a little while examined his feet and legs;
then pinched his foot hard and asked if he felt it. Socrates said no. Then he
did the same to his legs; and moving gradually upwards in this way let us
see that he was getting cold and numb. Presently he felt him again and
said that when it reached the heart, Socrates would be gone. (198)