MLA Citation Style for Books

This PDF document provides examples of how to properly format book citations in a Works Cited list. (To view this document, you will need the Adobe Reader software - a free download available from http://www.adobe.com .)

In-text Parenthetical References

A standard in-text parenthetical reference for a book includes the author's last name and the page number. The period goes after the reference. For example,

"While senior citizens comprise about 36 percent of the U.S. adult population, it's estimated that they represent 56 percent of consumer fraud victims" (Bertrand 21).

If you use a signal phrase that includes the author's name, the in-text parenthetical reference would list only the page number. For example,

According to Marsha Bertrand, "While senior citizens comprise about 36 percent of the U.S. adult population, it's estimated that they represent 56 percent of consumer fraud victims" (21).

For a book with	you will use	Your in-text parenthetical reference would look like this:
two authors	both authors' last names.	(Gilbert and Jacobs 21)
three authors	all three authors' last names.	(McCarthy, Thompson, and Young 131)
more than three authors	the last name of the first author followed by "et al."	(Wright et al. 332)
a corporate author	the name of the corporation, association, or committee (minus any initial articles - A, An, The)	(American Medical Association 251)
no author	the title of the book (if brief) or the first word/few words of the title underlined.	(Double Vision 118) (Report 72)

Formatting Long Quotes MLA Style

If a quote you are using in your paper is longer than four lines, you need to insert it as a block quote. On a new line, indent one inch from the left margin (two tabs). Double space the quote and do not include quotation marks. Place the in-text parenthetical reference at the end of the last line of the quotation. Insert the period before the reference. Below is an excerpt from a research paper that includes a block quote.

On the phone, at the door, and through the mail, senior citizens are often the targets of con artists and scams.

The experience of being defrauded is devastating for a senior citizen. Senior citizens don't have the time or ability to work to replace lost funds. Many times, because of these frauds, their standard of living is severely affected. They may lose their home or be forced to sell it. Their families are also affected when they're called on to support a once self-supporting family member. (Bertrand 21)

Senior citizens do not have to become victims of fraud. By taking a few precautions and not letting greed overcome common sense, they can be safe.

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Last Updated 03/29/2007 09:55 AM