English 101 Citation Style Sheet

There are two parts to the MLA citation style: a parenthetical citation and a list of Works Cited. A parenthetical citation goes in the body of your text, giving the reader the necessary information to find the source on the Works Cited list, which appears at the end of your text. You will learn parenthetical citations first (for the midterm) and then put them together with the Works Cited page for the final exam.

A parenthetical citation givesthe page number of the specific material you are quoting or paraphrasing. It sometimes gives the last name of the author of the source material. The parenthetical citation should be placed at the end of the sentence in which the quoted or paraphrased material appears.

Introducing Quotations with Signal Phrases:

A quotation uses the exact words of the person being quoted; it is enclosed in quotation marks. A quotation is introduced by a signal phrase, a group of words that usually provides the author’s name and credential; some that are useful in academic writing are listed below. [Never refer to the author by first name only.]

  • According to Professor X of College of the Canyons, “We have . . .
  • Steve Lopez of the Los Angeles Times argues, “We have . . .
  • Professor X, author of College Students Today, suggests that “we have . . .
  • Steve Lopez points out in his article, “Changing Times,” “We have . . .

Examples of quotations with signal phrases and parenthetical citations:

Signal phrase including author:

  • According to Sandy Banks, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, “You don’t have to be a hater to need help dealing with diversity” (2).

(Note the signal phrase includes the author’s name and credentials, so only the page number goes in parenthetical citation.)

Signal phrase omitting the author:

  • According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, “You don’t have to be a hater to need help dealing with diversity” (Banks 2).

(Note author’s name is not in signal phrase, so it must go in the citation)

Signal phrase when there is no author:

  • According to an article entitled “Holding Society Between Safety and Freedom,” “It is important for all Americans’ civil rights to be upheld” (2).

Signal phrase using just part of a quotation:

  • According to Sandy Banks, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, many of us “need help dealing with diversity” (2).

Signal phrase and citation for someone who is quoted in an article but did not write article

  • Some people feel that we should not worry too much about our civil liberties right now. According to Justice Robert Jackson, "The Constitution is not a suicide pact" (qtd. in Weinstein 1).

[Justice Robert Jackson was quoted in the article but did not write the article; Weinstein is the author of the article.]

Using Paraphrases with Parenthetical Citations:

A paraphrase is an idea taken from a source but stated in your own words. Even though you are not quoting a person’s exact words, you must give him or her credit for the information you borrowed. A paraphrase is not enclosed in quotation marks. Use a signal phrase that smoothly links the paraphrase to your own writing.

Paraphrase with a signal phrase:

  • Henry Weinstein, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, reports that law enforcement agencies now have greater latitude to engage in racial profiling (1).

[Note there are no quotation marks because the exact words of the person are not be used; only his idea or information is being used.]

Although it is preferable to use a signal phrase, it is also correct to present information this way:

Paraphrase without signal phrase:

  • Law enforcement agencies now have greater latitude to engage in racial profiling (Weinstein 1).

[Note since the author’s name is not given in a signal phrase, it is placed in the parenthetical citation.]

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Works Cited Page

A Works Cited list is just what it says: it is a list of the sources (works) you used (cited) in your paper. It should follow MLA style, which is detailed below.

An entry for a source in a Works Cited list must include the following:

  • Author's full name, last name first
  • Title of article
  • Title of publication it first appeared in
  • Date it first appeared in that publication and page number
  • Name of the online source (if accessed through a library, the name of the library)
  • Date you found and printed out the articles
  • The URL (the electronic address), enclosed in angle brackets <like these>

Your Works Cited list should follow exactly the format of this sample, including punctuation, spacing and alphabetized entries:

Works Cited

Kelleher, Kathleen. “Birds and Bees; Male Version of the Walkaway Wife.” Los Angeles Times 22 Oct. 2001: E2. ProQuest . COC Lib., Santa Clarita, CA. 29 Nov. 2001 <