MLA Citation and In-text Rules

General Format: Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Publication Year.
Articles from Journals: Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Article." Title of the Journal, vol. number, no. number, Year, pages.
Web Sources: Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of the Webpage." Website Name, Publisher (if applicable), Date of Publication, URL.
Multiple Authors:
- 2 Authors: Last Name, First Name, and First Name Last Name.
- 3 or more Authors: Last Name, First Name, et al.
Capitalization: Use title case for titles (capitalize major words).
Italics vs. Quotation Marks: Italicize book and journal titles; use quotation marks for article and webpage titles.
Hanging Indent: The first line of each citation is flush left; subsequent lines are indented.

Basic Format: (Author's Last Name Page Number).
- Example: (Smith 23).
No Page Number: Use only the author's name: (Smith).
Multiple Authors:
- 2 Authors: (Smith and Jones 45).
- 3 or more Authors: (Smith et al. 67).
Citing a Quote: Include the author's last name and page number after the quote.
Citing a Work without an Author: Use a shortened title in quotation marks: ("Impact of Climate Change" 12).

Paraphrase:
- Rewording someone else's ideas in your own words.
- Typically similar length to the original text.
- Must credit the original source.
Summary:
- A brief overview of the main ideas of a text.
- Significantly shorter than the original text.
- Must also credit the original source.
Quote:
- Exact wording from a source, enclosed in quotation marks.
- Should be used sparingly and typically when the original wording is particularly impactful.
- Must include a citation with the author's name and page number.

General format for books: List the author's last name followed by their first name, the book title in italics, publisher, and publication year.
Articles from journals: Include author's last name and first name, the article title in quotation marks, journal title in italics, volume number, issue number, publication year, and page range.
Web sources: Format includes author's last name and first name, webpage title in quotation marks, website name in italics, publisher (if applicable), publication date, and URL.
Citing multiple authors: For two authors, list both names; for three or more, use the first author followed by "et al."
Capitalization: Major words in titles should be capitalized (title case).
Italics vs. quotation marks: Italicize book and journal titles but use quotation marks for article and webpage titles.
Hanging indent: First line of each citation is flush left; subsequent lines should be indented.

Basic format for in-text citations: (Author's Last Name Page Number), e.g., (Smith 23).
For no page number: Cite only the author's last name, e.g., (Smith).
Multiple authors: For two authors, format as (Smith and Jones 45); for three or more, use (Smith et al. 67).
When citing a quote, include the author's last name and page number at the end of the quote.
For works without an author, use a shortened title in quotation marks, followed by the page number, e.g., ("Impact of Climate Change" 12).

Paraphrase: Rewording of another's ideas in your own words; usually similar in length to the original; requires a citation.
Summary: A condensed overview of a text's main ideas; significantly shorter than the original text; must credit the source.
Quote: The exact wording from a source, enclosed in quotation marks; use sparingly; requires a citation with author's name and page number.

Copying too closely leads to unintended plagiarism by keeping original wording and structure.
Merely changing a few words without altering sentence construction does not constitute effective paraphrasing.
Misrepresenting the original intent can distort the source's main idea and mislead readers.
Inadequate attribution to the original source results in ethical issues related to plagiarism.
Utilizing overly complex language can hinder clarity and accessibility of the paraphrased content.
Neglecting context can result in a loss of the broader significance of the original text or argument.

Original statement about a nimble fox and a lethargic dog can be effectively paraphrased while maintaining the essence of the statement.
The serious implications of climate change on ecosystems can be restated without losing the gravity of the message.
The benefits of regular physical activity for mental health are highlighted in different terms while preserving the underlying advice.

Paraphrasing involves restating a specific passage while preserving its meaning but changing the wording and structure.
Summarizing provides a concise overview of main ideas, focusing on themes and discarding specific details.
Quoting entails directly reproducing someone's exact words, typically used to bolster arguments with authoritative evidence.