In-text citations are placed in parentheses, and have two components:
- The first word found in the full citation on the Works Cited page (usually the last name of the author)
- The location of the direct quote or paraphrase (usually a page number)
In-text citations should be placed directly after the direct quote or paraphrase, or in a place that is a natural pause and does not cause the reader to become distracted while reading the body of your work.
Example:
In order to prevent starvation, Watney knew exactly what he needed to do: “My best bet for making calories is potatoes” (Weir 17).
When using the author’s name in the sentence, only include the page number in the parentheses.
Example:
- Seuss’s use of words such as, “lurk” and “dank” help students understand the type of character that the Once-ler is (6).