How to Correctly Format In-Text Citations in MLA Style
Which of the following in-text citations is correctly formatted?
a) Some people criticize those who are indecisive, but “not all those who wander are lost.” (Tolkien 700).
b) Some people criticize those who are indecisive, but “not all those who wander are lost.” (Tolkien 700)
c) Some people criticize those who are indecisive, but “not all those who wander are lost (Tolkien 700).”
d) Some people criticize those who are indecisive, but “not all those who wander are lost” (Tolkien 700).
Answer:
The correctly formatted in-text citation is option d) "Some people criticize those who are indecisive, but “not all those who wander are lost” (Tolkien 700)." The punctuation is placed after the citation, and any internal quotations within quotations should use single quotation marks.
When incorporating in-text citations in MLA format, proper punctuation and placement of the citation relative to quotation marks are crucial. The correct format in the options provided is: "Some people criticize those who are indecisive, but “not all those who wander are lost” (Tolkien 700)." This aligns with the guideline that the period or comma should be placed after the citation, not before it, and that the citation should be outside the closing quotation marks.
An additional tip: If quoting a critic who cites another source, use single quotation marks within the double quotation marks. When adjusting quotations for clarity and accuracy, ensure that the sentence remains grammatically correct while preserving the integrity of the quoted material.