Example of MLA Style For In-Text Citations

J.R.R. Tolkien

Tolkien always maintained that the imaginary world he created is one enchantment and is "not about anything but itself" (Current Biography 726).

He had been a lover of fairy stories since he learned to read (Carpenter 25).

****Every PRINT source (book, magazine, encyclopedia, newspaper), needs a PAGE REFERENCE as well as some information about the source (author, title of book).

Tolkien, asked by Time and Tide magazine in 1963 about the widespread, cultic enthusiasm for his book, told them "Many young Americans are involved in the story in a way that I am not" (34).

****You only need the PAGE REFERENCE if you mention the name of the PRINT source in the body of the essay.

Tolkien disclaims any intention of allegory in his own fairy stories, but acknowledges their applicability to his readers' personal experiences (J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Behind the Myth).

Their intention, he said, is not to give a message, but "a catch to the breath, a beat and a lifting of the heart," and to provide the fun of playing a linguistic game (Biography.com).

****INTERNET sources only need some kind of information to link them to the Works Cited Page. You do not need a page number because there isn't one!

Works Cited Example Works Cited

Works Cited

Carpenter, Humphrey. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography. London: Allen & Unwin,
____1995.

"J.R.R. Tolkien". Biography.com. 5 December 2003.
____{http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=3469}.

"J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Behind The Myth." Retirement With a Purpose.
____30 October 2003. {www.retirementwithapurpose.com/kolotr.html}.

"The Lord of the Rings: A Review". Time and Tide. 25 November
____1963: 32-39.

"Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel". Current Biography. 1967.