In addition to the amount quoted and line breaks, other factors that matter include stanza breaks, and unusual layouts.
Special Issues: Stanza Breaks, Unusual Layouts
Stanza Breaks: Mark stanza breaks that occur in a quotation with two forward slashes, with a space before and after them ( / / ) (78).
William Carlos Williams depicts a vivid image in “The Red Wheelbarrow”: “so much depends / / upon / / a red wheel / / barrow / / glazed with rain / / water / / beside the white / / chickens” (“Williams”).
Unusual Layouts: If the layout of the lines in the original text is unusual, reproduce it as accurately as you can (79).
The English metaphysical John Donne uses indentation in some of his poems to create unusual layouts, as the first stanza of including “A Valediction: of Weeping” demonstrates:
Let me pour forth My tears before they face, whilst I stay here, For thy face coins them, and thy stamp they bear, And by this mintage they are something worth, For thus they be Pregnant of thee; Fruits of much grief they are, emblems of more, When a tear falls, that thou falls which it bore, So thou and I are nothing then, when on a divers shore. (lines 1-9)
When you must quote dialogue from a play, adhere to these rules:
Example: One of the flashbacks in Margaret Edson’s Wit suggests Vivian Bearing’s illness causes her to question some of her previous interactions with students:
STUDENT 1. Professor Bearing? Can I talk to you for a minute?
VIVIAN: You may.
STUDENT 1: I need to ask for an extension on my paper. I’m really sorry, and I know your policy, but see—
VIVIAN: Don’t tell me. Your grandmother died.
STUDENT 1: You knew.
VIVIAN: It was a guess.
STUDENT 1: I have to go home.
VIVIAN: Do what you will, but the paper is due when it is due. (63)
Omissions: Follow the rules for omissions in quotations of prose (83).
Although some of the rules for quoting plays and poetry in MLA differ than those for quoting prose, understanding the guidelines will help you apply them in any scenario.
Donne, John. “The Bait.” The Complete English Poems . Penguin Books, 1971, pp. 43-4.
—. “The Break of Day.” The Complete English Poems . Penguin Books, 1971, pp. 45-6. Edson, Margaret. Wit. Faber and Faber, 1993.
Shakespeare, William. Sonnet 39. The Pelican Shakespeare: The Sonnets . Penguin Books, 1970, p. 59.
Williams, William Carlos: “The Red Wheelbarrow.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/core-poems/detail/45502 .
Yeats, William. “A Prayer for My Daughter.” The Collected Poems . Ed. Richard Finneran. Scribner, 1983, pp. 188-190.
Suggested edits.
Explore the different ways to cite sources in academic and professional writing, including in-text (Parenthetical), numerical, and note citations.
Collaboration refers to the act of working with others or AI to solve problems, coauthor texts, and develop products and services. Collaboration is a highly prized workplace competency in academic...
Genre may reference a type of writing, art, or musical composition; socially-agreed upon expectations about how writers and speakers should respond to particular rhetorical situations; the cultural values; the epistemological assumptions...
Grammar refers to the rules that inform how people and discourse communities use language (e.g., written or spoken English, body language, or visual language) to communicate. Learn about the rhetorical...
Information Literacy refers to the competencies associated with locating, evaluating, using, and archiving information. In order to thrive, much less survive in a global information economy — an economy where information functions as a...
Mindset refers to a person or community’s way of feeling, thinking, and acting about a topic. The mindsets you hold, consciously or subconsciously, shape how you feel, think, and act–and...
Learn about rhetoric and rhetorical practices (e.g., rhetorical analysis, rhetorical reasoning, rhetorical situation, and rhetorical stance) so that you can strategically manage how you compose and subsequently produce a text...
Style, most simply, refers to how you say something as opposed to what you say. The style of your writing matters because audiences are unlikely to read your work or...
The writing process refers to everything you do in order to complete a writing project. Over the last six decades, researchers have studied and theorized about how writers go about...
Writing studies refers to an interdisciplinary community of scholars and researchers who study writing. Writing studies also refers to an academic, interdisciplinary discipline – a subject of study. Students in...
Dr. Mark Womack
Title and reference format.
Richard III or Othello
Twelfth Night (1.5.268–76)
In 3.1, Hamlet delivers his most famous soliloquy.
“Periods and commas,” says Dr. Womack, “ always go inside quotation marks.”
The immensely obese Falstaff tells the Prince: “When I was about thy years, Hal, I was not an eagle’s talon in the waist; I could have crept into any alderman’s thumb ring” (2.4.325–27).
In Much Ado About Nothing , Benedick reflects on what he has overheard Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio say: This can be no trick. The conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady. It seems her affections have their full bent. Love me? Why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured. They say I will bear myself proudly if I perceive the love come from her; they say too that she will rather die than give any sign of affection. (2.3.217–24)
Berowne’s pyrotechnic line “Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile” is a text-book example of antanaclasis (1.1.77).
Claudius alludes to the story of Cain and Abel when describing his crime: “It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, / A brother’s murder” (3.3.37–38).
Jaques begins his famous speech by comparing the world to a theater: All the world’s a stage And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. (2.7.138–42)
He then proceeds to enumerate and analyze these ages.
The Christians in Venice taunt Shylock about his daughter’s elopement: SHYLOCK. She is damned for it. SALARINO. That’s certain, if the devil may be her judge. SHYLOCK. My own flesh and blood to rebel! SOLANIO. Out upon it, old carrion! Rebels it at these years? SHYLOCK. I say my daughter is my flesh and my blood. SALARINO. There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory, more between your bloods than there is between red wine and Rhenish. (3.1.29–38)
From their first conversation, Lady Macbeth pushes her husband towards murder: MACBETH. My dearest love, Duncan comes here tonight. LADY MACBETH. And when goes hence? MACBETH. Tomorrow, as he purposes. LADY MACBETH. O, never Shall sun that morrow see. (1.5.57–60)
Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources / How to Cite a Play in APA, MLA, or Chicago
You can cite a play as either a live performance or script.
EasyBib has a form to cite a performance that has been viewed live. For instructions on how to cite a live performance, visit this guide on citing Hamilton the musical in MLA, APA, and Chicago .
If you are citing a play found as an entire source, cite it as a book (and use our book citation form ).
STRUCTURES:
(Playwright last name page#)
Works Cited:
Playwright last name, First name. Play Title. Publisher, edition (if applicable), publication year.
Hwang, David Henry. M Butterfly . Plume, 1989.
If you’re merely paraphrasing or discussing a play in general terms, you’re not required to use a page number or other locator. But if you directly quote a play script, you must include a location for the relevant passage. For plays, this often means including a page number(s).
However, some plays use books, chapters, verses, lines, or cantos to distinguish specific parts of a play. The examples below include citations for both a modern play script with a page number and a play by Shakespeare with an act, scene, and line number.
(Since Shakespeare’s works appear in republications, there are two years in the source citations: the original publication year/the republication year).
(Playwright last name, year, p. page#)
(Playwright last name, year, Act#.Scene#.Line#)
References:
Playwright last name, First initials. (Year published). Play Title . Publisher.
Playwright last name, First initial. (Year of republished play). Classic Play Title. (First initials. Last Name, Ed.). Publisher. (Original work published Year)
(Hwang, 1989, p. 22)
Hwang, D. H. (1989). M butterfly . Plume.
(Shakespeare, 1603/2008, 1.4.5)
Shakespeare, W. (2008). Hamlet (S. Greenblatt, Ed.). W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. (Original work published 1603)
Author-Date Format In-text:
(Playwright Last Name Publication Year, page#)
(Playwright Last Name Publication Year, Act#.Scene#.Line#)
Author-Date Format Reference:
Playwright Last Name, First Name. Publication Year. Play Title. City: Publisher.
Playwright last name, First Name. Publication Year. Classic Play Title , edited by First Name Last Name. City: Publisher.
Note Format:
Bibliography Format:
Playwright Last Name, First name. Play Title . City: Publisher, Year.
Classic Play Title . Edited by First Name Last Name. Edition Details. City: Publisher, Year.
Author-Date:
(Hwang 1989, 22)
(Shakespeare 1603, 1.4.5)
Hwang, David Henry. 1989. M Butterfly . New York: Plume.
Shakespeare, William. 2004. Hamlet, edited by Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House.
Bibliography:
Hwang, David Henry. M Butterfly . New York: Plume, 1989.
Hamlet . Edited by Harold Bloom. Major Literary Characters, 1st ser. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2004.
Updated July 10, 2022.
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
Let us improve this post!
Tell us how we can improve this post?
Citation Basics
Harvard Referencing
Plagiarism Basics
Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.
Get Started
Transcription Service for Your Academic Paper
Start Transcription now
Editing & Proofreading for Your Research Paper
Get it proofread now
Online Printing & Binding with Free Express Delivery
Configure binding now
Transcription Service for Your Paper
Printing & Binding with 3D Live Preview
How do you like this article cancel reply.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
In academic writing , proper citation practices are essential to acknowledge the intellectual contributions of authors and to uphold the integrity of scholarly discourse. For scholars, students, and writers engaged in the study of drama and theater, understanding how to cite a play in MLA format is important. This guide delves into the intricacies of citing plays in MLA, providing a step-by-step elucidation of the citation process for various play types, including classic and contemporary works.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
An MLA parenthetical citation for a play with numbered lines should include the play’s title, author, act number, scene number, and line numbers. Without line numbers, refer to the page the text appears on. Capitalize, punctuate, and indent dialogue as necessary.
An MLA in-text citation includes the author’s last name and page number:
Replace the page number with the act, scene, and line numbers, separated by periods if they’re included in the play:
If the text only employs lines, clarify what the numbers represent by including “lines” before the author’s name or title in the first citation of that piece. Subsequent references to the same play may omit “lines.”
In articles focusing on many works by a single playwright, italicize the play title instead of the writer’s name in each reference.
The MLA style manual suggests using abbreviations after the initial reference to avoid repeating play titles throughout your dissertation . If your study is on Shakespeare, you can utilize commonly accepted acronyms for play titles.
When quoting several dialogue lines from a play or film:
Printing Your Thesis With BachelorPrint
Configure your binding now!
to the print shop
The Works Cited section contains the citation information used in the text. The citation format depends on whether it was published as a book, an anthology, or a live performance.
If the play is published as a book, the citation format is identical to the standard MLA format.
Author last name, First name. . Publisher, Year. |
Vin, Brian. Translations. , 1983. |
(Vin 57) |
Put a period after the play’s title if published in a collection or anthology, and then give the complete details of the sourcebook.
Author last name, First name. . , edited by Editor first name Last name, Publisher, Year, Page range. |
Austen, Jane. . T , edited by Success Oceo et al., 2nd ed., Marvel UP, 1995, pp. 2503–2568. |
(Austen 1.2.20) |
If there is no editor listed, simply remove this section and proceed as illustrated above.
To reference a live performance of a play, provide the date and location of the performance. Include the theater company as well.
Author last name, First name. . Directed by Director first name, Last name, Publisher, Day Month Year, Theater Name, City. Performance. |
Smith, Ethan, et al. . Directed by Casey Jason and Ethan Smith, 20 Feb. 2019, Prince Edward Theatre, London. |
(Smith et al.) |
MLA style ensures that your reader knows the play being cited. Italicize the work’s title with the page number or scene, act , and lines and only use the full title in the initial citation.
Use a shortened version of the work’s title when a source’s author is unknown. If the work is short, enclose the title in quotation marks ; if longer, italicize the title and include the page number.
Quotes longer than four prose lines or three verse lines should be placed in a separate block of text without quotation marks. Begin the quotation on a new line, double-spacing throughout and indenting it by 1/2 inch from the left margin.
Bachelor Print is the most amazing company ever to print or bind academic work...
We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential, while others help us to improve this website and your experience.
Individual Privacy Preferences
Cookie Details Privacy Policy Imprint
Here you will find an overview of all cookies used. You can give your consent to whole categories or display further information and select certain cookies.
Accept all Save
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Show Cookie Information Hide Cookie Information
Name | |
---|---|
Anbieter | Eigentümer dieser Website, |
Zweck | Speichert die Einstellungen der Besucher, die in der Cookie Box von Borlabs Cookie ausgewählt wurden. |
Cookie Name | borlabs-cookie |
Cookie Laufzeit | 1 Jahr |
Name | |
---|---|
Anbieter | Bachelorprint |
Zweck | Erkennt das Herkunftsland und leitet zur entsprechenden Sprachversion um. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | ip-api.com |
Cookie Name | georedirect |
Cookie Laufzeit | 1 Jahr |
Name | |
---|---|
Anbieter | Playcanvas |
Zweck | Display our 3D product animations |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | playcanv.as, playcanvas.as, playcanvas.com |
Cookie Laufzeit | 1 Jahr |
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.
Akzeptieren | |
---|---|
Name | |
Anbieter | Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland |
Zweck | Cookie von Google zur Steuerung der erweiterten Script- und Ereignisbehandlung. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Cookie Name | _ga,_gat,_gid |
Cookie Laufzeit | 2 Jahre |
Content from video platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If External Media cookies are accepted, access to those contents no longer requires manual consent.
Akzeptieren | |
---|---|
Name | |
Anbieter | Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland |
Zweck | Wird verwendet, um Facebook-Inhalte zu entsperren. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | .facebook.com |
Akzeptieren | |
---|---|
Name | |
Anbieter | Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland |
Zweck | Wird zum Entsperren von Google Maps-Inhalten verwendet. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | .google.com |
Cookie Name | NID |
Cookie Laufzeit | 6 Monate |
Akzeptieren | |
---|---|
Name | |
Anbieter | Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland |
Zweck | Wird verwendet, um Instagram-Inhalte zu entsperren. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | .instagram.com |
Cookie Name | pigeon_state |
Cookie Laufzeit | Sitzung |
Akzeptieren | |
---|---|
Name | |
Anbieter | Openstreetmap Foundation, St John’s Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS, United Kingdom |
Zweck | Wird verwendet, um OpenStreetMap-Inhalte zu entsperren. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | .openstreetmap.org |
Cookie Name | _osm_location, _osm_session, _osm_totp_token, _osm_welcome, _pk_id., _pk_ref., _pk_ses., qos_token |
Cookie Laufzeit | 1-10 Jahre |
Akzeptieren | |
---|---|
Name | |
Anbieter | Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland |
Zweck | Wird verwendet, um Twitter-Inhalte zu entsperren. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | .twimg.com, .twitter.com |
Cookie Name | __widgetsettings, local_storage_support_test |
Cookie Laufzeit | Unbegrenzt |
Akzeptieren | |
---|---|
Name | |
Anbieter | Vimeo Inc., 555 West 18th Street, New York, New York 10011, USA |
Zweck | Wird verwendet, um Vimeo-Inhalte zu entsperren. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | player.vimeo.com |
Cookie Name | vuid |
Cookie Laufzeit | 2 Jahre |
Akzeptieren | |
---|---|
Name | |
Anbieter | Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland |
Zweck | Wird verwendet, um YouTube-Inhalte zu entsperren. |
Datenschutzerklärung | |
Host(s) | google.com |
Cookie Name | NID |
Cookie Laufzeit | 6 Monate |
Privacy Policy Imprint
When you refer to lines from a play in-text, you need to cite these lines according to MLA. There are several ways to do in-text citations for plays. Depending on what information you have about your play will determine how you do your citations.
Format: Author. Title of Play in Italics . Title of Textbook, edited by Editor Name, edition, vol. #, Publisher, Year, Page Numbers.
Example: Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature , edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Valerie Smith, 3rd ed. vol. 2, W.W. Norton and Company, 2014, pp. 470-532.
*Note: this citation should be used if you find your play in a book where the play is the entire book
Format: Author. Title of Play in Italics. Edition, Publisher, Year. Database Name in Italics (if electronic), URL.
Example: Sophocles. Antigone. Translated by David Mulroy, University of Wisconsin Press, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central, ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/sccsc/detail.action?docID=3445283.
How you cite in-text depends on whether you are using line numbers or page numbers.
Example: (Hansberry, 4.5. lines 171-9)
*Note: If the text of your play includes line numbers on the side of the page, then replace the page number with the act, scene, and line numbers.
*Notes: Once you establish you are using line numbers for your in-text citations, you no longer need to use the word "line" in your parenthetical citation.
*Note: If you have used the author's name or the play's title in the signal phrase before introducing a quote, you do not need to include it in your in-text citation.
Example : (Wilson 200)
*Note: If lines in your play are not numbered, you can use the page number in your citation.
Giles Campus | 864.592.4764 | Toll Free 866.542.2779 | Contact Us
Copyright © 2024 Spartanburg Community College. All rights reserved.
Info for Library Staff | Guide Search
Return to SCC Website
Cite the playwright first, then the play title in quotes. If you cite more than one play from the same collection, create a citation for each play.
Use the anthology format, but omit the editor.
Some long plays are published as a single book . Cite these like a regular book.
After the publication year, include the database in italics and then the permanent link to the book.
After the play title in italics, list the playwright, director, performance date, theater, location, and description.
Begin with the film's title unless you cite the contribution of a particular individual. If so, start with the individual's name.
If citing individual contributors of the performance, start with that person's last name.
After the publication year, list the database in italics and permanent link or the Web site title, Web site URL, and date accessed.
Abbreviate the title of a work if you cite it frequently in your paper. Use the full title when first mentioned in your text with the abbreviation in parentheses, then use the a bbreviation in l ater references to the title . Cite the line numbers.
ex. In All's Well That Ends Well (AWW), Helena believes she is the master of her own fate, saying "Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, / Which we ascribe to heaven" ( AWW , 1.1.199-200).
See the document below for commonly-used Shakespearean play abbreviations.
I can bet that at least once in your entire life in school you have asked the question, “how to quote a play?” Yes, it is a perfectly normal academic question that students worldwide have been asking with no solution in sight. Well, that is at least until we came along to offer online help in formatting papers written with the help of information gathered from plays. However, first, you have to learn what a play is and how they are developed.
A play is a very informative piece of literature, customarily shown on television or in a theatre, on stage. Sometimes plays are broadcast over the radio and often involve conversations between two or more people thus the need to learn how to quote a play MLA. Most people agree with the fact that to fully appreciate the theme of any play it is better to watch it rather than read it. Students and institutions of learning have taken to using plays, more so the information they possess in the course of their studies.
Information is an important element in any written assignment such as a research paper. Students can learn how to quote plays from our website with ease. Therefore, students can learn how to properly acknowledge the various elements that culminate to the production and distribution of such rich sources of information.
Now you fully enjoy the benefits of theatre in your writing by quoting a play and recognize the various aspects that culminate in their production. The people featured in a play are the actors; these actors perform their craft on a stage for people to watch. The people who are watching the play are the audience, for whom the play is written. The director helps the actors of the play too follow a pre-written script and, by definition, direct the actors’ moves and actions in the play.
Each play provides interesting and informative themes to students who can learn how to cite a play in an essay. However, the understanding and interpretation of the play are at the mercy of the audience, the directors and actors play their part to inspire and inform them as best as they can. Also, the directors can give new life to old or forgotten plays to allow them to reach many more audiences with the message in every line of their plays.
Very good examples of such plays include Shakespeare’s plays which were written a long time ago but are still being used today. Students can learn how to quote lines from a play using some of the samples of Shakespeare’s earlier plays from our website, absolutely free.
The question as always been, “can lessons delivered through the use of plays assist lecturers to meet goals and objectives established in formal education?” Shakespeare’s plays have often been reproduced using current technology; however, the original message remains somewhat the same for use with MLA in text citation play. The play writers and directors often have control of the delivery and genre of the plays.
Thus, you realize the need to pick up skills on how to cite lines from a play. Naturally, scholars are expected to give credit to the producers of any, and all, plays they use in their research when working on their assignments thus the need to seek for our help on how to quote a play in an essay.
There are different types of plays that students can learn how to quote from a play in their papers. These differences arise from changes to the presentation and delivery of the play; each of which can be used by students of all disciplines. Here are the seven notable types of themes most commonly used by students when quoting plays in their written assignments and research papers;
If you visit our website, you can learn how to cite lines from a play MLA using our database of comprehensive templates and samples that can be used to correctly quote plays by formatting the citations and works cited entries.
When trying to learn how to cite quotes from a play in an essay particularly from a published play, the format is basically the same as that of a book as is evident with the templates provided on our website. Also, you should note that an in-text play citation is derived from a corresponding works cited entry. When you want to learn how to quote a play in an essay example are provided for you to follow through and edit them yourself.
The agreed-upon format for MLA quoting a play, the in-text citation would have the writer of the poem’s last name and the page number. The bibliography entry for a play in MLA style of writing should include (in that order);
The lessons learned from plays has greatly helped students get better in their studies and also helped educators to deliver valuable lessons and assignments to the scholars through various plays. Students have come a long way in their pursuit of knowledge of how to cite a line from a play from various online websites. However, when you study how to quote plays MLA with the help of our samples and templates online you will be on the right track to formatting your play citations and references all on your own.
The idea that there is educational, student-oriented content in plays drove most, if not all, institutions of learning worldwide to incorporate them into the learning processes. However, there are only a handful of companies offering useful and comprehensive guides on how to cite quotes from a play online. We are among the few companies providing free unlimited access online citation generators for students in addition to the samples and templates available on our home page.
You should trust in our ability to pass on the knowledge we have on how to quote a play in a paper for any style of writing. We offer to format your APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard citations and bibliography entries. Therefore, to get assistance with quoting a play MLA do not hesitate to seek our help. We are here for your continued academic progression.
Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
Q&A for work
Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.
I've gone through several different resources that appeared in the Google search bar when I asked this question, but the sources give different answers to this question:
When referencing a play name in an MLA-formatted essay, should I underline it, put it in quotes, or italicize it?
I have a final draft of an essay due in a few days, but I can't figure out which one I should use. Most sources point to underlining or italicizing; not quotes. However, that's still two different answers I'm receiving. If any of you know for sure what is expected in an MLA paper, your response is greatly appreciated.
Edit : The most reliable and sensible answer I found so far mentioned that back in the age of typewriters, it was underlined, but nowadays it is italicized. If any of you can confirm this notion, please feel free to do so.
Italicized:
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet . Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square-Pocket, 1992.
I just searched for examples. I found this site: http://www.mystfx.ca/resources/writingcentre/MLA_Citing%20Sources.pdf , and I used that info. I think that most scripts of plays are republished in books or collections (which are books). You can always add more info after the date, in parentheses, if you think it's useful. I would probably add "play" at the end, so I could jump to it using a find feature in a text editor. The safer bet would be to add the info at the end, but my preference would be to add it after the title. I doubt I would receive any complaints, either way.
Also, most of the names of works in the works cited section are italicized, articles and sections being the big exception. I also remember finding some works-cited example pages at .edu websites doing a keyword search for +hamlet site: .edu or something similar. I found a site that told how to cite a "live play" .
This is a quote from that site:
Hamlet . By William Shakespeare. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacoby, and Julia Christie. The Globe Theatre, London. 27 Dec. 1991. Performance.
I agree with Wolfpack. For future reference, the general rule is that if the work comes in multiple parts, (chapters, acts, scenes... whatever) then the title is italicized. If it comes in only one part (short story, article, etc.) then it gets quotation marks. Of course, there are articles that have multiple parts, and plays that have only one scene, so it's not an absolute rule.
Maybe better to say that if the form of literature, in its most typical form, has more than one part, then italics.
Might also be better to say long gets italics, short gets quotations, but apparently somebody wanted to make the rule a little more complicated than that!
Reminder: Answers generated by artificial intelligence tools are not allowed on Writing Stack Exchange. Learn more
Post as a guest.
Required, but never shown
By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy .
Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts
This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.
Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.
Guidelines for referring to the works of others in your text using MLA style are covered throughout the MLA Handbook and in chapter 7 of the MLA Style Manual . Both books provide extensive examples, so it's a good idea to consult them if you want to become even more familiar with MLA guidelines or if you have a particular reference question.
In MLA Style, referring to the works of others in your text is done using parenthetical citations . This method involves providing relevant source information in parentheses whenever a sentence uses a quotation or paraphrase. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to put all of the source information in parentheses at the end of the sentence (i.e., just before the period). However, as the examples below will illustrate, there are situations where it makes sense to put the parenthetical elsewhere in the sentence, or even to leave information out.
General Guidelines
MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:
Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads . Oxford UP, 1967.
For print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.
These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry on the Works Cited page:
Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method . University of California Press, 1966.
When a source has a corporate author, it is acceptable to use the name of the corporation followed by the page number for the in-text citation. You should also use abbreviations (e.g., nat'l for national) where appropriate, so as to avoid interrupting the flow of reading with overly long parenthetical citations.
If a source uses a labeling or numbering system other than page numbers, such as a script or poetry, precede the citation with said label. When citing a poem, for instance, the parenthetical would begin with the word “line”, and then the line number or range. For example, the examination of William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” would be cited as such:
The speaker makes an ardent call for the exploration of the connection between the violence of nature and the divinity of creation. “In what distant deeps or skies. / Burnt the fire of thine eyes," they ask in reference to the tiger as they attempt to reconcile their intimidation with their relationship to creationism (lines 5-6).
Longer labels, such as chapters (ch.) and scenes (sc.), should be abbreviated.
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name, following these guidelines.
Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (such as an article) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire Web sites) and provide a page number if it is available.
Titles longer than a standard noun phrase should be shortened into a noun phrase by excluding articles. For example, To the Lighthouse would be shortened to Lighthouse .
If the title cannot be easily shortened into a noun phrase, the title should be cut after the first clause, phrase, or punctuation:
In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title appears in the parenthetical citation, and the full title of the article appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry on the Works Cited page. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:
"The Impact of Global Warming in North America." Global Warming: Early Signs . 1999. www.climatehotmap.org/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2009.
If the title of the work begins with a quotation mark, such as a title that refers to another work, that quote or quoted title can be used as the shortened title. The single quotation marks must be included in the parenthetical, rather than the double quotation.
Parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages, used in conjunction, allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.
Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work, like Marx and Engels's The Communist Manifesto . In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:
When you cite a work that appears inside a larger source (for instance, an article in a periodical or an essay in a collection), cite the author of the internal source (i.e., the article or essay). For example, to cite Albert Einstein's article "A Brief Outline of the Theory of Relativity," which was published in Nature in 1921, you might write something like this:
See also our page on documenting periodicals in the Works Cited .
Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:
For a source with two authors, list the authors’ last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:
Corresponding Works Cited entry:
Best, David, and Sharon Marcus. “Surface Reading: An Introduction.” Representations , vol. 108, no. 1, Fall 2009, pp. 1-21. JSTOR, doi:10.1525/rep.2009.108.1.1
For a source with three or more authors, list only the first author’s last name, and replace the additional names with et al.
Franck, Caroline, et al. “Agricultural Subsidies and the American Obesity Epidemic.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine , vol. 45, no. 3, Sept. 2013, pp. 327-333.
If you cite more than one work by an author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others. Put short titles of books in italics and short titles of articles in quotation marks.
Citing two articles by the same author :
Citing two books by the same author :
Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, and, when appropriate, the page number(s):
If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)
In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter, and verse. For example:
If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation:
John of Patmos echoes this passage when describing his vision (Rev. 4.6-8).
Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited within another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:
Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.
Sources that take the form of a dialogue involving two or more participants have special guidelines for their quotation and citation. Each line of dialogue should begin with the speaker's name written in all capitals and indented half an inch. A period follows the name (e.g., JAMES.) . After the period, write the dialogue. Each successive line after the first should receive an additional indentation. When another person begins speaking, start a new line with that person's name indented only half an inch. Repeat this pattern each time the speaker changes. You can include stage directions in the quote if they appear in the original source.
Conclude with a parenthetical that explains where to find the excerpt in the source. Usually, the author and title of the source can be given in a signal phrase before quoting the excerpt, so the concluding parenthetical will often just contain location information like page numbers or act/scene indicators.
Here is an example from O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh.
WILLIE. (Pleadingly) Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.
ROCKY. Den grab it. It's right under your nose.
WILLIE. (Avidly) Thanks. (He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows.) (1.1)
With more and more scholarly work published on the Internet, you may have to cite sources you found in digital environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's Evaluating Sources of Information resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source on your Works Cited page.
Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers. However, these sorts of entries often do not require a page number in the parenthetical citation. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:
Two types of non-print sources you may encounter are films and lectures/presentations:
In the two examples above “Herzog” (a film’s director) and “Yates” (a presentor) lead the reader to the first item in each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:
Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo . Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982.
Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Address.
Electronic sources may include web pages and online news or magazine articles:
In the first example (an online magazine article), the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below).
In the second example (a web page), a parenthetical citation is not necessary because the page does not list an author, and the title of the article, “MLA Formatting and Style Guide,” is used as a signal phrase within the sentence. If the title of the article was not named in the sentence, an abbreviated version would appear in a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:
Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant , 13 Jun. 2003, www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009.
"MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL , 2 Aug. 2016, owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/. Accessed 2 April 2018.
To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:
When creating in-text citations for media that has a runtime, such as a movie or podcast, include the range of hours, minutes and seconds you plan to reference. For example: (00:02:15-00:02:35).
Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations, or common knowledge (For example, it is expected that U.S. citizens know that George Washington was the first President.). Remember that citing sources is a rhetorical task, and, as such, can vary based on your audience. If you’re writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, you may need to deal with expectations of what constitutes “common knowledge” that differ from common norms.
The MLA Handbook describes how to cite many different kinds of authors and content creators. However, you may occasionally encounter a source or author category that the handbook does not describe, making the best way to proceed can be unclear.
In these cases, it's typically acceptable to apply the general principles of MLA citation to the new kind of source in a way that's consistent and sensible. A good way to do this is to simply use the standard MLA directions for a type of source that resembles the source you want to cite.
You may also want to investigate whether a third-party organization has provided directions for how to cite this kind of source. For example, Norquest College provides guidelines for citing Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers —an author category that does not appear in the MLA Handbook . In cases like this, however, it's a good idea to ask your instructor or supervisor whether using third-party citation guidelines might present problems.
http://Image: Indoor Panorama from Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London, 2001
In-text citations.
Citing in-text from a play (short quotation)
If the quote is only one line place quotation marks around the quote then in paraphrases include the author's last name, act.scene.line. If the play is not divided into acts, scenes and lines then cite the page number in the paraphrases.
Example: "This is a sorry sight" (Shakespeare 2.2.26).
If the quote is two or three lines then place a forward slash between each line.
Example: "Come, you spirits / That tend on my mortal thoughts, unsex me here" (Shakespeare 1.5.46).
Citing in-text from a play (long quotation)
When quoting a conversation between two or more characters in a play, indent 1/2 an inch from the left margin then begin with the character's name in all capital letters and follow the name with a period. Do the same for each character.
Example: HE. You saw nothing in Hiroshima. Nothing.....
SHE. I saw everything. Everything.. The hospital, for
instance, I saw it. I'm sure I did. There is a hospital
in Hiroshima. How could I help seeing it?....
HE: You did not see the hospital in Hiroshima. You saw
nothing in Hiroshima. (Dura 15-17)
Citing Prose Plays vs Verse Plays
When citing prose plays, use the page number first, followed by a semicolon and then other identifying information (e.g. Miller 9; Act 1). When citing verse plays with line numbers provided, use those instead of page numbers, separating division numbers with a period.
Citing a play published as a book
When citing a play in a bibliography first place the playwrights last name then first, the title of the play should be italics, then add the publisher and publication year.
Example: Shakespeare, William. Macbeth , Bedford/St. Martins, 1999.
Citing a play in an anthology
When citing a play from an anthology first cite the playwright, name of the play in italics, the name of the anthology also in italics , who the anthology was edited by then the publisher, publication year and page numbers.
Example:
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works , edited by _____ Stanley Well et al., Oxford University Press, 1998, pp. 2501-2565.
The et al. is included when three or more contributors perform the same function.
Citing a play from a database
When citing from a database use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, the name of the publisher, the publication year, the name of the database in italics and then the link to the database.
Example:
Shakespeare, William, et al. Macbeth . Yale University Press, 2005. JSTOR , www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1nq91p.
Citing a play published as an eBook
When citing as an eBook use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, then put the word "e-book" or if you have used a specific device then replace "e-book" with "[App/Service] ed.". Then use with the name of the publisher, the publication year.
Example: Shakespeare, William. The Winter's Tale , Kindle ed., Simon & Schuster, 2016.
Citing a play from web site
When citing as a play use the author's last and first name, the title of the play in italics, the name of the website in italics and web site link.
Example: Shakespeare, William. As You Like It , The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, ______________ http://shakespeare.mit.edu/asyoulikeit/index.html
Modern Language Association of America. MLA Handbook. Eighth ed. 2016. Print.
" MLA Works Cited : Electronic Sources (Web Publications)." Purdue Writing Lab, https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.html
Citing prose vs verse plays is from this library guide: https://rdc.libguides.com/c.php?g=529924&p=3624428
Research guides.
Visit the Purdue Owl
All you need to know about citations
To cite a play in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:
Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a play in APA style 6th edition:
Author(s) of the play . ( Year of publication ). Title of the play . Place of publication : Publisher .
To cite a play in a reference entry in APA style 7th edition include the following elements:
Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a play in APA style 7th edition:
Author(s) of the play . ( Year of publication ). Title of the play . Publisher .
Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a play citation in action:
A play with one author
Williams, T . ( 2009 ). Cat on a hot tin roof . London, England : Penguin Classics .
Williams, T . ( 2009 ). Cat on a hot tin roof . Penguin Classics .
A play with two authors
Manoussi, J., & Timmory, G . ( 1902 ). Un beau marriage . Paris, France : Librairie Théâtrale .
A book with two authors
Manoussi, J., & Timmory, G . ( 1902 ). Un beau marriage . Librairie Théâtrale .
APA-style in-text citations for plays follow the standard author-date format used for other mediums like books.
In practice, using one of the examples of plays from above, an in-text citation will look like this:
Similar to his other works, Cat on a hot tin roof explores the theme of the broken man (Williams, 2009) .
When citing plays, you can expand on the in-text citation by adding the act, scene, and line number at the end of the citation. Take a look at this example:
In-text citation of a play including act, scene and line numbers
This passage of Hamlet is essential to establishing the resolve in Gertrude's character (Shakespeare, trans. 1992, 1.2.70-72 ).
This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).
Automatic citations in seconds
Alternative to.
The block quote is used for direct quotations that are longer than four lines of prose, or longer than three lines of poetry. A block quote is always used when quoting dialogue between characters, as in a play.
The block format is a freestanding quote that does not include quotation marks. Introduce the block quote with a colon (unless the context of your quote requires different punctuation) and start it on a new line. Indent the entire quote 1-inch from the left margin and double-space it (even if the rest of your paper is not double-spaced). Include the page number at the end of your block quote outside of the ending period. Also include the author's last name, date of publication, and page number(s)/paragraph number.
If you quote a single paragraph (or just part of one), do not indent the first line of the block quote more than the rest:
It is not until near the end of The Hound of the Baskervilles that the hound itself is actually seen:
A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen. Fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering flame. Never in the delirious dream of a disordered brain could anything more savage, more appalling, more hellish be conceived than that dark form and savage face which broke upon us out of the wall of fog. (Doyle 82)
If you quote two or more paragraphs, indent the first line of each paragraph an additional ¼ inch. However, if the first sentence quoted does not begin a paragraph in the source, do not indent it the additional amount, only indent the subsequent paragraphs. Here is an example where the first sentence is the beginning of a paragraph:
In the aftermath of the hound sighting, Sherlock Holmes keeps his cool:
Sir Henry lay insensible where he had fallen. We tore away his collar, and Holmes breathed a prayer of gratitude when we saw that there was no sign of a wound and that the rescue had been in time. Already our friend's eyelids shivered and he made a feeble effort to move. Lestrade thrust his brandy-flask between the baronet's teeth, and two frightened eyes were looking up at us.
"My God!" he whispered. "What was it? What, in heaven's name, was it?"
"It's dead, whatever it is," said Holmes. (Doyle 82)
Just as for prose, poetry block quotations (3+ lines) should begin on a new line. Unless the quotation involves unusual spacing, format it as you would prose: indent each line one-inch from margin and double-space the lines. Do not add any quotation marks that do not appear in the source:
Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem “To John Oliver Killens in 1975” addresses another African American writer of the day:
look at our mercy, the massiveness that it is not.
look at our “unity,” look at our
“black solidarity.”
Dim, dull, and dainty. (1-5)
A line of poetry in a block quote that is too long to fit within the right margin of the page should be continued on the next line and indented an additional ¼ inch:
Allen Ginsberg’s famous poem “Howl” begins:
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo
in the machinery of night, (9)
When quoting dialogue from a play, begin each part with the appropriate character’s name indented 1-inch from the left margin and written in all capital letters followed by a period. Then, start the quotation and indent all subsequent lines an additional ¼ inch. In the parenthetical reference at the end of the quote, include the act, scene, and line(s) of your quote, instead of the page number(s):
At the beginning of Shakespeare’s The Tempest , chaos erupts on a ship at sea before the cast of characters ends up on Prospero’s island:
MARINERS. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!
BOATSWAIN. What, must our mouths be cold?
GONZALO. The king and prince at prayers! let’s assist them,
For our case is as theirs.
SEBASTIAN. I’m out of patience.
ANTONIO. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards:
This wide-chapp’d rascal,—would thou mightst lie drowning
The washing of ten tides!
GONZALO. He’ll be hang’d yet,
Though every drop of water swear against it,
And gape at widest to glut him.
A confused noise within: “Mercy on us!”—“We split, we
split!”—“Farewell my wife and children!”—“Farewell,
brother!”—“We split, we split, we split!” (1.5.3-14)
Last Updated: April 11, 2024 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Annaliese Dunne and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Annaliese Dunne is a Middle School English Teacher. With over 10 years of teaching experience, her areas of expertise include writing and grammar instruction, as well as teaching reading comprehension. She is also an experienced freelance writer. She received her Bachelor's degree in English. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 51,772 times.
When writing a research paper or other report, you may find that you want to quote directly from a source. The Modern Language Association (MLA) has specific formatting guidelines for including direct quotes in your work. These guidelines differ depending on the length of the quoted material. Additional rules apply if you want to change or omit words from the quoted material so it flows well with your own writing. [1] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
Tip: The length of a quote refers to the length as typed in your paper, not the length as printed in the original source.
Tip: If you're using Microsoft Word, type the entire blockquote into your paper, starting on a new line. Then highlight the entire quote and press the tab key once to indent it correctly.
Tip: If you have to make too many changes to the source text, it may look cluttered and will negatively affect readability. Consider recasting your sentence or only quoting snippets of the source text, rather than using the full sentence.
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Annaliese Dunne .
Don’t miss out! Sign up for
wikiHow’s newsletter
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
Published on April 15, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Jack Caulfield. Revised on May 31, 2023.
Quoting means copying a passage of someone else’s words and crediting the source. To quote a source, you must ensure:
The exact format of a quote depends on its length and on which citation style you are using. Quoting and citing correctly is essential to avoid plagiarism which is easy to detect with a good plagiarism checker .
How to cite a quote in apa, mla and chicago, introducing quotes, quotes within quotes, shortening or altering a quote, block quotes, when should i use quotes, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about quoting sources.
Every time you quote, you must cite the source correctly . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style you’re using. Three of the most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
To cite a direct quote in APA , you must include the author’s last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas . If the quote appears on a single page, use “p.”; if it spans a page range, use “pp.”
An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative. In a parenthetical citation , you place all the information in parentheses after the quote. In a narrative citation , you name the author in your sentence (followed by the year), and place the page number after the quote.
Punctuation marks such as periods and commas are placed after the citation, not within the quotation marks .
Citing a quote in mla style.
An MLA in-text citation includes only the author’s last name and a page number. As in APA, it can be parenthetical or narrative, and a period (or other punctuation mark) appears after the citation.
Citing a quote in chicago style.
Chicago style uses Chicago footnotes to cite sources. A note, indicated by a superscript number placed directly after the quote, specifies the author, title, and page number—or sometimes fuller information .
Unlike with parenthetical citations, in this style, the period or other punctuation mark should appear within the quotation marks, followed by the footnote number.
, 510. |
Complete guide to Chicago style
Make sure you integrate quotes properly into your text by introducing them in your own words, showing the reader why you’re including the quote and providing any context necessary to understand it. Don’t present quotations as stand-alone sentences.
There are three main strategies you can use to introduce quotes in a grammatically correct way:
The following examples use APA Style citations, but these strategies can be used in all styles.
Introduce the quote with a full sentence ending in a colon . Don’t use a colon if the text before the quote isn’t a full sentence.
If you name the author in your sentence, you may use present-tense verbs , such as “states,” “argues,” “explains,” “writes,” or “reports,” to describe the content of the quote.
You can also use a signal phrase that mentions the author or source, but doesn’t form a full sentence. In this case, you follow the phrase with a comma instead of a colon.
To quote a phrase that doesn’t form a full sentence, you can also integrate it as part of your sentence, without any extra punctuation .
When you quote text that itself contains another quote, this is called a nested quotation or a quote within a quote. It may occur, for example, when quoting dialogue from a novel.
To distinguish this quote from the surrounding quote, you enclose it in single (instead of double) quotation marks (even if this involves changing the punctuation from the original text). Make sure to close both sets of quotation marks at the appropriate moments.
Note that if you only quote the nested quotation itself, and not the surrounding text, you can just use double quotation marks.
Note: When the quoted text in the source comes from another source, it’s best to just find that original source in order to quote it directly. If you can’t find the original source, you can instead cite it indirectly .
Often, incorporating a quote smoothly into your text requires you to make some changes to the original text. It’s fine to do this, as long as you clearly mark the changes you’ve made to the quote.
If some parts of a passage are redundant or irrelevant, you can shorten the quote by removing words, phrases, or sentences and replacing them with an ellipsis (…). Put a space before and after the ellipsis.
Be careful that removing the words doesn’t change the meaning. The ellipsis indicates that some text has been removed, but the shortened quote should still accurately represent the author’s point.
You can add or replace words in a quote when necessary. This might be because the original text doesn’t fit grammatically with your sentence (e.g., it’s in a different verb tense), or because extra information is needed to clarify the quote’s meaning.
Use brackets to distinguish words that you have added from words that were present in the original text.
The Latin term “ sic ” is used to indicate a (factual or grammatical) mistake in a quotation. It shows the reader that the mistake is from the quoted material, not a typo of your own.
In some cases, it can be useful to italicize part of a quotation to add emphasis, showing the reader that this is the key part to pay attention to. Use the phrase “emphasis added” to show that the italics were not part of the original text.
You usually don’t need to use brackets to indicate minor changes to punctuation or capitalization made to ensure the quote fits the style of your text.
The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students. Free citation check included.
Try for free
If you quote more than a few lines from a source, you must format it as a block quote . Instead of using quotation marks, you set the quote on a new line and indent it so that it forms a separate block of text.
Block quotes are cited just like regular quotes, except that if the quote ends with a period, the citation appears after the period.
To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more. (16)
Avoid relying too heavily on quotes in academic writing . To integrate a source , it’s often best to paraphrase , which means putting the passage in your own words. This helps you integrate information smoothly and keeps your own voice dominant.
However, there are some situations in which quoting is more appropriate.
If you want to comment on how the author uses language (for example, in literary analysis ), it’s necessary to quote so that the reader can see the exact passage you are referring to.
To convince the reader of your argument, interpretation or position on a topic, it’s often helpful to include quotes that support your point. Quotes from primary sources (for example, interview transcripts or historical documents) are especially credible as evidence.
When you’re referring to secondary sources such as scholarly books and journal articles, try to put others’ ideas in your own words when possible.
But if a passage does a great job at expressing, explaining, or defining something, and it would be very difficult to paraphrase without changing the meaning or losing the weakening the idea’s impact, it’s worth quoting directly.
If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Plagiarism
A quote is an exact copy of someone else’s words, usually enclosed in quotation marks and credited to the original author or speaker.
In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:
Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarize .
Every time you quote a source , you must include a correctly formatted in-text citation . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style .
For example, a direct quote in APA is cited like this: “This is a quote” (Streefkerk, 2020, p. 5).
Every in-text citation should also correspond to a full reference at the end of your paper.
A block quote is a long quote formatted as a separate “block” of text. Instead of using quotation marks , you place the quote on a new line, and indent the entire quote to mark it apart from your own words.
The rules for when to apply block quote formatting depend on the citation style:
If you’re quoting from a text that paraphrases or summarizes other sources and cites them in parentheses , APA and Chicago both recommend retaining the citations as part of the quote. However, MLA recommends omitting citations within a quote:
Footnote or endnote numbers that appear within quoted text should be omitted in all styles.
If you want to cite an indirect source (one you’ve only seen quoted in another source), either locate the original source or use the phrase “as cited in” in your citation.
In scientific subjects, the information itself is more important than how it was expressed, so quoting should generally be kept to a minimum. In the arts and humanities, however, well-chosen quotes are often essential to a good paper.
In social sciences, it varies. If your research is mainly quantitative , you won’t include many quotes, but if it’s more qualitative , you may need to quote from the data you collected .
As a general guideline, quotes should take up no more than 5–10% of your paper. If in doubt, check with your instructor or supervisor how much quoting is appropriate in your field.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. & Caulfield, J. (2023, May 31). How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago. Scribbr. Retrieved September 6, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/how-to-quote/
Other students also liked, how to block quote | length, format and examples, how to paraphrase | step-by-step guide & examples, how to avoid plagiarism | tips on citing sources, get unlimited documents corrected.
✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts
Verify originality of an essay
Get ideas for your paper
Cite sources with ease
Updated 03 Sep 2024
Quotations are phrases or short passages borrowed from texts or speeches of other authors. Oftentimes, these are famous remarks of various celebrities, either from the present or from humanity’s distant past, and they play a crucial role in academic writing. Most famous quotes are highly valuable since they represent concentrated pieces of wisdom, knowledge, life experience, and wit, all of which can be magnified by the circumstances in which these have been made or by the life and contribution of people they belong to. This explains why they represent powerful tools in essay writing.
Hence, knowing how to start an essay with a quote is an important skill that allows students to make the best of their written assignments or speeches. This is particularly crucial for students who need to write essays as part of their academic requirements.
When considering how to start with a quote, some tips would undoubtedly prove useful:
When searching for a suitable quote at the beginning of an essay, always prioritize content over authority. In other words, a quote’s quality, contained idea, thought, and message should always be more important than the figure behind it. Besides giving more freedom, this would spare you from the risk of not being original by citing the same famous personalities as everyone else.
Note that it might be often opportune to describe the context in which these quotes were made, i.e., the circumstances that made authors say or write these words. This helps readers better imagine what internal struggles authors faced when formulating them. Describing context should be effective if quotes come from authors who confronted extreme events, phenomena, life circumstances, dilemmas, etc. Describing the context in which quotes were made is an important part of the writing process, as it ensures that the quotes are integrated meaningfully into your essay.
Although searching for quotes might be time-consuming, students should know that there are multiple methods that facilitate this process. Thus, good books contain collections of quotes split into different categories listed alphabetically – this should be efficient for general topics. Alternatively, employ online search engines with carefully formulated queries, which are much more flexible tools. Yet another approach is picking relevant sources directly and looking for a relevant passage.
Our academic assistance service, Edubirdie, helps with finding direct quotations or with any other writing issue experienced by you. Whether you wonder how to write an editorial , research paper, speech, lab report, doing coursework, or how to write about yourself , we handle anything you can imagine – check out with our operators and place your order.
Connect with our top writers and receive a paper sample crafted to your needs.
Integrating quotes into your essay effectively is crucial for maintaining the flow of your writing and ensuring that the quotes enhance your argument rather than disrupt it. Here are key strategies to help you do this seamlessly:
By following these steps, you can ensure that your quotes are effectively integrated, enhancing the quality and persuasiveness of your essay.
Starting an essay with a quote can make a strong impression, and if you’re struggling with your introduction, you might consider paying for essay services to ensure your paper begins powerfully. Also, starting an essay with a quote comes with several advantages and disadvantages, as presented below.
While using quotes can strengthen your essay, certain mistakes can undermine their effectiveness. Here are common pitfalls to avoid:
Avoid these mistakes to ensure that quotes enhance rather than detract from your essay’s effectiveness.
Example 1 – an introductory paragraph for an essay on the environmental “legacy” of current generations “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.” (Paine, The American Crisis, 1776). This quote by our Founding Father Thomas Paine is a constant reminder that this Earth also belongs to our descendants. One implication of these words is that it is our duty to do everything to address current problems if we want our generations to live in a normal world. This is relevant for current environmental problems which represent a civilizational threat.
Example 2 – In an academic paper on self-sufficiency, both humor and depth are employed “The best definition of man is: a being that goes on two legs and is ungrateful” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground, 1864). Seems like human nature is a constant. What if Dostoyevsky had the chance to witness the abundance in our societies as compared to the one he lived in and regardless of this abundance, so much unhappiness and so many ungrateful people.
Summing up your essay effectively is crucial for reinforcing your main arguments and leaving a lasting impression on the reader. In this final section, restate your thesis in light of the evidence you've presented, tying together the key points discussed throughout the essay. This not only reinforces your argument but also demonstrates how your ideas connect.
In your conclusion, avoid introducing new information. Instead, focus on synthesizing the content, providing a final reflection, or suggesting implications for further thought. A well-crafted conclusion should bring closure to your essay while leaving the reader with something to ponder, whether it’s a provocative question, a call to action, or a reflection on the broader significance of your topic.
By carefully summing up your arguments and crafting a thoughtful conclusion, you ensure that your essay resonates with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
Thanks for your feedback.
Content Lead. Writing and plagiarism detection expert with a deep understanding of academic integrity and plagiarism cases.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
How to Cite a Play in MLA Style | Format & Examples
2. Cite the author's name. Note the author's full last name first in the citation. [3] For example, you may write: " (Albee…)" or " (Hansberry…)". 3. Note the title of the play. After the author's last name, put in a comma. Then, write the title of the play you are quoting in italics.
Whenever you quote a play in your essay, MLA style requires you to include an in-text citation showing where the quote came from. For a play, this will include the abbreviated title of the play, and the section of the play in which the quote is found. If you are quoting a single character's dialogue, or stage directions, in your paper, you can ...
Quoting Plays. When you must quote dialogue from a play, adhere to these rules: Set the quotation off from your text. Begin each part of the dialogue with the appropriate character's name. Indent each name half an inch from the left margin and write it in all capital letters. Follow the name with a period and then start the quotation.
Begin each part of the dialogue with the appropriate character's name written in all capital letters. Place a period after the name; then start the quotation. Indent any subsequent lines of the character's speech an extra quarter inch. When the dialogue shifts to a new character, start a new line. Maintain this pattern throughout the quotation.
APA 7 Format. If you're merely paraphrasing or discussing a play in general terms, you're not required to use a page number or other locator. But if you directly quote a play script, you must include a location for the relevant passage. For plays, this often means including a page number (s). However, some plays use books, chapters, verses ...
Definition: How to cite a play in MLA. An MLA parenthetical citation for a play with numbered lines should include the play's title, author, act number, scene number, and line numbers. Without line numbers, refer to the page the text appears on. Capitalize, punctuate, and indent dialogue as necessary. Examples. Banquo: I'll have it done.
In-text citations from plays have different formatting depending on whether the play is written in verse or in prose. When quoting lines of verse, avoid using page numbers and cite by whatever categories you can provide (title of play, act, scene, and line). Make sure to separate the numbers with periods. In the citation, use the title of the ...
Citing a Play in a Book. *Note: this citation should be used if you find your play in a book where the play is the entire book. Format: Author. Title of Play in Italics. Edition, Publisher, Year. Database Name in Italics (if electronic), URL. Example: Sophocles. Antigone.
Play - MLA Style
In terms of how to quote a play in your MLA format essay, use block quotes. When using block quotes for text, indent ½ inch and capitalize the speaker's name. If the dialogue of one speaker runs over onto the second line, you'll give that line a ½ inch indent as well. Take a look at this example for how to cite a quote from a play.
MLA Formatting Quotations - Purdue OWL
The agreed-upon format for MLA quoting a play, the in-text citation would have the writer of the poem's last name and the page number. The bibliography entry for a play in MLA style of writing should include (in that order); The play writer or director's full names. The title of the play. The name of the publisher.
1. I agree with Wolfpack. For future reference, the general rule is that if the work comes in multiple parts, (chapters, acts, scenes... whatever) then the title is italicized. If it comes in only one part (short story, article, etc.) then it gets quotation marks. Of course, there are articles that have multiple parts, and plays that have only ...
MLA Essay Tips: Citing Quotes from Plays Made Easy • Citing Play Quotes: MLA Essay Tips • Learn how to effortlessly cite quotes from plays in your MLA essay....
How to Quote a Play in an Essay • Quoting Plays in Essays • Learn the proper formatting and techniques to quote a play in your essay. Enhance readability and...
MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics - Purdue OWL
Citing - Theater Arts Resources - LibGuides at Duquesne ...
To cite a play in a reference entry in APA style 7th edition include the following elements: Author (s) of the play: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's ...
A block quote is always used when quoting dialogue between characters, as in a play. The block format is a freestanding quote that does not include quotation marks. Introduce the block quote with a colon (unless the context of your quote requires different punctuation) and start it on a new line. Indent the entire quote 1-inch from the left ...
3. Place the page number or range in parentheses after the quote. If you haven't mentioned the author in the text of your paper, include their last name first. Then, type only the page number, or the first page of the range and last page of the range, separated by a hyphen. Place a period outside the closing parenthesis.
1. Make a free-standing blockquote for quotes longer than 4 lines. Start the quote on a new line and type the quote exactly as it appears in the source text, including punctuation. Do not enclose blockquotes in double quotation marks. [6] The entire blockquote is indented .5 inches (1.3 cm) from the left margin.
How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago
Starting an essay with a quote can make a strong impression, and if you're struggling with your introduction, you might consider paying for essay services to ensure your paper begins powerfully. Also, starting an essay with a quote comes with several advantages and disadvantages, as presented below. Pros: Quotations help set a proper tone ...