Using Parenthetical Citations (In-text citations)

When using quotations in a formal essay you are expected to follow the quotation with something called an in-text citation.  An in-text citation gives the reader of your essay enough information to locate the full citation for your source in the Works Cited page of your essay.  In-text citations have different formats depending on the information you have provided in your essay.  See the chart that follows for examples of in-text citation formats.

In-Text Citation Examples

Source

Example

Explanation

Quotation:  author’s name is known

(Last Name

, page number).

Internet Resource = (Last Name)

According to the article, “[w]hat people see on television and how they respond to what they see depends on many different influences” (Ungerleider and Krieger, 30).

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards” (Kierkegaard).

At the end of the quotation use the “quo-par-punc” rule:  close the quotation marks, give the in-text citation, and use end punctuation.

At the end of the quotation, close the quotation marks, give the in-text citation (last name only) and use end punctuation.

Quotation:  author’s name is not known

(“Title,” page number).

According to the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, “volunteering in adulthood is closely linked to early life experiences that teach young people about civic participation” (“I Volunteer,” 71).

Because the author (s) of the “I Volunteer” brochure are not know, give the title of the brochure in the in-text citation, followed by the page number.

Quotation:  author’s name is used in the sentence before the quotation

Note: If you are referencing a website in this situation (author’s name used in the sentence with the quotation), your citation is the paragraph number.

According to Ungerleider and Krieger, “[w]hat people see on television and how they respond to what they see depends on many different influences” (30).

According to Jane Stine (M.ED), “a gap year after high school can be a great way to get more experience in a potential career and decide if it’s a good fit for you” (para 4). 

There is no need to give the authors’ names here because they have already been given.  Provide the page number only.

Adapted from:  The Ontario Educational Communications Authority.  (2009).  English:  ENG4E-B, Lesson 14 (p. 14).

Test your understanding of how to use in-text citations.  Select the correct form of in-text citation from the options provided AND explain your choice.

a) According to Robert Howard “[e]ven getting a job isn’t necessarily an escape from poverty. And even two full-time jobs at minimum wage barely cuts it – and that’s before you take into account child care for inevitable evening and weekend shifts and during school holidays.”

Options:  (8). or     (Howard, 8).   or            (“Facing Facts About Poverty”, 8).

b) There are many opinions when it comes to downloading music for free from the internet.  Some believe that “[d]ownloading music … without the creators’ permission is no different from walking into a music store and slipping a CD into your pocket without paying for it.”  (Note: this quotation is from the article “Pilfering Music.”  You will need to go to the web version of this article to help you select the correct form of in-text citation required here.) Link to article:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/pilfering-…

Options:  (1).          Or        (“Pilfering Music”, 1).

c) It is shocking to discover that “[s]omewhere between 33 and 50 per cent of Canadians admit they have at least once cheated on their taxes.”  (Note:  this quotation is from the article “Facing facts about poverty.”  You will need to go to the article to help you select the correct form of in-text citation required here.) Link to article:  https://www.thespec.com/opinion/editorials/2011/03…

Options:   (7). or    (Howard, 7).   or            (“Facing facts about poverty”, 7).

ANSWERS: 

a) Answer:  (8). b) Answer:  (“Pilfering Music”, 1). c) Answer:  (Howard, 7).