MLA Formatting

If you mention the author in the signal phrase, you only need to put the page number in parentheses at the end. 

• True

• False

Every time you mention an author, you must write his/her first and last name every time. 

• True

• False

If the author is not mentioned in the signal phrase, then the author's first and last name must be put in parentheses, along with any page number(s). 

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Only the author's LAST name needs to be included in the parenthetical citation.

If your writing contains work by authors with the same last name, you should include the his/her first and last names in any signal phrase or add the author's first initial in the parenthetical reference. 

• True

• False

If a work you are citing has two or more authors, it's only necessary to cite the author with the last name that is alphabetically first. 

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Only if a work has THREE or more authors can you then use "et al." in the parenthetical citation, or in the narrative citation: "Bertrand and colleagues write in their seminal work..."

When citing an organization or government as author, in the signal phrase you should cite the full name of the organization. 

• True

• False

If an author is unknown, use the work's title in a signal phrase or a parenthetical reference. 

• True

• False

If a work does not contain page numbers (such as many online sources), then you should cite the paragraph number in the parenthetical reference. 

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Only cite the paragraph numbers if the source has them and emphasizes them.

If you cite an entire work rather than part of it, just give the last name of the author in the parenthetical reference. 

• True

• False

For the Works Cited page, the last name is listed first, followed by a comma and then the first name. 

• True

• False