MLA Style Guide, 8th & 9th Editions: How To Paraphrase And Quote

What is a paraphrase?

A paraphrase is information that you have learned from an outside source (book, journal, video, conversation, etc.) that is not common knowledge, put into your own words. Paraphrasing lets you share an author's idea without using direct quotes.

A good paraphrase conveys the meaning of the quote and attributes it correctly.

What is a quote?

The MLA Handbook states that "the accuracy of quotations is crucial. They must reproduce the original sources exactly" (75). Quoting is great when you find a short statement that supports your paper topic.

Quoting lets you use the author's exact words for added effect.

Original Source Example

"Despite the myth of mobility in America, the true rule, experts say, is rags to rags, riches to riches. According to Bucknell University economist and author Charles Sackrey, maybe 10 percent climb from the working class to professional class. My father has had a tough time accepting my decision to become a mere newspaper reporter, a field that pays just a little more than construction does. He wonders why I haven't taken a profitable job like a lawyer. After bricklaying for thirty years, my father promised himself I would take a better job and earn more money with an education.

Lubano, Alfred. "Bricklayer's Boy." Readings for Writers: Indian River State College Special Edition, edited by Jo-Ray McCuen-Metherell and Anthony C. Wrinkler, 15th ed., Cengage Learning, 2013, 552-77.

Paraphrasing Example

Lubrano's father was upset that his son did not make significantly more money as a reporter than he did as a bricklayer, since he hoped that his son's education would get him a better job (573).

The example above is a paraphrase of the original source. The author found a point they wanted to highlight and put it into their own words. Note that the author's name was given in the sentence and the in-text citation provides the "location" of the paraphrased text by supplying the page number.

Quoting Example

Despite "the myth of mobility in America, the true rule, experts say, is rags to rags, riches to riches" (Lubrano 573).

The example above includes a quotation from the original source. When quoting in MLA Style, include the author's name and the page number or "location" where the quote was located in the original source.