Let’s say you’re quoting directly. The citation stays the same, but the punctuation gets a tiny makeover. The closing quotation mark comes before the parentheses, and the period goes after.
Example: According to the scholars, “two-author citations are the low-hanging fruit of academic writing” (Smith and Jones 22). See that period floating outside? It’s not a typo; it’s MLA ballet.
One more trick: if your quote is long (more than four lines), you’ll need a block quote. But that’s a whole other article, and you’re not there yet. Stay focused on the two-author magic.
Mla In Text Quotes
What If the Authors Have the Same Last Name?
Oh, you’ve hit the lottery of confusion. If you’re citing a book by two Kims or two Garcias, you need to add their first initials to avoid a mix-up.
Like this: (K. Johnson and L. Johnson 78). Some style guides even suggest using the full first name if you’re feeling extra. But honestly? The initial is enough to keep your reader from crying.
And hey, if one author is a “Jr.” or “Sr.,” include that too. Example: (Smith Jr. and Jones 102). Professionals respect the lineage.
