Using et al. correctly makes your professor trust you. It signals, “I read the manual.”
It also saves space. In a 2000-word essay, that’s gold.
One funny fact: You can say it out loud as “et all” or “et al-a.” No one cares. It’s Latin for cool kids.
The "Killer" Example
Picture this: You’re citing a study by Johnson, Kim, Lee, and Patel.
In MLA, you write: (Johnson et al. 102).
You just ignored three people. They don’t hold grudges. It’s academic protocol.