To cite multiple authors in MLA style, follow these guidelines:
In-Text Citations
- Two authors: Include both authors' last names joined by "and."
Example: (Moore and Patel 37)
- Three or more authors: Include only the first author's last name followed by et al. (with a period after "al").
Example: (Moore et al. 37)
- Do not use an ampersand (&); always write "and" between two authors' names
- The citation includes the author's last name(s) and the page number(s) without a comma between them, e.g., (Moore and Patel 48–50)
- If the authors are named in the sentence, only include the page number in parentheses:
Moore and Patel argue that... (37)
Works Cited Entries
- Two authors: List both authors in the order they appear on the source, invert the first author's name, and write out the second author's name normally, separated by "and."
Example:
Moore, Jason W., and Raj Patel.
- Three or more authors: List only the first author followed by et al.
Example:
Moore, Jason W., et al.
- It is acceptable but less common to list all authors if there are more than three, as long as you are consistent
Summary Table
Number of Authors| In-Text Citation Example| Works Cited Entry Example
---|---|---
1 author| (Moore 37)| Moore, Jason W.
2 authors| (Moore and Patel 37)| Moore, Jason W., and Raj Patel.
3+ authors| (Moore et al. 37)| Moore, Jason W., et al.
These rules follow the MLA Handbook, 9th edition
. Place the parenthetical citation directly after the quote or paraphrase and before the period
. This approach ensures clarity and conciseness in citing multiple authors in MLA style.
