When using MLA formatting how do you cite info in your paper when you are not using an exact quote?

Question

If you are writing a paper and your citations are in the MLA style and you rewrite and reconstruct the information to form your own ideas how do you cite this information in the text of your paper?

Answer 1

If you use any information in a paper that does not originate in your head, you must cite it both in the text of your paper and on your Works Cited page.  If you are not using a direct quote, then you are paraphrasing (putting the information into your own words).  However, because you did not originate the idea, you must still give credit to the person who did.  The citation may look something like this:

Results of a recent study conducted by Podunk Institute, indicate that cloning cattle for beef production will have no economic ramifications on the current beef cattle market (Smith 32).

Answer 2

where is your info from is the first question. if the book,article, or website etc has a author you put there last name in () at the end of the sentence or pargraph soo (Smith). if there no author i wouldnt use the source but u would put the title in ().Make sure you have a work citied page at then end so your teacher can connect the () to the work citied sources. hope this helps and makes sense.

Answer 3

Do not put the information you reconstructed in quotations. Just write out the information and add a citation at the end. For example:

There are twelve months in a year (Smith 24).