Periods go after the parentheses. Think about the parenthetical citation as being part of the sentence. The period goes at the end of the whole sentence, so it goes after the parentheses. The superintendent stated that there would be money in the budget for new computers (Jones). Emily said, “Training for the Olympics was the most challenging thing I have ever done” (Walker).

Jones stated that there would be money in the budget for new computers. Walker said, “Training for the Olympics was the most challenging thing I have ever done. " The difference between the examples in step 1 and step 2 is the way the last name is presented. In step 1, the last name is in the parenthetical citation because it does not appear in the sentence. In step 2, the last name appears in the sentence, so it does not need to be repeated in a parenthetical citation. The reason why the last name must appear in either the sentence or the parenthetical citation is because the last name corresponds to the entry on the works cited page. Every citation must link directly to the works cited page.

Emily trained so hard that she bruised her foot and had to take a break (Walker 45). Walker explained that she had to take a break from training after bruising her foot (45). Remember, MLA does not put a comma between the last name and the page number in a parenthetical citation.

If a quotation ends with an exclamation point or a question mark, place it inside the quotation marks. Dr. James Hill said, “The virus starts by affecting the brain” (56). Dr. James Hill asked, “If we can’t find a cure, how will we save the human race?” (57).

Start your block quote like this: In an interview from 2002, Peter Jackson stated: Punctuate the end of your block quote like this: Jackson said he will always keep making movies. (34-35)

Dates should be formatted with the numerical value for the day, followed by the three letter abbreviation for the date followed by a period, and then the numerical value for the year. Most months just use the first three letters of their name. May has no period after the three letters. June and July both stay the same with no period afterwards. September is abbreviated using 4 letters: Sept. For type of interview, state if it is a personal, telephone, or e-mail interview. Example: Gambill, Mike. Telephone interview. 1 Apr. 2003.

For an interview published in a print source, start with the interviewee’s last name, followed by a comma and then the first name. Add a period. Place the name of the interview in quotation marks, with a period inside the quotation marks. Next, list the name of the larger book or journal where the interview was published in italics. Add a period. Next, give the author or editor of the book by stating “By First Name Last Name” or “Ed. First Name Last Name. " Add a period. Then finish the citation with information required by the medium. Amis, Kingsley. “Mimic and Moralist. ” Interviews with Britain’s Angry Young Men. By Dale Salwak. San Bernardino: Borgo, 1984. 34-47. Print. [8] X Research source Blanchett, Cate. “In Character with Cate Blanchett. " Notes on a Scandal. Dir. Richard Eyre. Fox Searchlight, 2006. DVD. If the interview has no name, just type the word “Interview” without any quotation marks or italics. Jolie, Angelina. Interview. 60 Minutes. CBS. WCBS, New York: 3 Feb. 2009. Television. [9] X Research source

If no publisher is given, insert the abbreviation n. p. If there is no publication date, use n. d. If the interview does not feature a title, add the descriptor “Interview” after the interviewee’s name with no italics or quotation marks. Obama, Michelle. Interview by Caren Zucker. ABC News. ABC, 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2009. Antin, David. “The Way I See It. " Dalkey Archive Press. Dalkey Archive P, n. d. Web. 21 Aug 2007.