You know that moment when you’re writing a paper, and you find the perfect quote? It’s like discovering the last slice of pizza at a party. But then you realize the quote spans three whole pages, and your professor demands MLA format. Suddenly, that pizza slice feels like a math problem.
Don’t panic. Citing multiple pages in MLA isn’t rocket science—it’s more like remembering where you put your car keys. Annoying, yes, but totally doable once you know the trick.
The Golden Rule: Just Use a Hyphen (Or a Comma)
Here’s the simple version: if you’re citing a range of pages, like pages 42 through 45, you write it with a hyphen. For example: (Smith 42-45). It’s like saying, “I ate all the chips from the bag, not just one.” No spaces before or after the hyphen—that’s the MLA police’s biggest pet peeve.
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But what if you’re quoting from two non-consecutive pages, like page 42 and page 52? Then you use a comma: (Smith 42, 52). Think of it as a grocery list: “I need eggs, milk, and bread.” You don’t write “eggs-milk-bread” unless you’re building a weird sandwich.
This is where most people mess up. They see “multiple pages” and assume a comma is always the answer. Spoiler: hyphens are for chunks, commas are for skips. You got this.
Real-Life Training: The Soup-to-Soup Method
Imagine you’re binging a TV show. If you watch episodes 1 through 3, you’d say, “I watched episodes 1-3.” That’s the hyphen. If you skip episode 2 and watch only 1 and 3, you’d say, “I watched episodes 1 and 3”—that’s the comma. See? You’ve been doing MLA your whole life.
Same deal for page numbers. If the author argues the same point from page 10 to page 14, use the hyphen. If they make a point on page 10, ramble for ten pages, then come back on page 20, use the comma. Your citation is a map, not a diary.
MLA - Citations - CIS Secondary Library - LibGuides at Chinese
What the Experts (and Your Professor) Expect
Here’s a little secret: MLA is lazy-friendly. You don’t have to list every single page if the source is consistent. For example, if you’re citing a book that covers the same idea across pages 100-115, just write (Author 100-115). Don’t write (Author 100, 101, 102, 103…) unless you want to look like a robot having a stroke.
One weird trick: if you’re quoting something that starts on page 34 and ends on page 35, write (Author 34-35). Yes, even for a two-page jump. It feels like overkill, but it’s proper. Kinda like wearing a seatbelt to drive 300 feet to the mailbox.
The “Oops, I Used the Wrong Separator” Fix
So what if you accidentally used a comma when you needed a hyphen? Your paper won’t explode. But your professor might circle it in red pen, and you’ll feel the same shame as when you wore mismatched socks to a job interview. Fix it fast: check if the pages are sequential (use hyphen) or scattered (use comma).
I once handed in a paper where I wrote (Smith 45, 47, 49) for a single quote that was actually on pages 45-49. My professor wrote, “Did you photocopy every other page?” in the margin. Don’t be that person.
The Ultimate Shortcut: Page Ranges in the Works Cited
Now, here’s where life gets easier. In your Works Cited entry, you always write the full page range of the article or chapter. Example: pp. 42-57. This is the “master key” that tells readers where to find the whole thing. Then in your in-text citation, you can zoom in on specific pages like (Smith 44) or (Smith 44, 46).
MLA Parenthetical (in-text) Citations – Olathe East Library
Think of it like giving directions to your house. The Works Cited entry is the address (the whole street). The in-text citation is the exact house number. You need both for the pizza delivery to arrive.
A Confession: We All Forget the Hyphen Sometimes
Here’s a story: in grad school, I cited a book with pages 101-107. But I wrote (Author 101-107) without checking if the text actually covered those pages. Turns out, the author went on a tangent about potatoes on page 103. My professor wrote, “Please verify page ranges. Potatoes are not a citation.” I now double-check, and so should you.
Another common goof: using “p.” for a single page and “pp.” for multiple pages. So p. 42 is one page, pp. 42-45 is the range. Don’t write “pp. 42”—your MLA handbook will cry.
The Takeaway: You Don’t Need a PhD in Punctuation
Citing multiple pages in MLA is like assembling IKEA furniture. It looks confusing on the instructions, but once you see the picture, it’s just screws and wood. Hyphen for a run of pages, comma for jumps, and always include the full range in your Works Cited.
Now go forth and cite with confidence. And if you still mess up? Blame it on autocorrect. I’ll back you up.