When you introduce a source by name in your sentence, you do not need to include their name in your parenthetical citation.
Lott argues that the standard explanation of Plato's views is no longer satisfactory (218).
If you don't introduce a source in the text, include the author's name in your parenthetical citation.
Contemporary readers understand Whitman as a queer American poet, even going so far as to say that the "Calamus" poems represented "the poetic province of the first gay American" (Killingsworth 131).
Use quotations sparingly, primarily when you want to convey an important phrase, scene, or description. If you'd like to quote a passage of four or more lines, remove quotation marks and indent. (See "Long Quotations" on Purdue's MLA Formatting Quotations page for more.)
Always check with your instructor before using generative AI for any portion of a course assignment. Some courses may allow limited uses of generative AI; in others, the use of AI may be considered a violation of the honor code. No matter what, any time you use generative AI for an assignment, you need to acknowledge and cite it.
When prompted to respond as Isaac Asimov, ChatGPT identified lack of oversight, the amplification of bias, and the outsourcing of thinking as areas for concern in the modern deployment of generative AI ("What would Isaac Asimov").
"What would Isaac Asimov think of the state of AI today?" ChatGPT, 4.1, OpenAI, 2 July 2025. https://chatgpt.com/share/68659b06-81cc-800a-9226-eb8a58e450db.
For functional uses of AI that are not so easily cited (like brainstorming, outlining, or proofreading text), use an acknowledgment statement that shares the way you used a particular tool. Insert this statement in a secton after your Works Cited page.
When it's possible, you should always include a link to any prompts or conversations. But if the tool doesn't provide a link, you'll need to show your work in other ways. Unlike an article, book, film, or other traditional source, generative AI changes based on the prompt, time, and other contextual elements, and your reader may not be able to replicate the ways in which you've used a particular tool. Your professor may ask you to include the entire conversation, with prompts, in the text or a note or you can include an "acknowledgement statement" that demonstrates how you've used generative AI.
I acknowledge the use of [insert AI system(s) and link] to [specific use of generative artificial intelligence]. The prompts used include [list of prompts]. The output of these prompts was used to [explain use].
I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com) to generate an outline for the assigned essay. The prompts used included:
Generative AI is quickly developing, and different ways of using these tools will be allowed for different instructors and assignments. Always check with your professor to make sure your specific use of ChatGPT or other generative AI is permitted.