I frequently see errors with the punctuation of MLA parenthetical citations in student essays, so be sure to avoid the following common mistakes and use the MLA Style of documentation that your handbook and that my MLA Documentation lecture specifies. Get this right in order to avoid being marked off unnecessary points! (This lecture focuses one one type of source as an example. See you handbook for specifics on others.)
COMMON ERRORS
Victor Frankenstein, when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster, states that to do so "would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness." (Shelley 148)
PROBLEM: the period inside the quotation mark doesn't belong there. It belongs at the end of the parenthetical citation according MLA practice.
Victor Frankenstein, when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster, states that to do so "would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness." (Shelley 148).
PROBLEM: Now the writer has redundant periods. It's the same problem as before, only now there are two periods clashing with each other.
Victor Frankenstein, when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster, states that to do so "would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness" (Shelley, 148).
PROBLEM: That comma simply doesn't belong inside the pcit. Rarely does a punctuation mark get placed into a pcit.
Victor Frankenstein, when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster, states that to do so "would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness" (Shelley pg. 148).
PROBLEM: Where did that pg. come from? MLA does not call for the unnecessary abbreviation.
Victor Frankenstein, when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster, states that to do so "would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness" (http://www.thisisareallylongurlwhywouldyourreaderswishtoseesuchanattrociousthinginyourpaper.com).
PROBLEM: Rarely does a url web address belong in your paper. Rather, in the body of your paper, you refer to the author of the site, or its title, or its responsible party. the Works Cited page is the place to list such bibliographic information as the url. In your paper, it is just distracting.
Victor Frankenstein, when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster, states that to do so "would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness" (Frankenstein 148).
PROBLEM: Unless you are discussing multiple pieces written by the author, and there is a possibility your readers may get confused as to which piece you are quoting, the author's last name gets placed into the pcit and not the title of the novel. Of course, if an author's name is unknown (anonymously written pieces, for instance), then you cannot place the author's name in the pcit. When this arrises, you place the title of the piece in the pcit.
THE SOLUTION
How should you punctuate pcits? Here you go ...
Victor Frankenstein, when faced with the decision of whether or not to create a female companion for the monster, states that to do so "would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness" (Shelley 148).
SOLUTION: End the quote, type a space, begin the parenthetical citation, list the author's name, type a space, list the page number alone without any punctuation or abbreviation, close the parenthetical citation, and then place your end punctuation if needed. Presto!