Now, this is where your inner efficiency expert gets to shine. For sources with three or more authors, MLA says: use the first author’s last name, then type “et al.” (which is Latin for “and others”). So your in-text citation becomes: (Smith et al. 22).
Why is this so great? Because you don’t have to write a sentence-long list of names every time you cite. It’s like shortening a long party guest list to just “Sarah and everyone else.” Brilliant, right?
Pro tip: In your Works Cited, you list the first author’s name, then “et al.”—but you don’t need a comma before “et al.” So it’s: Smith, John, et al. Ah, the sweet relief of brevity.
Article
But Wait—What About the Order?
Here’s a little secret: the order of authors in MLA matters. Always list them in the order they appear on the source, not alphabetically. Why? Because the first author often did the heavy lifting—or because the publisher decided the order. Respect the hierarchy!
If you’re writing a paper with a friend, this rule means you get to decide who goes first. Feeling generous? Put your pal’s name first. It’s like giving a shout-out on the red carpet.
