On your works cited page, the same rule applies for three or more authors. List the first author, then “et al.” But—surprising fact—MLA actually allows you to list up to two authors in full. The third author and beyond? Vanished like a magician’s rabbit, replaced by our Latin friend.
PPT - MLA In-Text Citations PowerPoint Presentation, free download - ID
So, a book by Brennan, Jones, Patel, and Smith becomes: Brennan, et al. You don’t even whisper “Jones.” He’s off the hook. But be careful: if a source has only two authors, you must name both in full. No et al. shortcuts for duos—that would be plagiarism with a side of laziness.
When You Can (and Can’t) Be Lazy
Here’s where people get into trouble. Never use et al. before the first author’s name. That’s like saying “and others, Smith”—the sentence breaks and your professor weeps. Also, if you have multiple sources by the same first author and different co-authors, MLA says you can still use et al. But if the first author is the same and you’re listing multiple works, include enough names to distinguish them. Otherwise, you’ll confuse poor Jones (who’s still not listed) with Patel (who’s also not listed).
A real-world example: If you cite a paper by Johnson, Lee, and Carter and another by Johnson, Lee, and Davis, MLA says you can use “Johnson, et al.” for both—but that’s no help. So cheat a little: include “Johnson, Lee, et al.” and “Johnson, Davis, et al.” to keep things clear. Your grade will thank you.
Et Al In Mla
