Using signal phrases in MLA papers

To avoid monotony, try to vary both the language and the placement of your signal phrases.

Model signal phrases

Michael Pollan, who has written extensively about Americans’ unhealthy eating habits, argues that “. . .”

As health policy experts Mello et al. point out, “. . .”

Marion Nestle, New York University professor of nutrition and public health, notes . . .

Bioethicist David Resnik acknowledges that his argument . . .

Conly offers a persuasive counterargument: “. . .”

Verbs in signal phrases