How-to · Step-by-step
How to cite a quote
Citing a quote means reproducing the words exactly, marking them as a quotation, and giving an in-text citation with a page or location number.
The step most authors miss
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Step by step
How to do it
1.Copy the wording exactly
Reproduce the quoted text word for word, including its original spelling and punctuation. Mark any change with square brackets and any omission with an ellipsis.
2.Decide short quote or block quote
Short quotations run into your sentence inside quotation marks. Longer passages — 40+ words in APA, more than four lines in MLA, 100+ words (about five lines) in Chicago — are set as indented block quotes without quotation marks.
3.Find the page or location number
Note the page number the quotation appears on. For sources without pages, use a paragraph number, section heading or time stamp as your style allows.
4.Add the in-text citation
Place the citation immediately after the quotation, with the page number, in the form your style requires.
5.Add the full reference
Make sure the quoted source has a full entry in your reference list, Works Cited or bibliography so the in-text citation can be traced.
APA 7th edition
Format: a short quotation runs in the text with quotation marks and a citation giving author, year and page — (Smith, 2021, p. 42). Worked example: Citation is "the connective tissue of scholarship" (Smith, 2021, p. 42). A quotation of 40 or more words is set as a block quote: indented 0.5 inch, no quotation marks, with the citation after the closing punctuation.
MLA 9th edition
Format: a short quotation runs in the text in quotation marks with an author–page citation — (Smith 42). Worked example: Citation is "the connective tissue of scholarship" (Smith 42). A quotation longer than four lines of prose is set as a block quote: indented 0.5 inch, no quotation marks, with the parenthetical citation after the final punctuation. No comma appears between author and page.
Chicago 17th edition (notes–bibliography)
Format: a short quotation runs in the text in quotation marks with a superscript note number; the footnote gives the source and page — 1. Jane Smith, The Craft of Citation (New York: Academic Press, 2021), 42. Worked example in text: Citation is "the connective tissue of scholarship".¹ A prose quotation of roughly 100 words or more is set as an indented block quote without quotation marks.
Common questions
FAQ
When does a quotation become a block quote?+
The threshold differs by style. APA blocks quotations of 40 words or more. MLA blocks prose quotations longer than four lines (or verse longer than three lines). Chicago blocks quotations of roughly 100 words or more — about five lines or more. Block quotes are indented and drop the quotation marks.
Do I always need a page number for a quote?+
For a direct quotation, yes, give a precise location. APA and MLA add the page number to the in-text citation; Chicago puts it in the note. For a source without page numbers, use a paragraph number, a section heading, or a time stamp for audio or video.
How do I show I changed or omitted words?+
Use square brackets for any word you add or alter — "[the] connective tissue" — and an ellipsis (three spaced dots) for words you omit. Keep the original meaning intact; never edit a quotation in a way that distorts the author’s point.
Going deeper
