APA Paraphrase Citation: Format & Examples

An APA paraphrase citation gives the author and year of the source you drew the idea from, with no quotation marks. A page number is not required for a paraphrase, though it is useful in a thesis where a reader needs to find the passage. This guide sets out the format, fictitious worked examples, the multi-sentence cases that trip up writers, and the errors to remove before submission. It follows APA Style 7th edition (2020).

The format

A paraphrase restates another person’s idea in your own words, and APA’s official In-Text Citation Checklist asks you to paraphrase as much as possible rather than quote. Every paraphrase carries a citation with the author and year, in one of two forms:

Parenthetical: the citation sits in brackets, usually at the end of the sentence, with a comma between author and year: (Author, year).
Narrative: the author is part of your sentence and the year follows in parentheses: Author (year).

The author name must match the name in your reference list. A paraphrase does not need quotation marks or a page number, which is the main difference from a direct quotation.

Paraphrase versus quotation

Element	Paraphrase	Direct quotation
Author and year	Required	Required
Page number	Optional (recommended by some library guides)	Required: (Author, year, p. 20)
Quotation marks	None	Double marks under 40 words; block format for 40 words or more

APA’s checklist asks for a page number (or alternative) in the citation of a direct quotation, and Massey University’s APA guide says a page number is not compulsory for a paraphrase. The Australian Catholic University library puts it this way: when restating ideas in your own words, a page number is optional but recommended. In a thesis or manuscript, where an examiner may want to check one claim in a long book, adding the page is a cheap courtesy. Check your supervisor’s or journal’s instructions, which take precedence.

Examples

All sources below are fictitious examples written to show the pattern. They are not real publications.

Example 1: parenthetical

Source idea (invented): a study found that short daily writing sessions improved thesis completion.

Paraphrase: Brief, regular writing sessions were linked to better thesis completion (Okafor, 2023).

Example 2: narrative

Okafor (2023) reported that brief, regular writing sessions were linked to better thesis completion.

Example 3: with an optional page number

Brief, regular writing sessions were linked to better thesis completion (Okafor, 2023, p. 14).

Example 4: two authors

Parenthetical: (Brown & Lee, 2019). Narrative: Brown and Lee (2019) reported a similar pattern in doctoral cohorts.

Example 5: three or more authors

Parenthetical: (Taylor et al., 2024). Narrative: Taylor et al. (2024) extended the finding to postdoctoral writers.

The matching reference-list entries for Examples 1 to 5 would follow the APA reference patterns. A journal article, for instance, takes this shape (fictitious):

Okafor, N. (2023). Daily writing sessions and thesis completion. Journal of Example Studies, 12(3), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.0000/example.123

In-text citation version

These are the in-text forms you will reuse most often when paraphrasing.

Two authors: use “and” in a narrative citation and “&” inside brackets: Samson and Daft (2005) / (Samson & Daft, 2005).
Three or more authors: give the first author’s surname plus “et al.” from the very first citation. If two references would shorten to the same form, add enough names to tell them apart.
Several sources for one idea: put them in one set of brackets, separated by semicolons and ordered alphabetically by author: (Adams, 2022; Nakamura, 2023; Smith, 2019).

Long paraphrases

When a paraphrase runs across several sentences, APA’s checklist says to cite the source once when you introduce the idea and not repeat the citation unless the topic, the source or the paragraph changes. Libraries describe the same rule from the other side: if the paraphrase continues into a new paragraph, reintroduce the citation; do the same when you switch sources or add your own thoughts.

Fictitious illustration. One citation covers the run of sentences:

Okafor (2023) followed forty doctoral students through their final year. Students who wrote for short, scheduled periods finished their drafts earlier. The effect was largest among those writing in a second language.

Reintroduce the citation when the paragraph changes, or when your own commentary begins:

The finding fits a wider argument for scheduled writing (Okafor, 2023). Its limits are worth stating: the sample came from one institution.

Note that the second sentence is the writer’s own comment, so a reader can tell where the source ends and the thesis author’s argument begins.

Common errors

Patchwriting. Swapping a few words for synonyms and leaving the original sentence structure is not a paraphrase. APA’s checklist asks whether you have done more than omit a few words and substitute synonyms, and advises reframing the ideas and making them specific to your topic and argument. See plagiarism for the wider definition.
Overcitation. Repeating the same citation after every sentence of one continuous paraphrase. Cite on first mention and again only when the source, topic or paragraph changes.
Missing reintroduction. Letting a paraphrase run into a new paragraph without a fresh citation.
Quotation without a page. Quoting words directly and giving only author and year. A direct quotation needs a page number (or an alternative locator) as well.
Mismatched names or years. The in-text author and year must match the reference-list entry exactly.
Wrong connector. Writing “and” inside brackets or “&” in running text for two authors.
Treating a paraphrase as a quotation. If you keep the source’s exact words, use quotation marks and a page number. The guide on quoting and citing sources correctly explains when to quote, paraphrase or summarise.

Style-guide edition

This guide follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (2020). The official In-Text Citation Checklist (7th edition) was checked on 2026-10-29. If your journal or university specifies another edition or style, follow it. For a side-by-side view of the major styles, read citation styles and referencing formats; for the broader paper layout, see how to write a research paper in APA style. A related in-text form is explained at parenthetical citation.

FAQ

Do I need a page number when I paraphrase in APA?

No. A page or paragraph number is not required for a paraphrase, only for direct quotations. Some library guides recommend adding one, especially when you cite a long work, so that readers can locate the idea.

Do I cite every sentence of a long paraphrase?

No. Cite when you introduce the idea and again only when the topic, source or paragraph changes, or when you add your own thoughts.

Can I use a narrative citation for a paraphrase?

Yes. Put the author in your sentence and the year in parentheses after the name: Okafor (2023) reported that brief, regular writing sessions were linked to better thesis completion.

How do I cite a paraphrase from a source with no page numbers?

Author and year are enough for a paraphrase, because a page number is only required for direct quotations. If you quote from an unpaginated source, Massey University’s guide says to give the paragraph number instead, for example (Benson, 2006, para. 2).