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To cite a quote from an article, put the quotation in quotation marks, add the author and the location of the passage right after it, and list the article in your reference list or works cited. The details depend on the style. This guide shows the same quotation cited in APA 7th and MLA 9th, then the different pattern for a quote from a play, where the locator is act, scene and line instead of a page. For long quotations that need a block, see MLA block quotes; for quoting mechanics such as ellipses, see quoting and citing sources correctly.
The format: what a quote citation is made of
Every cited quotation has two linked parts: a short in-text citation right after the quote, and a full entry in the reference list that the in-text citation points to. For a direct quote, the in-text part needs three things in APA (author, year and page) and two in MLA (author and page).
| Element | APA 7th | MLA 9th |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Surname, then year: (Smith, 2023, p. 47) | Surname only: (Smith 47) |
| Year | Required in the in-text citation | Not in the in-text citation |
| Location | Page after a comma, with “p.” | Page number alone, no “p.” |
| Quotation marks | Double quotation marks under 40 words | See the block-quote guide linked above |
The APA reference-list pattern for a journal article is: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the article in sentence case. Name of the Periodical, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxx. In MLA the reference-list entry is called the works cited entry; its pattern for an article is covered in MLA works cited format.
Examples: one quotation cited in APA and MLA
The source below is an invented example, not a real article. Suppose Smith’s article contains the sentence “Larger samples reduced bias in every simulated condition” on page 47.
APA 7th
- Parenthetical: Larger samples help, because they “reduced bias in every simulated condition” (Smith, 2023, p. 47).
- Narrative: Smith (2023) found that larger samples “reduced bias in every simulated condition” (p. 47).
- Reference list entry (invented example): Smith, J. (2023). Effects of sample size on bias. Journal of Example Studies, 12(3), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.0000/example.123
MLA 9th
- Parenthetical: Larger samples help, because they “reduced bias in every simulated condition” (Smith 47).
- Author named in the sentence: According to Smith, larger samples “reduced bias in every simulated condition” (47).
In-text citation version
How to cite a quote from an article
Quote the exact words, put the citation after the closing quotation mark, and end the sentence with the period after the parenthesis. In APA the page is mandatory for a direct quote: (Author, year, p. 20), or Author (year) followed by the quotation and (p. 20). In MLA it is the surname and page, (Smith 47), with no “p.”.
How to cite a quotation from an article
“Quote” and “quotation” mean the same thing here, so the same rule applies. The length decides the layout in APA: a quotation of 40 words or more becomes a block, indented 0.5 in. from the left margin and double-spaced, with no quotation marks. The citation still carries the author, year and page.
How to cite a quote from an article that has no page numbers
In MLA, when the source has no page or section numbers, cite the author only, for example (Lyons). For paragraph-based locators in APA, see how to cite paragraphs.
How to cite a quote from a play
MLA cites plays by act, scene and line, separated by periods, in place of a page number. The University College Dublin library guide gives the in-text form (Carr, 1.1.17), and the California State University, Sacramento library guide gives (Shakespeare 2.2.24-25) for a quotation spanning two lines. Library guides show the author-and-locator form both with and without a comma, so follow the form your department or journal specifies.
The works cited entry for the play follows the book pattern: Author last name, First name. Title. Publisher, Year. The UCD guide’s example is Carr, Marina. Plays Three. Faber & Faber, 2015. For verse passages in general, see how to cite a line from a poem.
For manuscripts and theses
In a manuscript or thesis, quote from the version you actually cite and keep one locator style throughout. If you only know a quotation through another author’s text, cite what you read; how to cite a secondary source in APA explains the pattern.
Common errors
- Leaving the page number off a direct quote in APA. A direct quote needs author, year and page.
- Writing “p.” in an MLA in-text citation. MLA examples give the number alone: (Budd 3).
- Putting quotation marks around an APA block quote. Quotations of 40 words or more go in a block without them.
- Using a page number for a play when you are quoting by act, scene and line. MLA uses periods between the numbers.
- Adding an invented page to a source that has none. In MLA, use the author alone.
Style-guide edition
This page uses APA 7th (2020) and MLA 9th (2021), the current editions as of October 2026. The current Chicago edition is the 18th (2024); for that style, see Chicago footnote format.
FAQ
How do you cite article quotes?
Put the quote in quotation marks, add author and page after it, and list the article in your reference list. APA: (Smith, 2023, p. 47). MLA: (Smith 47).
How do you cite a quote from an article?
Use the author’s surname and the page where the passage appears. If the article has no page numbers, MLA cites the author alone, for example (Lyons).
How do you cite a long quotation from an article?
In APA, a quotation of 40 words or more is set as a block without quotation marks. For MLA block rules, see MLA quotation format.
How do you cite a quote from a play?
In MLA, cite act, scene and line with periods, such as (Shakespeare 2.2.24-25), and list the edition you used in the works cited.
Sources
- APA Style, Reference examples (updated March 3, 2026): https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-examples.pdf and In-text citation checklist: https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/in-text-citation-checklist.pdf, checked October 28, 2026.
- MLA Style Center, In-text citations: an overview: https://style.mla.org/in-text-citations-overview/, checked October 28, 2026.
- University College Dublin Library, MLA style: plays: https://libguides.ucd.ie/mlastyle/play (last updated February 10, 2026), checked October 29, 2026.
- California State University, Sacramento Library, MLA in-text citations: https://csus.libguides.com/mla/intext (last updated April 10, 2026), checked October 29, 2026.
