Published on
November 25, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 29, 2025
Movies and documentaries often provide valuable insights about topics that are common in APA writing. For example, they might include scientific evidence, qualitative research, or examples of social issues and psychological phenomena.
APA in-text citations for movies include the director’s last name and the year of release. Quotation citations also have a timestamp.
APA reference page entries include the director, year, title, and production company.
APA movie citations examples
In-text citations
Reference list entry
Inside Out 2 explores how emotions affect the development of an adolescent’s Sense of Self (Mann, 2024).
Mann, K. (Director). (2024). Inside out 2 [Film]. Pixar Animation Studios.
The examples below and QuillBot’s free APA Citation Generator can help you write clear and accurate APA movie citations. Our Notepad can also help you to effectively take notes online and keep track of relevant source information.
Published on
November 25, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 29, 2025
When you quote or paraphrase the Bible, APA requires in-text citations and a reference page entry.
APA in-text citations for the Bible include the Bible Version in Italics and Title Case, the year of publication, the Book Name, and the chapter and verse numbers separated by a colon.
APA reference page entries for the Bible include the Bible Version in Italics and Title Case, the year, the Publisher, and (if accessed online) a URL.
When citing a classic version of the Bible that’s been reprinted, include the original and current publication dates in the reference entry and in-text citations.
In the reference entry, include the reprinted date after the version title. At the end of the entry, include in parentheses “(Original work published year).” In-text citations for reprinted versions should include the original year and the reprinted year, separated by a slash.
APA Bible citations examples
In-text citations
Reference list entry
The preacher’s sermon referred to “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (King James Bible, 1769/2024, Eccles. 3:4).
The examples below will help you format APA Bible citations correctly, or you can try QuillBot’s free APA Citation Generator. Also, QuillBot’s Notepad can help you take notes online to keep track of relevant source information.
Published on
November 20, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 29, 2025
Many scholarly sources that are available online and relevant to APA writing come in PDFs. This file format is common for journal articles, government reports, and other sources because the formatting and layout stay consistent on different devices.
Source formats like PDFs don’t affect APA reference page guidelines. Instead, the source type (e.g., book or journal article) determines the reference entry content. For some source types, the reference entry ends with a URL for the PDF.
PDFs do impact APA in-text citations when you’re quoting online sources. For example, if you use an exact quotation from a journal article in a PDF, the in-text citation should include the author, year, and page number. (Page numbers aren’t required when you’re paraphrasing.)
APA PDF citation examples
In-text citation
Reference list entry
The Alzheimer’s Association (2024) explained, “To support people living with dementia in their homes and communities, as well as their caregivers, greater dementia-related knowledge, skills, and competencies are needed in the workforce beyond health care” (p. 67).
Alzheimer’s Association. (2024). 2024 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. https://www.alz.org/media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf
(When an organization is both the author and publisher, omit the publisher slot of the reference entry.)
The examples below show the APA citation guidelines for source types that you’re most likely to access via PDF. You can also try QuillBot’s free Citation Generator to create clear and accurate APA citations. Additionally, QuillBot’s Notepad can help you take online notes to keep track of the sources you consult.
Published on
November 20, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 29, 2025
Long quotations are sometimes necessary in MLA writing, especially when you’re analyzing a text and need examples of the author’s technique. MLA requires block format for long quotations, which are defined as follows:
Passages of prose that are five or more lines of text in your document
Poetry quotations that are four or more lines in the original source
Block quotations should be double spaced and indented ½ inch. MLA 9th edition also has special requirements to cite a quote in block format.
In-text citations for MLA block quotes go after the end punctuation. Every source you quote or paraphrase should have a Works Cited entry. QuillBot’s free MLA Citation Generator can help you create accurate in-text citations and Works Cited entries.
MLA block quotation example
In Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver uses functional fragments to make the first-person point of view more relatable and compelling.
Aunt June was the opposite of Emmy. She gave us our own special bowls for snacks we could eat any time we wanted. She finally got her days off, and took us all over: a trampoline park, putt-putt golf, the hospital. The zoo, where we spent a whole day. Tigers, giraffes, and all like that. Monkeys, which Maggot and I figured out how to get all riled up until Aunt June said knock if off or we were going straight home. (25)
This style of prose helps readers feel as if the narrator is speaking to them face-to-face.
Published on
November 20, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 29, 2025
MLA essays always include dates, especially in the main heading on the first page and in Works Cited entries. Dates can also be used in the main text of an essay to give context about an event or an outside source.
In MLA Works Cited entries, write dates in day-month-year order. Abbreviate months that are more than four letters long (e.g., 20 Oct. 2022). Also use day-month-year order for the main heading on the first page, but don’t abbreviate the month (e.g., 7 November 2024).
In the main text, use either day-month-year or month-day year order, but stay consistent with the same format throughout the document. Months in the main text shouldn’t be abbreviated.
MLA date format examples
Main text
Works Cited entry
In a September 18, 2023, article, Peter Yeung and Melanie Péréz Arias describe a fog-catching technology that can address water shortages in remote areas affected by droughts.
Yeung, Peter, and Arias, Melanie Péréz.“The Backyard Farmers Who Grow Food with Fog.” Reasons to Be Cheerful, 18 Sept. 2023, www.reasonstobecheerful.world/lima-fog-catchers-water-scarcity-irrigation/.
Published on
November 20, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 29, 2025
An abstract is a short paragraph that summarizes the entire contents of a research study or journal article. It’s not the same as an introduction, which begins an essay or article and prepares readers for the body paragraphs.
In an academic database or print journal, readers skim the abstract first to decide if they should read the article. For example, when you’re exploring scholarly sources to use in an essay, abstracts help you make informed decisions about which articles might be relevant.
APA does not require abstracts for school assignments, but instructors occasionally assign them. They’re mostly necessary when you’re writing a dissertation or submitting an article to an APA publication. The guidelines below will help you read and write abstracts more strategically.
TipQuillBot’s AI Summarizer can be a helpful starting point for writing an abstract. Just paste in your article, and the tool will synthesize the main points. You can then adjust this summary to fit your writing style and the publication’s guidelines.
MLA in-text citations for movies usually have the title and, in some cases, a timestamp.
Works Cited entries for movies begin with a title and also include the director, distributor, year of release, and streaming app or URL (if applicable).
MLA movie citation examples
In-text citation
Works Cited entry
During the final battle in the 2021 film version, Macbeth and Macduff are surrounded by fog that obscures the background (The Tragedy of Macbeth 01:37:40–01:39:45).
The Tragedy of Macbeth. Directed by Joel Coen, Apple Original Films, 2021. Apple TV+ app.
Published on
November 13, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 29, 2025
Journal articles are common scholarly sources in APA writing because they focus on original research studies and/or highly-specific aspects of an academic discipline.
APA requires two forms of documentation for journal articles:
In-text citations that include the author and publication year
Reference list entries that include the author, year, article title, journal title, volume and issue number, page range (with an en dash), and the DOI (a series of numbers that identifies the article and links to additional publication details)
Use the examples below to learn about the APA citation format for journal articles, or try QuillBot’s free Citation Generator to create in-text citations and reference list entries.
How to cite a journal article APA examples
In-text citation
Reference list entry
Lowery (2024) argued that book bans hinder opportunities to learn about minoritized individuals and their experiences.
Lowery, R. M. (2024). But these are our stories! Critical conversations about bans on diverse literature. Research in the Teaching of English, 58(1), 34–47. https://doi.org/10.58680/rte202332608
Published on
November 13, 2024
by
Nicole Routh, M.Ed
Revised on
October 29, 2025
Journal articles are common scholarly sources in MLA writing because they’re written by academic experts. Academic journals focus on very specific aspects of history, sociology, art, literature, and other academic disciplines.
MLA requires two forms of documentation for journal articles:
Works Cited entries that include the author, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number, publication date, page range, the academic database (if applicable), and a DOI or stable URL
Use the examples below to learn about the MLA citation format for journal articles, or try QuillBot’s free Citation Generator to create in-text citations and Works Cited entries.
How to cite a journal article MLA examples
In-text citation
Works Cited entry
Chakravarty writes, “When EDM originated in parts of Europe and the USA, these were underground rave parties meant for the collective union of a cohort that had shared values and interests centred around both production and audienceship of the music” (119).
Chakravarty, Devpirya. “Popular Musics of India: An Ethnomusicological Review.” Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, vol. 6, no. 3, Dec. 2019, pp. 111-22. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/48710235.
Works Cited entries that include the author, article title, website name, publication date, and URL
In-text citations for websites are unique because sometimes there are pages to cite, and sometimes there aren’t.
Use the examples below to learn about the MLA citation format for different types of websites, or try QuillBot’s free Citation Generator to create in-text citations and Works Cited entries.
How to cite a website MLA examples
In-text citation
Works Cited entry
Currin writes, “Late that summer, the band embarked on a series of drive-in gigs, with Rust Belt fans tailgating as Strings and his quintet dazzled onstage.”
Currin, Grayson Haver. “Billy Strings, 21st Century Rock Star, Is Trying Very Hard to Be Good.” GQ, 26 Sept. 2024, https://www.gq.com/story/billy-strings.
