How to Cite a Quote | APA, MLA, & Chicago Styles

To quote something is to state it exactly as it was originally presented, using the exact words from the original source and quotation marks (in written text). Therefore, a quote is a copy of a piece of text.

To quote something correctly, you must:

  • Copy the text exactly as it’s written in the source material
  • Enclose the text in quotation marks or format it as a block quote
  • Cite the original author

You must properly cite everything you quote or paraphrase in order to avoid accidental plagiarism.

Quoting in MLA example
Harold Bloom has argued that Shakespeare “is neither Nietzschean nor Kierkegaardian, atheist nor Christian, nihilist nor humanist, and he is no more Falstaff than he is Hamlet” (37).
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Citing quotes in APA, MLA, and Chicago

Using quotes is a great way to support your claims in an essay, but it’s crucial to cite them correctly so you don’t suffer the consequences of plagiarism.

APA, MLA, and Chicago style formats all have different rules, so it’s important to know what information each style requires.

QuillBot’s free Plagiarism Checker can help you avoid accidental plagiarism.

How to cite a quote in APA

When you cite a direct quote in an APA in-text citation, the parenthetical format is (author’s last name, publication year, p./pp. page number) or (Smith, 2024, pp. 7–13). When citing from a single page, “p.” is used, while “pp.” is used for quotes that span multiple pages.

In the narrative format, the author’s name (and publication year) appear in the sentence, with the page number in parentheses after the quote.

Each piece of information within a set of parentheses is separated by a comma. Any punctuation for the sentence is always placed after the citation.

APA in-text citation examples
Depending on one’s own temperature, “ice can feel either hot or cold” (Smith, 2024, p. 7).

Smith (2024) claims that “ice can feel either hot or cold” (p. 7).

How to cite a quote in MLA

When you cite a direct quote in MLA, the parenthetical format is (author’s last name page number) or (Smith 7).

The narrative format includes the author’s name in the sentence, with the page number after the quote in parentheses.

There is no punctuation within a set of parentheses. As in APA style, the final punctuation is placed after the citation.

MLA in-text citation examples
Following this argument, “the word masculine is only a bugbear: there is little reason to fear that women will acquire too much courage or fortitude” (Wollstonecraft 23).

Wollstonecraft asserts that “the word masculine is only a bugbear: there is little reason to fear that women will acquire too much courage or fortitude” (23).

How to cite a quote in Chicago

When you cite a quote in Chicago author-date style, the parenthetical format is (author’s last name publication year, page number or range) or (Smith 2019, 88–90).

Chicago in-text citation example
Modern information spread is “not a slow explosion outward from center to margins but an instant implosion and an interfusion of space and functions” (McLuhan 1964, 101).

When you cite a quote in Chicago notes and bibliography style, you will add a superscript number after the quote, which corresponds to a footnote with the source information. Typically, the first note on a particular source gives the full publication information, and subsequent notes list only the author’s last name, title (sometimes shortened), and page number.

Chicago footnote citation example
1. Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964), 101.

2. McLuhan, Understanding Media, 101.

How to introduce a quote

Quotations should always be introduced before being presented to the reader. This is an opportunity for you to explain where or whom the quotation comes from and why it is relevant to your argument.

Including a quotation as a standalone sentence is considered poor style in academic writing.

Introduction of quote example
  •  “The citizen must have high ideals, and yet he must be able to achieve them in practical fashion” (Roosevelt, 1910).
  • In his address at the Sorbonne, Roosevelt (1910) declared, “The citizen must have high ideals, and yet he must be able to achieve them in practical fashion.”

There are three main approaches you can take to introduce a quotation smoothly:

These strategies are easy to implement across all citation styles.

Introductory sentences

To introduce a quote with an introductory sentence, write a complete sentence that prepares the reader for the quote, followed by a colon and the quotation itself.

This introductory sentence might, for example, give context regarding the quote or highlight the key argument you want to link the quote to.

Introductory sentence examples
APA: Roosevelt’s (1910) words are riddled with warnings for his listeners: “if a man’s efficiency is not guided and regulated by a moral sense, then the more efficient he is the worse he is, the more dangerous to the body politic.”

APA: At a time when sweeping changes were taking place in political systems around the world, Roosevelt (1910) advocated for moderation: “We can just as little afford to follow the doctrinaires of an extreme individualism as the doctrinaires of an extreme socialism.”

Introductory signal phrases

You can also use shorter signal phrases that indicate to the reader that you are reporting someone else’s words. Signal phrases are not complete sentences and instead introduce the quotation as a part of your sentence using a comma.

Common signal phrase verbs include “explain,” “observe,” “find,” “report,” and “remark.”

Introductory signal phrase examples
APA: According to Roosevelt (1910), “We ought to go with any man in the effort to bring about justice and the equality of opportunity.”

APA: Roosevelt (1910) argues, “To say that the thriftless, the lazy, the vicious, the incapable, ought to have reward given to those who are far-sighted, capable, and upright, is to say what is not true and cannot be true.”

Integrating quotes

Integrating quotes into your own sentence is a good technique for ensuring the smooth flow of your ideas while including support. You can trim the quote so that it doesn’t require extra punctuation.

Integrated quotes examples
APA: Roosevelt’s (1910) apprehensions about communist ideology are made evident by his claims that “the deadening effect on any race of the adoption of a logical and extreme socialistic system could not be overstated.”

APA: If it is true that “the best test of true love of liberty in any country is the way in which minorities are treated in that country” (Roosevelt, 1910), criticisms from advocacy groups are to be expected.

How to quote a quote

Sometimes a quote might itself include quoted material. In this case, you can use single quotation marks to offset it from the main material you are quoting.

Quotes within quotes, or nested quotations, are often necessary when citing things like dialogue in a creative work or news article.

When citing material that is itself being cited in the source text, it is generally best practice to find the original source to make a direct citation, but this is not always possible.

Single quotation marks should be used to indicate the start and end of the quoted material within the main quotation. As always, the main quote is enclosed in double quotation marks.

Quotes within quotes examples
APA: Turnbull (2024) writes that the blueberry was “the heaviest ever documented” and notes the grower’s claims that the fruit has “‘got a really nice crunch to it and a high level of blueberry aromatics.’”

APA: The agricultural workers “had noticed some promising berries on the trees but were shocked and ‘stoked’ when they were weighed” (Turnbull, 2024).

Shortening or modifying quotes

Quotations may contain extra information that is not relevant to the point you want to make, or they may not fit with your sentence grammatically. In these cases, you can choose to shorten or modify the quotation to adapt it to your text.

Shortening quotes

If a quotation contains information that is not necessary for you to include, you can use an ellipsis ( … ) to omit the redundant or irrelevant material. You can use ellipses to indicate the removal of a word, a clause, or even entire sentences. An ellipsis should be preceded and followed by a space.

When you remove words from a quote, it is important to check that the omissions do not change the author’s original meaning. Additionally, you should be sure to include the necessary context for the quoted material to be understood.

Shortened quotes examples
MLA: The narrator laments, “I kept the first for another day! . . . Yet . . . I doubted if I should ever come back” (Frost 13–15).

MLA: The narrator describes the paths as similar, observing that though the path he took “was grassy and wanted wear . . . the passing there / Had worn them really about the same” (Frost 8–10).

Note
Different style guides recommend different formatting for ellipses.

For example, MLA style includes a space after each period (e.g., “ . . . “), while APA Style allows either three periods with a space before and after each like MLA or the ellipsis character (e.g., “…”).

It is best to check the recommendations of your style guide to be sure that you are using the correct spacing and number of periods when omitting text from a quotation.

Modifying quotes

Sometimes, it is necessary to modify a quote to resolve problems with subject-verb agreement or verb tense or to clarify unclear information, such as a pronoun referent. Enclose any additions you make to the text in brackets.

When making minor changes to capitalization or punctuation to help the quote fit within your text, brackets are typically not needed.

Modified quotations examples
APA: For Roosevelt (1910), “[citizens in a republic] must learn to combine intensity of conviction with a broad tolerance of difference of conviction.”

APA: Roosevelt (1910) asserts his conviction in clear terms: “I decline to recognize the mere multimillionaire, the man of mere wealth, as an asset of value to any country; and especially as not an asset to [the United States].”

A quote may contain an error, such as a grammatical issue or a factually incorrect piece of information. In this case, the Latin term “[sic]” is placed in brackets after the mistake to indicate that it is part of the original quote rather than your own error.

Sic” examples
MLA: Perri explains that “the weather was inusual [sic] for that time of year” (165).

APA: According to Yang’s (2024) research, “future policies will be impacting [sic] for years to come” (p. 305).

If you wish to emphasize a certain part of a quote, you can use italics to help the key points stand out, followed by the phrase “[emphasis added]” in brackets.

Emphasis added example
APA: When accepting her Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa (1979) declared, “this award is going to bring an understanding love [emphasis added] between the rich and the poor.”

Block quotes

When quoting material that exceeds a certain number of words or lines, block formatting is often used. The exact number of words or lines depends on the style guide you are using (e.g., APA uses block quotes for more than 40 words).

To create a block quote, indent the quoted material to offset it from the main text. The citation for the quote comes at the end of the quote on the same line. If the quote ends with a period, the citation should come after the period.

Block quote example
MLA: Dickens’s opening paragraph has by now become an oft-quoted example of a strong introduction:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. (1)

When to use quotes

Quotes are an important aspect of lending credibility to your argument and backing up your claims. However, relying too heavily on quotes can obscure your argument and perspective.

To use quotes appropriately, it is key to shift between using direct quotes and paraphrasing, and any quotes used should be accompanied by your own explanations and interpretations.

Instances in which quotations are useful include:

  • To perform close reading: When a focus on language is key to your analysis, such as when writing an essay on a piece of literature, you can use quotes to highlight the author’s use of a particular style or literary devices such as symbolism or metaphor.
  • To provide evidence: Drawing from other sources is a useful way to prove the validity of your argument or add further support. For example, in a persuasive essay, you might want to cite statistics that support your claim, while a research paper might involve a thesis statement informed by past findings.
  • To present another person’s argument, idea, or definition: Sometimes, another person’s words might perfectly encapsulate the point you wish to make, or you may want to refer to a concept introduced by someone else. For instance, in a research paper on artificial intelligence, you may want to quote Alan Turing as the first person to foresee what computers would become capable of.

Frequently asked questions about How to quote

Are quotes appropriate in academic writing?

Quotes are a valuable tool for enhancing your argument and adding additional support for your claims. However, it is important to avoid overusing quotes, as this can cause your own voice to be lost.

When you use quotes in academic writing, accompany them with analysis and explanation, and do not include quotes for information that you can present in your own words.

Our Word Counter, Paraphraser, and article summarizer tools can help improve your academic writing and avoid errors.

What information needs to be included in a citation?

The information contained in a citation depends on the style guide you are following.

  • APA in-text citations, for example, include the author’s last name and the publication year, separated by a comma (e.g., Turing, 1947).
  • MLA in-text citations include the author’s last name and the page number (e.g., Dahl 167).
  • Chicago citations include the author’s last name and the publication year, as well as the page number (e.g., Dahl 1961, 167).

Essentially, in-text citations must contain the necessary information for a reader to be able to identify the complete citation in your reference list.

What is the difference between quoting and paraphrasing?

A quote is a direct copy of another person’s words and must be enclosed in quotation marks.

Paraphrasing is a summary or rephrasing of another person’s words without using the exact language.

Both quoted and paraphrased material must be accompanied by a citation to avoid plagiarism.

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Alexandra Rongione, MA

Alexandra has a master’s degree in literature and cultural studies. She has taught English as a foreign language for a range of levels and ages and has also worked as a literacy tutor.