APA vs MLA: In-Text Citations and Reference Lists
High school and undergraduate · 12 flashcards · 7 quiz questions · updated 2026-08-19
APA and MLA differ because their disciplines value different things. APA (psychology, education, the sciences) puts the year in the in-text citation, because recency matters. MLA (literature and the humanities) puts the page, because you are expected to point at the passage.
That single difference generates most of the others, including what the list at the end is called: References in APA, Works Cited in MLA.
The side-by-side
| APA 7 | MLA 9 | |
|---|---|---|
| In-text | (Smith, 2021, p. 14) | (Smith 14) |
| Narrative | Smith (2021) argued… | Smith argues… |
| End list title | References | Works Cited |
| Author name | Smith, J. A. | Smith, John A. |
| Titles of articles | Sentence case, no quotation marks | Title Case, in quotation marks |
| Date position | Right after the author | Near the end of the entry |
| Two authors | (Smith & Jones, 2021) | (Smith and Jones 14) |
| Three or more | (Smith et al., 2021) | (Smith et al. 14) |
Reference entries
- •APA journal article: Smith, J. A. (2021). Title of the article in sentence case. *Journal Name, 12*(3), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.xxxx
- •MLA journal article: Smith, John A. "Title of the Article in Title Case." *Journal Name*, vol. 12, no. 3, 2021, pp. 45–67.
- •APA book: Smith, J. A. (2020). *Title of the book in sentence case* (2nd ed.). Publisher.
- •MLA book: Smith, John A. *Title of the Book in Title Case*. 2nd ed., Publisher, 2020.
- •Both alphabetise by author surname and both use a hanging indent of 0.5 inch.
Quoting
- •APA: quotations of 40 words or more become a block quote — indented, no quotation marks, citation after the final punctuation.
- •MLA: the threshold is four lines of prose or three lines of verse.
- •In both, a short quotation stays in the sentence with the citation before the full stop: … as the study concluded (Smith, 2021, p. 14).
- •Both require a page number for a direct quotation. APA lets you omit it when paraphrasing; MLA generally expects it either way.
Sources without an obvious author or date
- •No author: use the title. APA — ("Climate Report," 2020); MLA — ("Climate Report").
- •No date, APA: use n.d. — (Smith, n.d.).
- •Organisation as author: spell it out first, then abbreviate — (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021) and (WHO, 2021) thereafter.
- •Web page with no page numbers, APA: cite a paragraph or heading — (Smith, 2021, para. 4). MLA: cite the author alone.
Formatting the document
- •APA student papers: title page, double spacing, 1-inch margins, page number top right; no running head required for student work in APA 7.
- •MLA: no title page by default. Name, instructor, course and date at the top left of the first page, title centred, surname and page number in the top-right header.
- •Both prefer a readable 11–12 pt font and double spacing throughout, including the reference list.
Common mistakes
- ✗Mixing the two in one paper — pick the one your assignment specifies and stay in it.
- ✗Titling the APA list 'Works Cited' or the MLA list 'References'.
- ✗Using title case for article titles in APA references. APA uses sentence case there.
- ✗Writing (Smith, 2021) in MLA — the year belongs at the end of the Works Cited entry, not in the parenthesis.
- ✗Leaving a source in the reference list that is never cited in the text, or citing something that never made the list.
Flashcards
Tap a card to reveal the answer.
APA in-text citation with a quotation⌄
(Smith, 2021, p. 14) — author, year, page.
MLA in-text citation⌄
(Smith 14) — author and page, no year and no comma.
What is the APA end list called?⌄
References.
What is the MLA end list called?⌄
Works Cited.
Three or more authors in APA⌄
(Smith et al., 2021) from the first citation onward.
APA block quote threshold⌄
40 words or more.
MLA block quote threshold⌄
More than four lines of prose (three of verse).
How does APA handle a missing date?⌄
Use n.d. — (Smith, n.d.).
Article title case in APA references⌄
Sentence case, with no quotation marks.
Article title case in MLA works cited⌄
Title Case, in quotation marks.
Which style puts the year immediately after the author?⌄
APA.
Indentation for both reference lists⌄
Hanging indent, 0.5 inch, double spaced.
Practice quiz
Answer first, then open the explanation.
1. Which is a correct APA in-text citation for a direct quotation?
- A. (Smith 14)
- B. (Smith, 2021, p. 14)
- C. (Smith 2021: 14)
- D. [Smith, 2021]
Show answer
B. (Smith, 2021, p. 14)
APA gives author, year and page, separated by commas, with p. before the page.2. An MLA list of sources is titled:
- A. References
- B. Bibliography
- C. Works Cited
- D. Sources
Show answer
C. Works Cited
MLA uses Works Cited; APA uses References.3. A quotation of 45 words in an APA paper should be:
- A. In quotation marks within the paragraph
- B. A block quote, indented and without quotation marks
- C. Paraphrased instead
- D. Placed in a footnote
Show answer
B. A block quote, indented and without quotation marks
APA's block quote threshold is 40 words.4. In an APA reference, the article title is written in:
- A. Title Case with quotation marks
- B. Sentence case with no quotation marks
- C. All capitals
- D. Italics
Show answer
B. Sentence case with no quotation marks
APA capitalises only the first word (and proper nouns) of article titles and does not use quotation marks.5. Which in-text citation is MLA for a work by two authors?
- A. (Smith & Jones, 2021)
- B. (Smith and Jones 14)
- C. (Smith, Jones 2021)
- D. (Smith et al. 14)
Show answer
B. (Smith and Jones 14)
MLA spells out 'and' and cites the page rather than the year.6. An APA source with no publication date is cited as:
- A. (Smith, 0000)
- B. (Smith, n.d.)
- C. (Smith, undated)
- D. (Smith)
Show answer
B. (Smith, n.d.)
n.d. stands for 'no date' and takes the year's place.7. Which statement is true of both styles?
- A. Both require a title page
- B. Both put the year immediately after the author
- C. Both alphabetise the end list by author surname and use a hanging indent
- D. Both italicise article titles
Show answer
C. Both alphabetise the end list by author surname and use a hanging indent
The alphabetical order and the hanging indent are shared; the rest differ.
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