How MLA and APA In-text Citations are applied in 2025

by Posted on

MLA and APA: In-text Citations

APA emphasizes dates. This makes sense because it’s often used in the social sciences and computer science, where knowing when research was published is a big deal. MLA is all about page numbers — perfect for analyzing literature or other texts.

apa vs mla in-text citations

Here’s how they look in action:

Aspect APA Example MLA Example
Single Author (Smith, 2021, p. 23) (Smith 23)
Two Authors (Smith & Lee, 2021, p. 23) (Smith and Lee 23)
Three+ Authors (Smith et al., 2021, p. 23) (Smith et al. 23)
No Author (“Article Title,” 2021, p. 23) (“Article Title” 23)
Multiple Citations (Smith, 2021, p. 23; Lee, 2020, p. 45) (Smith 23; Lee 45)

In APA, you’ll notice the year is always there, even for quotes, while MLA keeps things simpler with just the page number. If you’re writing a research-heavy paper, APA’s structure helps emphasize how current your sources are. But if you’re quoting Shakespeare, MLA’s focus on the text makes more sense.

Published by Negota