How to Cite a Quote From a Book: In-Text Citations and Examples
To cite a quote from a book, put the quoted words in quotation marks and follow them with an in-text citation that gives the author’s last name and the page the quote is on. In MLA that looks like (Smith 42); in APA it looks like (Smith, 2020, p. 42). The page number is required for a direct quote in both styles, and every in-text citation matches a full entry on your Works Cited or References page. Here are the exact formats and examples for each style.
How to cite a book quote in MLA
MLA uses the author’s last name and the page number, with no comma between them and no “p.” label: (Smith 42). You can put the whole citation in parentheses after the quote, or name the author in your sentence and leave only the page number in parentheses.
Parenthetical: The narrator admits he was “never good at endings” (Smith 42).
Narrative: Smith writes that the narrator was “never good at endings” (42).
The period goes after the closing parenthesis, not inside the quotation marks. The matching Works Cited entry is: Smith, John. Title of Book. Publisher, 2020.
How to cite a book quote in APA
APA adds the year and uses “p.” for a single page or “pp.” for a range: (Smith, 2020, p. 42). As in MLA, you can go parenthetical or narrative.
Parenthetical: The study describes the group as “resistant to change” (Smith, 2020, p. 42).
Narrative: Smith (2020) describes the group as “resistant to change” (p. 42).
Use an en dash for a page range, such as (Smith, 2020, pp. 42–43). The full reference is: Smith, J. (2020). Title of book. Publisher.
Where does the page number go?
At the end, right after the quote, inside the parentheses. In MLA it is just the number (Smith 42); in APA it follows the year with a “p.” (Smith, 2020, p. 42). If you name the author in your sentence, the page number still goes in parentheses immediately after the quoted material, not at the end of the sentence if the sentence continues. For a closer look at exactly where the citation sits relative to punctuation, see where the in-text citation goes after a quote.
What if the book has no page numbers?
For an ebook without stable page numbers, APA lets you cite a chapter, section heading, or paragraph number instead, for example (Smith, 2020, Chapter 3) or (Smith, 2020, para. 4). MLA similarly allows a chapter or other division when pages are unavailable. Do not invent page numbers from an e-reader that repaginates based on font size, since those will not match anyone else’s copy.
How to cite a quote within a quote from a book
If the passage you are quoting itself quotes someone else, keep the original’s quotation marks as single quotes inside your double quotes: Smith notes that the teacher “told them to ‘never stop asking why'” (Smith 42). You are still citing the book you actually read, not the person being quoted inside it. If you want to cite that original speaker directly, you need to find and cite their source.
Two more rules that apply to any book quote
First, quote exactly, including spelling and punctuation; use brackets to mark any change and an ellipsis (…) to mark words you left out. Second, always match the in-text citation to a full entry in your list of sources, they work as a pair. For the broader rules that apply across sources, see how to cite a quote in APA and MLA and how to quote a book.
FAQ
How do you cite a quote from a book in MLA?
Author’s last name and page number in parentheses, no comma: (Smith 42). The period goes after the parenthesis.
How do you cite a quote from a book in APA?
Author, year, and page with a “p.” label: (Smith, 2020, p. 42). Use “pp.” and an en dash for a page range.
Do you need a page number to quote a book?
Yes, for a direct quote both MLA and APA require the page. If the book has no page numbers, cite a chapter, heading, or paragraph number instead.
How do you cite a quote within a quote from a book?
Put the inner quotation in single quotes inside your double quotes and cite the book you read: “told them to ‘never stop asking why'” (Smith 42).