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.
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.
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