Copying a portion of the text directly from a source is called a direct quotation. You will enclose the quote in quotation marks, and your citation will contain the last name of the author(s), the year of publication, and the page number where the quote can be found in the source:

If you are using a source that has pages, then you will use an abbreviated p.:

(Smith, 2018, p. 4).

If you are using a source that does not have pages (a website), then you will use a paragraph number. You will count down to the paragraph where your quote is located. You will use an abbreviated para.: 

(Wilson & Miller, 2019, para. 2).

Quotations of 40 or more words in a paper are presented in block format. The quotation begins on a new line and is indented 1/2 inch from the left margin. No quotation marks are used, and the citation appears at the end of the quotation after the final punctuation mark. This is the only situation where a parenthetical reference appears outside of a period!

Writing Tip: Use block quotations sparingly in your paper. Instead, paraphrase the ideas from the quote and provide an in-text citation, or use shorter, precise quotations in your sentences. Both approaches help you engage with and apply the information to your paper's topic.

Here is an example of a block quotation.

Place direct quotations over 40 words in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks.  Start the quotation on a newline, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph.  Type the entire quotation on the new argin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout.  The parenthetical reference should come after the closing punctuation mark. (Angeli, et al., 2018, para. 27)