APA 7 quotations: what changes at exactly 40 words?

1. Compare two counted teaching examples

39 words: keep the passage in your paragraph

The fictional source states, “Before collecting data, record the question, the planned comparison, and the decisions that could affect interpretation. Keep this record with the project so another reader can distinguish the plan from later changes made during analysis and final report preparation.” (Example Author, 2026, p. 12).

40 words: start a separate block

The fictional source states:

Before collecting data, record the question, the planned comparison, and the decisions that could affect interpretation. Keep this record with the project so another reader can distinguish the initial plan from later changes made during analysis and final report preparation. (Example Author, 2026, p. 12)

The second passage adds only initial. This demonstration isolates the formatting boundary; it is not an instruction to alter someone else's quotation to reach a desired count. For a real quotation, use the source's wording. [1]

2. Check layout and punctuation as a single task

For a block with multiple paragraphs, indent the first line of later paragraphs another 0.5 inches. With a narrative citation, name the author and year before the block and put the locator after its final punctuation. [1] [2]

The table describes APA manuscript formatting. This responsive webpage is a teaching display, not a downloadable manuscript template. Inspect indentation in the actual Word document or PDF, rather than treating a default Tab key as a reliable measurement.

3. Choose a locator that survives a source check

Use p. for a single page and pp. for several; use an en dash in a continuous range, such as pp. 12–13. Include the author and year too. [3] [2]

Without pages, choose a paragraph number, a heading, or a heading plus a paragraph number. For audio or video, use the quotation's starting timestamp. APA does not recommend Kindle location numbers as a substitute. [4]

4. Make changes visible without changing the meaning

Indicate an internal omission with an ellipsis; bracket an inserted explanation. If adding emphasis, italicize the word and follow it with [emphasis added]. Do not silently rewrite the passage. APA permits certain limited changes, such as changing the first letter's case to fit the sentence. [5]

If an original error could confuse readers, place italicized sic in brackets immediately after it. First check that the error is in the source, rather than your transcription. Paraphrasing may be clearer when the erroneous wording is unnecessary to your argument. [6]

Editorial check: read the original passage and your edited quotation side by side. Ask whether the omitted condition, limitation or exception would change the reader's interpretation.

5. A quotation limit and a similarity filter answer different questions

APA's quotation guidance leaves room for instructors, programs, editors and publishers to set their own limits. Do not infer a universal 5% or 10% quotation allowance from the 40-word formatting rule. Check the instructions that apply to your work. [1]

Turnitin documents an exclusion for quoted text and for indented blocks in DOC/DOCX submissions. Availability and terminology depend on the report version. An excluded match does not remove the obligation to cite the quotation. A similarity percentage alone cannot determine plagiarism. [7] [8]

Our writing recommendation: retain exact wording when you need to examine that wording; otherwise consider a properly cited paraphrase. Explain the quotation's role in your argument instead of choosing wording to chase a score.

6. Audit a quotation before submission

This seven-step sequence is an editorial workflow applying the cited rules, rather than a separate APA requirement.

1. Compare the passage with the original source, including words, spelling and interior punctuation.
2. Count only the quoted passage; keep the surrounding explanation and citation outside this count.
3. Apply the short or block format, then check the citation and final punctuation together.
4. Supply a page or another locator that actually leads a reader to the passage.
5. Mark omissions or additions visibly and check that the remaining passage retains its meaning.
6. Explain what the quotation contributes to your argument; confirm the matching reference entry.
7. Check the current assignment, journal or thesis instructions, including any local quotation limit.