Yes, in APA style you italicize titles of plays in the reference list and in-text citations.
Do you underline plays?
No. APA style no longer uses underlining for play titles; they are italicized instead.
Underlining feels a bit outdated, doesn't it? Italics do the same job of making the title stand out, and APA prefers clean, readable formatting. If you're forced to underline (say, in a handwritten paper), go ahead—but for anything typed or printed, stick with italics. The same rule applies to books, films, periodicals, and websites: italics for standalone works, quotation marks for parts within them.
Do play names go in quotes?
No. Play titles are italicized, not placed in quotation marks.
Only smaller parts—like individual acts or scenes—get quotation marks. Think “Act 2, Scene 4.” But full-length plays? Italicize them everywhere, from your reference list to in-text citations. This way, readers instantly know if you're citing the whole play or just a snippet. Honestly, this system keeps things clear and consistent, which matters a lot in academic writing.
How do you in-text cite a title in APA?
Use italics for titles of standalone works (e.g., books, plays) and quotation marks for titles of parts within a larger work.
For example, cite the play Macbeth as Macbeth (1606), and a scene as “Act 3, Scene 1” (1606). Stick to sentence case unless the title is a proper noun. No author? Start with the title in title case, then add the year. This works for both in-text citations and your reference list. APA Style’s official site has plenty of examples if you need them.
What are the two types of capitalization used in APA Style?
APA uses Title Case and Sentence case.
Title Case is what you see in book and play titles—every major word gets capitalized, like The Glass Menagerie. Sentence case, on the other hand, only capitalizes the first word and proper nouns. You’ll use it in your paper’s body text and some headings. The key? Stay consistent. APA’s capitalization guide spells out the details.
How do you in text cite a title?
Include the title in italics (for standalone works) or quotation marks (for parts) along with the year of publication in parentheses.
For example: (Death of a Salesman, 1949) or (“Scene 2,” 1949). No author? Start with the title. With long titles, shorten them to the first few unique words. Keep the formatting (italics or quotes) the same as in your reference list. Always place the citation at the end of the sentence for clarity.
What is in text citation example?
An APA in-text citation includes the author’s last name and the year, e.g., (Smith, 2021).
For direct quotes, add the page number: (Smith, 2021, p. 45). No author? Use a shortened title in quotes: (“Renewable Energy Trends,” 2023). Online sources without page numbers? Try a paragraph number or section heading. This makes it easier for readers to track down your sources. APA’s in-text citation guide has more examples.
How do you cite a website title in text?
Use the first few words of the title and the year in parentheses.
For example: (“Climate Data Report,” 2025) or (National Geographic, 2024). If the title is short, use the full thing. Italicize it if it’s the name of a website (like Mayo Clinic, 2026). This keeps things tidy when titles are similar. Always double-check the URL—content can change, and your citation should match. APA’s webpage reference guide has formatting tips.
What is it called when you capitalize every word?
Title Case capitalizes the first letter of each major word in a title or heading. Articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or), and short prepositions (in, on, at) usually stay lowercase. It’s the go-to style for book and play titles in APA. Avoid ALL CAPS—that’s for shouting, not titles. APA’s Title Case rules cover the exceptions.
How do you write your name in sentence case?
Use sentence case: capitalize only the first word and proper nouns.
- Capitalize the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns (like names or places).
- Keep everything else lowercase, including articles and conjunctions.
- For example: “The cat in the hat sat on the mat.”
Sentence case keeps your writing clean and easy to read. APA uses it for titles, headings, and general text. Save Title Case and ALL CAPS for special cases. APA’s Sentence Case guide has more on this.
What words in a title are not capitalized?
Articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or), and short prepositions (in, on, at) are not capitalized in Title Case.
- Articles: a, an, the
- Conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS)
- Prepositions: at, by, in, of, on, to, with
Always capitalize the first and last word of the title, plus any proper nouns. This rule keeps titles readable without looking cluttered. APA’s Capitalization Guide has the full list of exceptions.
How do you in-text cite a long title?
Shorten the title to the first word or phrase that uniquely identifies it in the in-text citation.
Skip articles (a, an, the) unless they’re the first word. For example, cite The Catcher in the Rye as (Catcher in the Rye, 1951) or A Tale of Two Cities as (Tale of Two Cities, 1859). The shortened version should match what’s in your reference list. This keeps citations from getting too long while still being clear. APA’s in-text citation rules have more on this.
How do you cite a database?
Use the author, year, article title, publication title, volume, issue, page numbers (if applicable), database name, and DOI or URL.
Example: Lee, M. (2023). Urban biodiversity patterns. Journal of Ecology, 15(2), 78–92. ScienceDirect. https://doi.org/xxxx
In APA 7th edition, only include the database name if the source is hard to find elsewhere (like dissertations in ProQuest). Otherwise, just use the URL or DOI. Always verify the citation with the database’s tool—mistakes happen. APA’s database reference guide has examples for different sources.
How do you cite a quote from a person?
Introduce the speaker in your text, use quotation marks for the quote, and include the page number in parentheses.
Example: According to Dr. Carter (2022), “The results were statistically significant” (p. 44). If the source isn’t the author, cite the original author and year in parentheses. No page numbers? Use a paragraph number or section heading. Always credit the speaker to stay on the right side of plagiarism. APA’s quotation guidelines explain the rules.
What does it mean to cite the text?
Citing the text means acknowledging the source of information or direct quotes within your paper using an appropriate citation style.
It’s not just about avoiding plagiarism—it’s about giving credit where it’s due and letting readers check your sources. You’ll need two things: in-text citations (like author and year) and a full reference list at the end. Mess this up, even by accident, and you could face serious consequences. APA’s plagiarism guide walks you through it.
How do you do in text referencing?
In APA style, use the author-date method: include the author’s last name and the year of publication in parentheses.
Example: (Johnson, 2023) or Johnson (2023) argued that... For direct quotes, add the page number: (Johnson, 2023, p. 112). No author? Use the first few words of the title. Place the citation at the end of the sentence or clause. This keeps your paper consistent and helps readers find your sources fast. APA’s in-text citation guide has plenty of examples.
Edited and fact-checked by the TechFactsHub editorial team.
