block quote in essay mla

MLA Style Guide: 8th Edition: Block Quote

• Works Cited examples
• Direct Quote

Block Quote

• Paraphrase/Summary
• Indirect Quote
• Multiple Authors
• In-Text Exceptions
• Personal Communications
• MLA Handbook/Other Resources
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IN-TEXT CITATIONS FOR A...

The block quote is used for direct quotations that are longer than four lines of prose, or longer than three lines of poetry. A block quote is always used when quoting dialogue between characters, as in a play.

The block format is a freestanding quote that does not include quotation marks. Introduce the block quote with a colon (unless the context of your quote requires different punctuation) and start it on a new line. Indent the entire quote 1-inch from the left margin and double-space it (even if the rest of your paper is not double-spaced). Include the page number at the end of your block quote outside of the ending period. Also include the author's last name, date of publication, and page number(s)/paragraph number.

If you quote a single paragraph (or just part of one), do not indent the first line of the block quote more than the rest:

It is not until near the end of The Hound of the Baskervilles that the hound itself is actually seen:

A hound it was, an enormous coal-black hound, but not such a hound as mortal eyes have ever seen. Fire burst from its open mouth, its eyes glowed with a smouldering glare, its muzzle and hackles and dewlap were outlined in flickering flame. Never in the delirious dream of a disordered brain could anything more savage, more appalling, more hellish be conceived than that dark form and savage face which broke upon us out of the wall of fog. (Doyle 82)

If you quote two or more paragraphs, indent the first line of each paragraph an additional ¼ inch. However, if the first sentence quoted does not begin a paragraph in the source, do not indent it the additional amount, only indent the subsequent paragraphs. Here is an example where the first sentence is the beginning of a paragraph:

In the aftermath of the hound sighting, Sherlock Holmes keeps his cool:

   Sir Henry lay insensible where he had fallen. We tore away his collar, and Holmes breathed a prayer of gratitude when we saw that there was no sign of a wound and that the rescue had been in time. Already our friend's eyelids shivered and he made a feeble effort to move. Lestrade thrust his brandy-flask between the baronet's teeth, and two frightened eyes were looking up at us.

   "My God!" he whispered. "What was it? What, in heaven's name, was it?"

   "It's dead, whatever it is," said Holmes. (Doyle 82)

Just as for prose, poetry block quotations (3+ lines) should begin on a new line. Unless the quotation involves unusual spacing, format it as you would prose:  indent each line one-inch from margin and double-space the lines. Do not add any quotation marks that do not appear in the source:

Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem “To John Oliver Killens in 1975” addresses another African American writer of the day:

look at our mercy, the massiveness that it is not.

look  at our “unity,” look at our

“black solidarity.”

Dim, dull, and dainty. (1-5)

A line of poetry in a block quote that is too long to fit within the right margin of the page should be continued on the next line and indented an additional ¼ inch:

Allen Ginsberg’s famous poem “Howl” begins:

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,

dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix,

angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo

   in the machinery of night, (9)

When quoting dialogue from a play, begin each part with the appropriate character’s name indented 1-inch from the left margin and written in all capital letters followed by a period. Then, start the quotation and indent all subsequent lines an additional ¼ inch. In the parenthetical reference at the end of the quote, include the act, scene, and line(s) of your quote, instead of the page number(s):

At the beginning of Shakespeare’s The Tempest , chaos erupts on a ship at sea before the cast of characters ends up on Prospero’s island:

MARINERS. All lost! to prayers, to prayers! all lost!

BOATSWAIN. What, must our mouths be cold?

GONZALO. The king and prince at prayers! let’s assist them,

For our case is as theirs.

SEBASTIAN.                                        I’m out of patience.

ANTONIO. We are merely cheated of our lives by drunkards:

This wide-chapp’d rascal,—would thou mightst lie drowning

The washing of ten tides!

GONZALO.                                          He’ll be hang’d yet,

Though every drop of water swear against it,

And gape at widest to glut him.

A confused noise within: “Mercy on us!”—“We split, we

split!”—“Farewell my wife and children!”—“Farewell,

brother!”—“We split, we split, we split!” (1.5.3-14)

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / Using short quotes and block quotes in MLA

Using short quotes and block quotes in MLA

Quotations (also known as quotes) are the exact words that are taken directly from a text and repeated by someone other than the original author. When you use the exact words and sentence structure as your source, you are quoting that source. When using quotes in your writing, you need to copy the words exactly as they appear in the source.

Quotes should be used sparingly because the majority of the text should be your own ideas. Keep quotations short and to the point to keep your readers interested. Quotes are most effective when the exact words of the source are particularly well suited for your purposes and back up your own ideas.

Short quotes vs. block quotes

There are several ways to incorporate quotations into your text. You can include short quotes of four lines or less, which are incorporated into your text and are set off from the text with quotation marks.

If the section you wish to quote is longer than four lines, you can use a block quote . Block quotes are set off from the text in a separate paragraph that has larger indents at the left margin.

The MLA Handbook says this about quotes:

Construct a clear, grammatically correct sentence that allows you to introduce or incorporate a quotation accurately. When you quote, reproduce the source text exactly. Do not make changes in the spelling, capitalization, interior punctuation, italicization, or accents that appear in the source. Generally place citations at the end of your sentence or quotation. (253)

The quote above from the MLA Handbook is formatted in block quote style.

When using quotes in your papers, you must include the author’s last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation is taken as an in-text citation, unless you have named the author is the sentence preceding the quote. A full reference should appear in your Works Cited page.

Using short quotes in MLA

When you want to cite a section of your source that is four lines or less, you set off the quote in the text with double quotation marks directly before and after the quoted material. End punctuation goes before the final quotation mark.

Quotations can be integrated into a text in several ways.

1. Use the quote as a sentence

She recalled the moment of her husband’s passing. “John was talking, then he wasn’t” (Didion 10).

2. Directly integrate the quote into the sentence

Didion writes that for many months, “there has been occasions on which I was incapable of thinking rationally” and that she was “thinking as small children think, as if my thoughts or wishes had the power to reverse the narrative, change the outcome” (35).

3. Place the quotation in the middle of the sentence

Joan Didion says that after returning to her apartment after her husband’s death, she felt that, “there must be certain things I needed to do,” when she got home from the hospital (28).

Guidelines that apply to all short quote formats:

• All punctuation should be the same in the quote as in the source text.
• The MLA in-text citation should always appear in parentheses at the end of your sentence, regardless of the location of the quote within the sentence.
• If the source does not use page numbers, do not include a number in the parenthetical citation.
• If the source does not have an author’s name, you should use the title of the work or the first item listed in the full reference in the parenthetical citation instead.
• Punctuation such as periods, commas, and semicolons are placed after the parenthetical citation.

Quoting poetry

When quoting up to three short lines of poetry, indicate breaks in verse by placing a forward slash at the end of each verse line. A space should precede and follow the slash. If there is a stanza break within the quotation, indicate this with a double slash ( // ).

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life?” (Oliver 94).

“What is my name? // What is the name of the deep breath I would take / over and over” (Oliver 125).

Block quotes

If you want to quote a section of text that is longer than four lines or a section of poetry that is longer than three lines, use a block quote. Block quotes are also used when quoting lines from a play.

You introduce the block quote with a sentence in your own words. You want to let your reader know who the quote is from and why you are including it.

Joan Didion ends her first chapter by laying out her goal for writing the book:

This is my attempt to make sense of the period that followed, the weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I had ever had about death, about illness, about probability and luck, about good fortune and bad, about marriage and children and memory, about grief, about the ways in which people do and do not deal with the fact that life ends, about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself. (7)

How to format a block quote

• Lead into the quote with a summary sentence that lets the reader know why you are including the quote.
• End the sentence before quote with a colon (unless the grammatical connection between the sentence leading into the quote requires some other punctuation or none at all).
• Start a new line.
• Indent the quote ½ inch or five spaces from the left margin for the entire quote (not just the first line).
• Do not use quotation marks.
• Double space the quote.
• Put the parenthetical citation after the final punctuation mark in the quote.
• Comment on the quote after using it. Do not end a paragraph with a block quote. You should always have text after it.

Adding or omitting words in quotations

• If you add words to a quotation, enclose them in brackets like [this].
• If you omit words in a quotation, use an ellipsis, which is three periods separated by spaces ( . . . ) to show where the words were removed.

You may want to add or omit words in quotations to make them clearer, shorten them, or help them to fit grammatically into your sentence.

Additional block quote formatting for prose

• If you are directly quoting one paragraph or part of one, do not indent the first line of the block quote more than the rest of the quote.
• If you are quoting two or more paragraphs and the first sentence of the quote is also the first sentence of a paragraph in the source, indent the first line of each paragraph an additional ½ inch or five spaces.
• If the first sentence of a multi-paragraph quote is not the first sentence of a paragraph in the source, indent only the first line of the second paragraph ½ inch or five spaces.

Formatting block quotes for poetry

Format it as you would prose unless the poem has unusual spacing or formatting.

• Indent ½ inch or five spaces from the left margin.
• Do not add any quotation marks unless they appear in the source.
• If the line of poetry does not fit on one line in the paper, continue it on the next line, but indent that line an additional ½ inch or five spaces (like a hanging indent).
• When citing longer sections of poetry, keep the formatting as close to the original as possible.

In her poem, Rain, Mary Oliver describes the sensation of rain on a tree:

All afternoon it rained, then

such power came down from the clouds

on a yellow thread,

as authoritative as God is supposed to be.

When it hit the tree, her body

Opened forever. (3)

Formatting block quotes for drama/plays

Formatting quotes from plays has slightly different rules than prose and poetry.

To format dialogue from plays:

• Begin with the name of the character speaking printed in all capital letters followed by a period.
• Start the quotation. If the line a character is saying needs more than one line, indent the subsequent lines a ½ inch or five spaces.
• Some lines of dialogue start with extra spaces between the character name and the first line of dialogue. Print the dialogue exactly as it appears in the play, including the extra spaces.
• When the dialogue shifts to a new character, follow the pattern above.
• For the in-text citation, cite the act, scene, and line of the quote instead of the page number.

ROMEO.                                     By a name

I know not how to tell thee who I am.

My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,

Because it is an enemy to thee.

Had I it written, I would tear the word.

JULIET. My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words

Of thy tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound.

Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?

ROMEO. Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike. (Shakespeare 2.2.54-61)

• Works Cited

Didion, Joan. A Year of Magical Thinking . Vintage International, 2006.

MLA Handbook.  9th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2021.

Oliver, Mary. New and Selected Poems. Vol. 1, Beacon Press, 2004.

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet . Arden Shakespeare , edited by René Weis, Bloomsbury, 2012, 118–338. Drama Online , https://doi.org/10.5040/9781408160152.00000039.

Published October 27, 2020. Updated July 18, 2021.

By Catherine Sigler. Catherine has a Ph.D. in English Education and has taught college-level writing for 15 years.

MLA Formatting Guide

MLA Formatting

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• et al Usage
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MLA Citation Style 9th Edition: Quotations

• Core Elements
• Audio Materials
• Books & eBooks
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Infographics, Maps, Charts, & Tables
• Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers (Oral Communication)
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
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• Personal Communications (including emails and interviews)
• Religious Works
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• Theses & Dissertations
• Websites (including documents/PDFs posted on websites)
• Works in Another Language / Translations
• No Author/Date/Etc.
• Sample Paper
• Annotated Bib.

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing.

Quoting  is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation. 

Paraphrasing  is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation. 

Quotation Examples

There are two basic formats that can be used when quoting a source:

Parenthetical Style:

Narrative Style:

Note: If there are no page numbers, as in a website, cite the author name only.

Long Quotations

A long or block quotation is a quotation which is 4 lines or more. 

Rules for Long Quotations

• The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
• The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
• There are no quotation marks around the quotation.
• The period at the end of the quotation comes before your in-text citation as opposed to after , as it does with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:

The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)

Modifying Quotations

Sometimes you may want to make some modifications to the quote to fit your writing. Here are some MLA rules when changing quotes:

Changing Quotations

Omitting parts of a quotation

If you would like to exclude some words from a quotation, replace the words you are not including with an ellipsis:  …

Adding words to a quote

If you are adding words that are not part of the original quote, enclose the additional words in square brackets: [XYZ]

• Using Quotations (The Learning Portal) Tip sheet on how and when to use quotations
• Paraphrasing (The Learning Portal) Tip sheet on paraphrasing information
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Module 7: MLA Citations

Mla block quotations, when to use a block quotation.

A typical quotation is enclosed in double quotation marks and is part of a sentence within a paragraph of your paper. However, if you want to quote more than four lines of prose (or three lines of verse) from a source, you should format the excerpt as a block quotation, rather than as a regular quotation within the text of a paragraph. Most of the standard rules for quotations still apply, with the following exceptions: a block quotation will begin on its own line, it will not be enclosed in quotation marks, and its in-text citation will come after the ending punctuation, not before it.

For example, if you wanted to quote the entire first paragraph of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland , you would begin that quotation on its own line and format it as follows:

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, ‘and what is the use of a book,’ thought Alice, ‘without pictures or conversations?’ (Carroll 98)

The full reference for this source would then be included in your Works Cited section at the end of your paper.

Formatting Block Quotations

The entire block quotation should be indented one inch from the left margin. The first line of the excerpt should not be further indented, unless you are quoting multiple paragraphs—in which case the first line of each quoted paragraph should be further indented 0.25 inches. As should the rest of your paper, a block quotation in MLA style should be double-spaced.

Block Quotations

Watch this video from Imagine Easy Solutions for more information on formatting block quotations.

• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• MLA: Block Quotations. Authored by : Catherine McCarthy. Provided by : Boundless. Located at : https://www.boundless.com/writing/textbooks/boundless-writing-textbook/writing-a-paper-in-mla-style-humanities-255/mla-structure-and-formatting-of-specific-elements-302/mla-block-quotations-310-16896/ . Project : Boundless Writing. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

ENGL001: English Composition I

Follow mla guidelines for block quotations.

While it's best to use your own words whenever possible, there are times when it becomes necessary to include large amounts of cited material. For example, when an author defines a specific term, or an well-known expert made an important statement. To cite large amounts of material, use a block quotation to set it apart from your own words. Read the following article for instructions on how to format a block quotation in MLA format.

When to Use a Block Quotation

When a writer chooses to include a long quotation – one that takes up four or more lines of text – it must be set off as a free standing block. As with any quotation a writer employs as evidence, the original text should contain relevant and compelling ideas that are expressed in vivid and concise language.

Block quotations should be used sparingly in longer essays and articles (multiple pages) and rarely in shorter works (1,500 words or less). Lengthy, wordy quotations should never be used simply to fill pages when the writer has little to say about the topic or issue.

How to Format a Block Quotation

• A block quotation is introduced with an informative, full-sentence signal phrase that ends with a colon.
• The entire free standing block of the quoted material is indented 1" from the left margin (10 spaces) and is double-spaced throughout.
• The first line of the quotation is not indented more than the following lines, unless two or more paragraphs are quoted.
• Quotation marks are not added at the beginning or end of the quotation.
• Example : These results deserve further investigation. (23)
• Add a concluding sentence or sentences after the block quotation to complete the paragraph.

Let's Look at an Example

In their investigation of the way the human mind deals with multitasking, Salvucci and Taatgen determined that driving is an act that requires drivers to engage in a variety of simultaneous subtasks; when drivers choose to add interaction with an electronic device to an already complex activity, the new demands on their minds can distract them from their primary task:

The heavy cognitive workload of driving suggests that any secondary task has the potential to affect driver behavior. Any concurrent task would necessarily involve procedural steps and thus, whether large or small, create additional cognitive workload. At the same time, not all secondary tasks are created equal, and we would expect some tasks to interfere with driving more than others. Not surprisingly, tasks involving significant visual demand have the greatest potential for negative effects on driver performance. (108) [1]

Thus, the researchers determined that the use of electronic devices – such as cell phones – while driving can possibly place enough additional demands on the drivers' mental capacity to compromise their ability to operate a vehicle safely.

[1] Salvucci, Dario D., and Niels A. Taatgen. Multitasking Mind. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2011. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) . Web. 20 Feb. 2012.

MLA Block Quotes Guide with Formats and Examples

Are you supposed to place a block quote in your paper but need to know how to go about it? Then this guide is for you.

One of the biggest challenges for most students when blocking quotes in MLA is properly putting them in the essay. A block text in MLA formatting is any text that is four words or more directly quoted from the source. The quotation is a way of showing the reader that the text is different from the main writing in your paper. When writing a block quote, you must use proper citations and formatting according to the MLA style.

The concept of block quotes can seem challenging yet it is widely used in academic and sometimes, professional writing. The good thing is that you can master the technique and properly apply what you have learned. This guide will walk you through making a block quote and how you can properly cite and format it in your paper. Keep reading to learn more.

What is MLA format?

MLA format is a style of academic writing developed by the Modern Language Association with guidelines on how to format manuscripts and cite research papers. MLA provides writers in the arts and humanities fields with a system for formatting and referencing their source through parenthetical citations within the content and in the Works Cited pages.

Like other academic writing styles, MLA style includes specific guidelines on how to write the paper's heading , in-text citation, quotations, work cited pages, sizes, and spacing of the paper, and abbreviations. This ensures that your paper is neat and that reader can easily follow and focus on the content of your argument. The purpose of MLA format is to do the following:

• Build your credibility as a writer by showing accountability to the source material
• Protect you against accusations of plagiarism

You should use MLA format for every assignment, including an essay outline, literature review, research proposal, and more. Ask your instructor if you are not using whether to use MLA formatting.

What is a Block Quote?

A block quote , also known as an extract or a long quotation , is a freestanding written text set off from the main text in a paper as a block of text. It is distinguished from the main text using indentation and a different font type, unlike the regular quotation type. Block quotations are normally used for long forms of texts. The citation style determines when and where to apply a block quote.

In MLA style formatting, a block quote is any quote with more than four lines. It is used when quoting the dialogue between characters in the play. When doing this, begin each part with the character's name and indent it 1/2 inch from the left margin. You should write all the names in capital letters and then follow them with a period.

The purpose of a block quote is to:

• Improve the paper's readability by separating lengthy quotations from the rest of the text.
• So that the quoted text is not mistaken for the original text.
• Show the quoted text that needs a special type of formatting

After writing the block quote, include a page number at the end after the ending period, the last name of the author, the date of publication, and the page number

Block Quote Format

A block quote follows the following format in MLA.

• The quote is always inserted on a new line. After writing the introduction or overview of the quite, start it in a new paragraph.
• Indent the block quote 0.5 inches or 0.5 cm from the left margin. This is done to differentiate the quote from the rest of the text and make it easy for the reader to easily identify it.
• Double-space the block quote. To achieve this, just highlight the entire quote, then click on the paragraph formatting button and select the line spacing of 2.0
• Then cite the whole quote.
• After successfully completing all the above, you can proceed with the rest of your text on a new line.

Steps to Make a Block Quote in MLA

The following steps will help you properly place a block quote in your paper.

1. Introduce the Quote

Since a block quote starts in its paragraph, you should give it a proper introduction. Write a sentence or two in your own words to tell the reader what it is all about and how it fits in your argument. This introductory sentence should then be followed with a comma. Use a colon if the quote is a continuation of your thoughts. However, if you are showing what the author said in the block quote, use a comma.

You can also introduce a block quote with a complete sentence ending with a period. Alternatively, an incomplete sentence transitions into another incomplete sentence before the start of the block text, thus forming a complete sentence.

2. Format the Quote

Like other text in your work, the block quote should be formatted. The block quotes should be doubled spaced on all lines. Do not add any extra space before or after the quote. The entire quote should also be indented 1/2 inch or 1.3 cm from the paper's left margin to look like a separate text. If you are using the word, you can indent the quote in the following ways:

Using the layout tab:

• Open the word document and select the text you are trying to highlight. Remember that this should be a long block of text begging on a new line.
• Go to the layout tab and on the indented part, select 0.5 inches on the left, or use the arrows to increase the sizes from 0- 0.5 inches.

Using the paragraph setting:

• Select the text you want to indent and right click then choose the paragraph.
• On the paragraph window, go to the indent and spacing tab and select 0.5 inches on the left indent.

The in-text citations should come after the closing punctuation mark. Maintain all the punctuation marks and capitalization as they appear in the original text. If you are quoting verse, keep the original line breaks. Place a period before the intent text (the parenthetical citation). Do not put ending punctuation after the parentheses. Let the MLA parenthetical citation guidelines direct you when writing the in-text citations.

3. Cite the Quote

Citations are a short, nice, and unique way of identifying an already published work. Citations involve certain elements, such as name, page number, etc., necessary for identifying and tracking publications. When writing a block quote, you must cite it properly. Add proper citations at the end of the block quotes after the final punctuation mark using the MLA style guide. According to the style guide, use the author's last name and the page number from where you took the quote. You should enclose the page number and the author's name in parentheses. Just write the page number as it is; there is no need to put any symbol to show it.

If any elements are missing from the source material, do not include them in your citation. These citations are important because they direct the reader to where you got the information. Every in-text citation you use should correspond with the source in the ‘Works Cited’ list. You should include the last line of your block quote.

Citing your block text is important because it helps in avoiding plagiarism. By citing your sources, you are telling the reader that you have borrowed the information from another author, thus giving them credit.

4. Comment on the Quote

When writing a block quote, you should not end it with a quote. You should use your own word to write a comment about your thoughts on the quote. This comment should help the reader connect the entire text with the block quote. Your comment might involve the following elements depending on the purpose of your paper:

• Analyzing the language used by the author you sourced the block quote from
• An explanation of the relationship between the bock quote and your paper’s argument
• Providing further information
• A summary of the point you are trying to make

Ensure you articulate your words well so the reader can understand.

5. Review the Quote

After writing a perfect completion text, you must review your quotes to determine that you have followed all the guidelines according to the MLA style. Check indentation and spacing, among others. Also, ensure it meets the proper standards for a block quote.

Related Reading: How to indent paragraphs in academic essays and papers.

Tips for Citing a Block Quote

When writing block quotes, there are certain tips that you need to follow the tips below:

• Don’t add any quotation marks that are not included in the source material
• If you are writing poetry in a block text that is too long to fit within the page's right margin, let it continue on the next line but make sure it is indented an additional ¼.
• The punctuation placed at the end of the block quote should go before the in-text citation.
• When citing long sections of poetry that are more than four lines, make sure you format it as close to the original as possible.
• If the source you are quoting does not have a page number, you should provide a paragraph number, for example (para. 2), or place other identifiers, such as a chapter.

Where and When to Use Block Quotes

A standard quotation is enclosed as part of your sentence within a paragraph and is enclosed in double quotation marks. However, if you are planning to quote more than three lines of verse or more than four lines of prose from your source material, you should put it in a block quote instead of the regular quotation.

Keep in mind that the standard rules for normal quotations will still apply with the exception that it meets the rules for block quotes as set out by the styling guide.

If your block text involves more than one paragraph, you should indent the first line of the new paragraph just as you would in the main text. If you are citing more than one paragraph, maintain the block quotation format, even if the paragraphs only have less than four lines. Please note that you should indent an extra 1/4 inch if you cite more than one paragraph to show the reader that you are starting a new paragraph.

To better visually distinguish a block text from regular text, ensure you leave an extra line above and below the block quotes.  

Always remember that block quotes should be used sparingly, especially since you must show that you can express your ideas without relying on others.

Block quotes are used when:

• The style is important in your writing context
• Analyzing the responses of participants in a social science-based research
• Conducting textual analysis

Final Remarks

A block quote is any text that is four or more lines. You must cite and format a block quote according to the style of writing used.

Block quotes are an important part of academic writing when used properly. They are used to show quotes text separate from the main text in a paper. They add depth to your essay or research paper. It also adds strength and helps readers understand your thesis.

Related Reading:

• How to make an MLA cover page
• Sample MLA essay on social network communications
• Sample MLA Essay
• How to title a Movie in an MLA paper or essay

Remember that even though they have many advantages in a paper, overusing them is not good. The exact number of block quotes to use will depend on the specific instruction from your instructor.

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How long is a Block Quote?

In MLA format, a block quote should be more than four lines of prose and three lines of verse. Only two block quotes can be used in an MLA paper, but this will depend on the length of your paper.

Can I Omit Some Words in a Block Quote?

Yes. You can omit some words in a block quote as a way to shorten it. Use ellipses to show the reader that you have omitted some words. The three dots should be proceeded and followed by space. Please keep in mind that there is no need to add brackets around the ellipses unless you are trying to provide more clarity. If you are writing poetry, use a single line of periods the same length as the poem to indicate that you have omitted some words. However, as you do this, make sure you do not change the original meaning of the author or eliminate some important texts.

Can I Use Quotes Within a Block Quote?

Yes. In MLA format, you cannot use quotation marks to enclose the block quote. However, if there is quoted text within the block quote, it should appear in double quotation marks.

How Do I Create a Block Quote in a Word Document?

You should start a block quote on a new line and indent it ½ an inch from the margin. It should be double-spaced and without any quotation marks. You can achieve this by:

• Clicking enters before the first word of the quote and at the end of the last word of the quote.
• Highlight the whole quote and click on the layout menu.
• Choose indent 0.5 on the indented menu.

Another way to do this is by using the ruler method. Moving the ruler 0.5 inches from the left margin. Then place the ruler an extra 0.25 inches on the subsequent paragraphs when writing a quote of more than one paragraph.

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How do I punctuate quoted dialogue from a novel?

How you punctuate quoted dialogue from a novel will depend on what you are quoting and how you are quoting it. See the three most common considerations below.

Quoting Dialogue and Text

If you are incorporating a quotation featuring both exposition and a character’s speech into your text, use double quotation marks around the quotation and single quotation marks around the character’s speech that is within the quotation:

Early in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s  The Great Gatsby ,   Miss Baker, upon meeting Nick Carraway, makes the first reference in the novel to the title character: “‘You live in West Egg,’ she remarked contemptuously. ‘I know somebody there’” (11).

Quoting Only Dialogue

If you quote only the speech, use double quotation marks around it:

Early in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s  The Great Gatsby , Miss Baker tells Nick Carraway that he must be familiar with someone she knows from West Egg: “You must know Gatsby” (11).

Using Block Quotes

When quoting dialogue from a novel, set the quotation off from your text as a block if each character’s speech starts on a new line in the source. Indent the extract half an inch from the left margin, as you would any block quotation. If a character’s speech runs onto a new line, as it does below, indent each line of dialogue an additional half an inch. Use double quotation marks around the spoken words : 

Early in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s  The Great Gatsby , Miss Baker tells the narrator, Nick Carraway, that she knows someone from his town: “You live in West Egg,” she remarked contemptuously. “I know somebody there.” “I don’t know a single–” “You must know Gatsby.” “Gatsby?” demanded Daisy. “What Gatsby?” (11) Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 1953.

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MLA General Format 

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MLA Style specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and citing research in writing. MLA Style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages. 

Writers who properly use MLA also build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material produced by other writers. 

If you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the  MLA Handbook  (9th edition). Publishing scholars and graduate students should also consult the  MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing  (3rd edition). The  MLA Handbook  is available in most writing centers and reference libraries. It is also widely available in bookstores, libraries, and at the MLA web site. See the Additional Resources section of this page for a list of helpful books and sites about using MLA Style.

Paper Format

The preparation of papers and manuscripts in MLA Style is covered in part four of the  MLA Style Manual . Below are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in  MLA Style :

General Guidelines

• Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
• Double-space the text of your paper and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are each distinct from one another. The font size should be 12 pt.
• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise prompted by your instructor).
• Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
• Indent the first line of each paragraph one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the “Tab” key as opposed to pushing the space bar five times.
• Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number on your first page. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.)
• Use italics throughout your essay to indicate the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, provide emphasis.
• If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. Entitle the section Notes (centered, unformatted).

Formatting the First Page of Your Paper

• Do not make a title page for your paper unless specifically requested or the paper is assigned as a group project. In the case of a group project, list all names of the contributors, giving each name its own line in the header, followed by the remaining MLA header requirements as described below. Format the remainder of the page as requested by the instructor.
• In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor's name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text.
• Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. Write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.
• Use quotation marks and/or italics when referring to other works in your title, just as you would in your text. For example:  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas  as Morality Play; Human Weariness in "After Apple Picking"
• Double space between the title and the first line of the text.
• Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number. Number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor or other readers may ask that you omit the last name/page number header on your first page. Always follow instructor guidelines.)

Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:

The First Page of an MLA Paper

Section Headings

Writers sometimes use section headings to improve a document’s readability. These sections may include individual chapters or other named parts of a book or essay.

MLA recommends that when dividing an essay into sections you number those sections with an Arabic number and a period followed by a space and the section name.

MLA does not have a prescribed system of headings for books (for more information on headings, please see page 146 in the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing , 3rd edition). If you are only using one level of headings, meaning that all of the sections are distinct and parallel and have no additional sections that fit within them, MLA recommends that these sections resemble one another grammatically. For instance, if your headings are typically short phrases, make all of the headings short phrases (and not, for example, full sentences). Otherwise, the formatting is up to you. It should, however, be consistent throughout the document.

If you employ multiple levels of headings (some of your sections have sections within sections), you may want to provide a key of your chosen level headings and their formatting to your instructor or editor.

Sample Section Headings

The following sample headings are meant to be used only as a reference. You may employ whatever system of formatting that works best for you so long as it remains consistent throughout the document.

Formatted, unnumbered:

Level 1 Heading: bold, flush left

Level 2 Heading: italics, flush left

Level 3 Heading: centered, bold

Level 4 Heading: centered, italics

Level 5 Heading: underlined, flush left