How to Format a Block Quote in MLA Style
MLA Block Quote Formatting Overview
To format a block quote in MLA, start the quote on a new line, indent the entire block 0.5 inches from the left margin, and omit quotation marks. Maintain double-spacing and place the parenthetical citation after the final period. Use this format for prose exceeding four lines or poetry exceeding three lines.
Step 1: Determine if a Block Quote is Required
Check the length of your excerpt before applying block formatting. For prose, you must use a block quote if the text runs longer than four lines on your page. For poetry, use a block quote if you are citing more than three lines. If your quote is shorter than these limits, keep it within the paragraph using standard quotation marks. Avoid overusing block quotes; they should only be used when the specific wording of a long passage is essential to your analysis. If you can paraphrase or use a partial quote, do so to maintain your essay's flow.
Step 2: Introduce the Quote with a Colon
Write an introductory sentence that provides context for the quote. In MLA style, you typically introduce a block quote with a complete sentence followed by a colon. This signal phrase should explain how the quote supports your argument. Avoid using fragments or simple phrases like "He said:" to start a block quote. Instead, use an analytical lead-in that prepares the reader for the evidence you are about to present. Ensure the transition between your prose and the block quote is logical and grammatically sound.
Step 3: Apply Indentation and Remove Quotation Marks
Start the quote on a new line and indent the entire block 0.5 inches from the left margin. In most word processors, this is one hit of the 'Tab' key or a single increment on the ruler. Remove the quotation marks from the beginning and end of the passage; the indentation itself signals to the reader that the text is a direct quote. If the original text contains a quote within it, use double quotation marks for that internal quote. Ensure the entire block remains double-spaced, matching the rest of your document's formatting.
Step 4: Place the Parenthetical Citation Correctly
Position the citation at the very end of the block. Unlike standard short quotes where the period follows the citation, in an MLA block quote, the period comes before the citation. Leave one space after the period, then include the author's last name and the page number in parentheses. Do not put a period after the parentheses. This unique punctuation rule is one of the most common places students lose points. If the author's name is mentioned in the introductory sentence, only the page number is required in the parentheses.
Example: Prose Block Quote
In 'The Great Gatsby', Fitzgerald describes the hollow nature of the wealthy through Nick's observations:
They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. (Fitzgerald 179)
Nick concludes his narrative by reflecting on the cyclical nature of human ambition.Common Block Quote Mistakes to Avoid
- Incorrect Punctuation Placement: Do not place the period after the citation. In block quotes, the period must precede the parentheses.
- Adding Extra Spacing: Do not add extra line breaks before or after the block quote. It should follow the standard double-spacing of your essay.
- Floating Quotes: Never let a block quote stand alone. You must introduce it with your own words and follow it with analysis.
- Maintaining Paragraph Indents: If the block quote starts a new paragraph in the original source, indent the first line an additional 0.5 inches. Otherwise, keep the left margin flush at the 0.5-inch mark.
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