MLA Block Quotes

Any text directly cited from another work that is four lines or longer in your paper should be formatted as a block quote. This handout will show you when and how to do this. WHEN: Here is a quote inserted in the text that should raise an immediate red flag:

Over 4 lines in the text! Time to make it a block quote. . .

HOW:
1 margins on both sides.

Beginning of paragraph .5 indent. Generally a colon opens a block quote.

Block quote all indented (.5). The citation always comes after the end punctuation of the quote.

Paragraph continues Do not indent.

Notice: No quotation marks are used. The quote is double-spaced for MLA.*
* You may see an article that single-spaces block quotes, but it is following the Chicago Manual of Style instead of MLA guidelines. This information is only for MLA prose citations. This guide was created using the 7th edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. For more information, check out the latest edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.