Formatting a Block Quote
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The Online Writing Center

Created Mar 22, 2024

Formatting a Block Quote

Formatting a block quote is the same for both APA and MLA formats! The only difference: in MLA, quotations become block quotes at 4 or more lines of prose and 3 or more lines of poetry, and in APA, quotations become block quotes at 40 or more words.

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Google Docs

10 Steps
1

On a new line below the paragraph where you're inserting this block quote, right click on your paper and select Paste without formatting (Ctrl+Shift+V).

On a new line below the paragraph where you're inserting this block quote, right click on your paper and select Paste without formatting (Ctrl+Shift+V).
2

Paste your quote into the paper.

Paste your quote into the paper.
3

Highlight the quote.

Highlight the quote.
4

Click on Format

Click on Format
5

Click on Align & indent…

Click on Align & indent…
6

Click on Indentation options

Click on Indentation options
7

Type "0.5" in Left

Type "0.5" in Left
8

Type "0.5" in Right

Type "0.5" in Right
9

Click on Apply

Click on Apply
10

Once back onto your paper, add the citation to the end of the quote after the last punctuation. This is one of the only cases where the citations follows the punctuation instead. There are no quotation marks on block quotes!

In APA: (Last Name, Year, page number)

In MLA (Last Name page number)

Well done!
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