essay block quotes

MLA Style Guide: 8th Edition: Block Quote

• Works Cited examples
• Direct Quote

Block Quote

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• Indirect Quote
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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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Block Quotations, Part 1: How to Introduce Block Quotations

By Erin Wright

The Purpose of Block Quotations

Although block quotations were originally a typesetting mechanism, 1 today they serve three purposes: (1) improve readability by visually separating lengthy quotations from the surrounding text, (2) help to ensure that the quoted material is not mistaken for original content, and (3) display quoted material that may need special formatting such as letters reproduced in their entirety or short excerpts of poetry or song lyrics.

Block Quotation Lengths

Generally, long quotations should be formatted as block quotations and short quotations should be formatted as run-in quotations. However, our primary style guides are not on the same page when it comes to defining “long” and “short.”

The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends using block quotations for all quoted material over ninety-nine words, multi-paragraph quotations (even if less than a hundred words), and content that needs special formatting. 2 Readers who follow Chicago’s student version, commonly called Turabian, should see the Style Guide Alert below.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style) suggests using block quotations for all quoted material exceeding thirty-nine words. 3

The MLA Handbook advises block quotations for quoted prose that runs over four lines or poetry that runs more than three lines. 4 Unfortunately, line length can vary dramatically when viewed on different mobile devices, so this recommendation isn’t particularly helpful outside of printed academic projects.

Style Guide Alert

Chicago’s student version, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian, differs from the original manual on the length of block quotations.

Turabian recommends using block quotations for any prose quotation of five lines or more and any poetry quotation of two lines or more. Like the original manual, Turabian says that shorter quotations can be placed in block quotations if special emphasis is needed. 5

With apologies to longtime readers who have read this many times before, if you are wondering which style guide to follow , I always recommend Chicago style first because it is a comprehensive and versatile option for general business writing as well as most fiction and nonfiction publishing.

How to Introduce Block Quotations

Block quotations that start with a complete sentence are usually introduced with a complete sentence ending with a colon . 6

(All of the examples below use Lorem ipsum placeholder text to maintain emphasis on formatting.)

“ Block Quotations, Part 2: How to Format Block Quotations ” covers structural issues such as indentation sizes, quotation mark usage, multi-paragraph indentation, and citation placement.

“ Block Quotations, Part 3: Block Quotation Issues and Concerns ” discusses special considerations when using block quotations such as copyright issues, reader expectations, and alternative options.

If you just can’t get enough of quotations (because, seriously, who can get enough of quotations?), check out my last post, “ How to Introduce Run-in Quotations .”

1. “ Block Quotation ,” Wikipedia , last modified October 24, 2018.

2. The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 13.10.

3. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2020), 8.27.

4. MLA Handbook , 8th ed. (New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2016), 1.3.2–3.

5. Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , 9th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018), 25.2, 25.2.2, 25.2.2.2.

6. MLA Handbook , 1.3.2.

7. The Chicago Manual of Style , 13.17 .

8. The Chicago Manual of Style ,13.20.

9. The Chicago Manual of Style , 13 . 23.

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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

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How to Format a Block Quote

Last Updated: December 28, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 586,484 times.

Formatting a block quote may seem daunting, but it’s actually quite easy. How you format the block quote depends on which style you are using: Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychology Association (APA), or Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago). All 3 styles format block quotes in similar ways, although there are slight differences between each one.

Block Quote Examples

Forming a Block Quote in MLA

• For example, if you are quoting the first stanza from Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” you should use a block quote, because it is longer than 3 lines.
• Another example might be if you are quoting a paragraph from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. If the paragraph is more than 4 lines, use a block quote.

• "Roland Barthes sought to understand the difference between cinema and photography:"
• "In his novel White Jacket , Herman Melville argues,"

My interest in photography took a more cultural turn. I decided I liked photography in opposition to the Cinema, from which I nonetheless failed to separate it. This question grew insistent. I was overcome by an "ontological" desire: I wanted to learn at all costs what photography was "in itself."

• If you are quoting more than one paragraph, indent the first line of each paragraph another 1 ⁄ 4 inch (0.64 cm). [4] X Research source

• See fox jump; over the hill. Unlike the dipping sun; setting slowly still. (Pool 2)

• "I was overcome by an "ontological" desire: I wanted to learn at all costs what photography was "in itself." (Barthes 3)"

Making a Block Quote in APA

• On a word processor like Microsoft Word, you can highlight the quote and click “Word Count” under “Review” or “Proofing.” This will tell you how many words are in the quote.
• For example, if you are quoting a long paragraph from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , you should use a block quote.

• In Morgan’s 2013 study, he stated,
• Morgan (2013) found that:
• Some studies disagreed with these findings:

• If you are citing multiple paragraphs, indent the first line of the quotation by an additional 1 ⁄ 2 inch (1.3 cm).

The scent of lavender reduced stress by 20%. Individuals who were exposed had lower heart rates and blood pressure compared to the control group. Lavender also decreased the amount of time it took for subjects to fall asleep in clinical studies. (p. 112)

The scent of lavender reduced stress by 20%. Individuals who were exposed had lower heart rates and blood pressure compared to the control group. Lavender also decreased the amount of time it took for subjects to fall asleep in clinical studies. (Jones, 1998, p. 112)

Forming a Block Quote in Chicago Style

• For example, if you are quoting a 7 line paragraph from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre , you should use a block quote.

• In many ways, the text creates a distinction between the seen and unseen:
• In response, Jones said,

• If you are citing multiple paragraphs, indent the first line of the quotation by an additional ¼ inch (0.64 cm). Indent the first line of each successive paragraph the same way.

• Peterson, Mary. Effects of Smoking on the Body. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1984.
• (Peterson, 118)

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• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_quotations.html
• ↑ https://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/cited.htm
• ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/03/
• ↑ https://butlercc.libguides.com/c.php?g=220263&p=1458165
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations
• ↑ https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/block-quotations
• ↑ https://www.una.edu/writingcenter/docs/Writing-Resources/Introduction%20to%20Chicago-Turabian%20Style.pdf
• ↑ https://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/docs/handouts/Chicago%20Style.pdf

About This Article

To format a block quote in MLA, start by introducing the quote with a short sentence that ends with a colon or comma. Then, insert the quote on a new line without quotation marks. After you insert the quote, indent the entire block of text so it's 1/2 an inch from the left margin. The block quote should also be double-spaced like the rest of your paper. At the end of the quote, add the author's last name and the page number in parentheses. To learn how to format a block quote in APA and Chicago Style, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• Writing Tips

Writing Tips: How to Use Block Quotes

• 2-minute read
• 19th March 2018

Quoting sources is crucial in academic writing . It shows you’ve read up on your subject. It also lets you back up arguments with evidence and ideas from other people. But if you’re quoting a long passage of text, there are rules you need to follow to make sure your work is presented correctly .

That’s why we’ve prepared this handy guide on how (and when) to use block quotes.

What are Block Quotes?

Block quotes are longer passages of quoted text that have been set apart from your own writing. This ensures that the reader does not confuse the quoted text with your own writing.

When Should I Use a Block Quote?

Generally speaking, block quotes should be used sparingly. This is particularly true in academic writing, since you need to show you can express your ideas in your own words .

However, quoting a longer passage now and then is fine, especially if your arguments rely on how something is worded (e.g., when analyzing a literary text).

A good rule of thumb is using a block quote for quotations that are more than 40 words long. If you’re using a particular style guide, though, it might have specific guidelines. For example:

How to Present Block Quotes

The exact rules for formatting block quotes may depend on the style guide you’re using (always make sure to check if you’re not sure). However, there are a few guidelines that apply in most cases:

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• Start the block quote on a new line (typically after a colon or comma)
• Indent the block of text from the left margin (usually by around half an inch)
• Don’t use quote marks, but cite the source as usual
• Indent the first line of each paragraph after the first if quoting more than one

After the block quote, simply resume your own text on a new line with standard formatting.

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how to use block quotes

Supporting your arguments with long quotes in mla, apa, and chicago styles.

So, you’re writing an academic paper. You’ve gone to the library, done your research, and pinpointed the right sources to write a solid thesis statement and support it throughout your essay. Most of those sources have ideas you can easily paraphrase or a sentence or two you want to use in your own work. Sometimes, however, there are whole paragraphs that you just couldn’t say better yourself. That’s why it’s important to know how to use block quotes. 

The problem? Using them is tricky. Their presentation varies from one citation style to the next, and even knowing when to use them requires a pretty thorough knowledge of writing rulebooks—unless you have this article on hand. We’ll share what block/long quotes are and when and how to use them below, so you’ll never have to puzzle over it again. 

What Are Block Quotes?

When writing an academic research paper, essay, or article, you should back up your arguments with direct quotations from your sources. You can do this with primary sources (a first-hand account by an author) and secondary sources (an analysis of the primary source). 

Most of the time, you can pull short quotations or paraphrase a text, especially in a short essay. But sometimes it’s necessary to include more extensive textual evidence from your source. That’s where block quotes come in. 

A block quote is a direct quotation with a specific length. You should only utilize this it if the text is longer than four lines ( MLA ), five lines ( Chicago/Turabian ), or 40 words ( APA ). Each academic style manual also has its own rules regarding how to format the long quotation. As a general rule, you should separate the block quotation from the rest of the text by a space above and below, and don’t use quotation marks. We’ll go into more detail later in this guide on formatting depending on the academic style required for your paper.

While these are handy tools for communicating big ideas, you should use block quotes sparingly in an academic paper. Only use them when you can not capture or rephrase the idea without using the entirety of the original material. 

How to Use Block Quotes

As with any quotation, you should introduce the author and source of the passage before using it in the paper. Then follow it with your own analysis of what the text’s author is saying.

For example, if you’re working with a poem, introduce the context for the poem before the quotation. Lead into it with a specific reason for why you’re using it in your paper. Then follow the long quotation with a detailed explication or close reading of the poem.

Sound easy? There’s a bit more nuance to using them in your essay. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

First, Give an Introduction

You'll want to explain why you're about to cite a longer quotation to your reader. Introduce it in your own words and state its purpose in the broader argument of your essay. If you haven't discussed the text or author yet, make sure to include an introduction to both before the quoted material appears. This helps contextualize your research and orient your reader. Use a colon to separate the introduction and the block quote. 

Next, Format and Cite

Long quotes stand out from the rest of the content in your essay. In order to be easily read, style manuals call for writers to indent block quotes. MLA, APA, and Chicago styles require a half-inch (0.5) indent on the left margin and no indent on the right margin. Both MLA and APA require double-spacing; for Chicago style, single space the quotation. There are additional rules per style guide for multiple paragraphs and drama dialogue. 

To cite the original source, use author page formatting in all three citation styles. Author page formatting includes the author and page number: (Fitzgerald, 133). If you already cited the author and the work you’re quoting in the same paragraph, you can use the page number instead: (133). Include the inline citation on the last line of the quote, after the closing punctuation. 

Analyze the Quote

The subsequent paragraph following the quoted text should return to standard formatting. Now comes the part where you apply the block quotation to the central thesis of your essay. You chose this quotation for a reason. You should explicitly use the quotation to support your argument, launch into deep analysis, argue for or against the ideas expressed in the text, or work as an example of something specific in your paper.

General Example

Following the steps above, here’s an example of how to create a prose quote block in MLA:

Near the end of Brontë's Jane Eyre , the protagonist realizes she needs to leave her safe home and the man she loves. This is because his marriage to another woman and social standing put her at a disadvantage. However, Jane does not leave without a fight: 

Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you! (Bronte, 301). 

Jane argues that her moral righteousness and strength of spirit are worth more than his material wealth. She will settle for no less than fair, honest love between them. In this argument with Mr. Rochester, she reclaims her dignity after he nearly tricks her into an illegal marriage.

When to Use Block Quotes

Quotations from prose.

Prose block quotes include quotations from any kind of primary prose source, from a novel to a letter to a magazine article. This is most commonly used in essays. You may use prose quotes to support your argument or argue against a secondary source, like an academic article. 

Quotations from Poetry

You should use block quotes of poetry when quoting more than four poetic lines in MLA or two lines in Chicago Style. You’ll generally want to go line by line and use short quotations for close reading. However, longer excerpts are handy if you're analyzing an entire stanza to talk about the rhyme scheme and meter . They are also helpful for explaining sections of a long poem, like an epic.

Here’s an example of how to use long quotes for a poem in MLA:

Elizabeth Bishop concludes her masterful villanelle “ One Art ” with a quatrain that brings all the echoes of loss throughout the poem together:

-Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident

the art of losing’s not too hard to master

though it may look like ( Write it!) like disaster. (Bishop, “One Art)

She brings a catalog of lost things-which grow progressively worse as she moves through the poem's stanzas-to a close with losing a loved one. While the language in the stanza implies that the speaker is starting to lose her composure, "I shan't have lied" (line 17), she stays mostly faithful to the elaborate villanelle rhyme scheme. Her dedication to the form echoes her commitment to what she loves, even lost loves.

Quotations from Drama or Plays

In plays, a new speaker prompts a line break. Because of this, you’ll need to use long quotes if you’re citing a scene between two characters. In this case, be sure to include the character names in the quoted text. If only one character is speaking in your quotation and it exceeds the set length for the academic style you’re using, format it like prose.

Here’s an example of how to use block quotes in a drama dialogue using MLA style rules:

In Brian Friel’s Philadelphia, Here I Come , the main character, Gar, speaks to the audience with a public persona and speaks to himself in an inner monologue. This is apparent from the start of the play:

PRIVATE ( now on ). Just think, Gar.

PUBLIC. Think...

PRIVATE. Think... Up in that big bugger of a jet, with its snout pointing straight fo the States, and its tail belching smoke over Ireland; and you sitting up in front ( Public acts this ) with your competent fingers poised over the controls; and then away down below in the Atlantic you see a bloody bugger of an Irish boat out fishing for bloody pollock and- (Friel, 5). 

Friel sets up this device to explore Gar’s range of emotions as he prepares to leave his home in a small town in County Donegal, Ireland, to live with his aunt in Philadelphia. Gar is ready to take on the world and fly into an adventure, yet this cheeky conversation between his public and private self reflects on what he will leave behind.

Block Quote Rules by Citation Style

MLA is an academic writing style designed and managed by the Modern Language Association. At the moment, the current version of MLA is MLA 9 , which came out in 2021. If you're a student writing about language and literature in any language, literary criticism, or cultural studies, you should use this citation style. (Note that this guide primarily uses examples in MLA because literature students frequently work with prose, poetry, and drama.) 

Block quotes in MLA are:

• On a new line, with a space before and after the quoted text
• Indented 0.5 inches
• Double spaced
• Cited inline on the last line of the quotation

Plays have special instructions for quoted material laid out in this useful article . 

The American Psychological Association maintains the APA style. As such, it’s used for academic papers in the social sciences. Students who use this style are usually studying psychology, sociology, or social work. The current edition is APA 7, which came out in 2019. Because APA format is for social science fields, the inline citation also includes the publication year for the source. Writers rarely use APA for poetry and drama citations.

Long quotes in APA follow the same general rules as MLA (0.5 inch indent, double spaced, cited inline). However, it must contain 40 words or more. The full APA online style guide on quotations has more information on all style rules for APA. 

Here’s an example of an APA block quotation from an article from Psychology Today :

Psychologists recently began recognizing a new condition associated with neurodiversity and feelings of rejection. This new condition is called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), and Dr. Andrea Bonior of Psychology Today describes the condition as follows:

People with RSD have such a strong emotional reaction to negative judgments, exclusion, or criticism from others that it sends them into a mental tailspin, leading to rumination and the pit-of-the-stomach malaise that won't let them move forward with their day. They feel like failures, disproportionate to what has actually occurred. They may feel rage and want to lash out. They often exaggerate how people are against them, or how much people dislike them, or they carry long-term shame. (Bonior, 2019, p. 1). 

Bonior’s article details the general symptoms of RSD so other psychologists can learn more about this new condition. However, RSD is not yet recognized by the DSM 5. For this reason, people outside the field of psychology dismiss it. This is likely because RSD is comorbid with neurodiverse conditions like ADHD and autism, which are invisible disabilities. 

How to use Chicago Manual/Turabian

Chicago University Press maintains the Chicago style. Students of history, fine art, and archaeology use this style. The most recent version is the 17th edition.

Chicago style is unique because:

• The text is single-spaced
• The inline citation is a footnote

Long quotes for poetry and drama also have unique rules for the Chicago style , since historians and artists frequently need to cite works of literature. 

Here’s an example of a Chicago style prose block quote:

At the start of the Easter Rising, on April 24, 1916, the leaders of the independence movement laid out their aims:

The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally and oblivious of the differences carefully fostered by an alien government, which have divided a minority from the majority in the past.

This document was clearly Ireland’s declaration of itself, not just as a sovereign nation but as a modern state. Patrick Pearse and the writers of this “Proclamation of Independence” envisioned Ireland as an egalitarian nation, independent of colonial rule, and revising the mistakes of the American “Declaration of Independence.” ¹

¹ Patrick Pearse, “Proclamation of Independence,” Gov.ie. Government of Ireland, November 19, 2018, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/bfa965-proclamation-of-independence/. (February 23, 2022).

Frequently Asked Questions About Block Quotes

Why don't we use quotation marks in block quotes.

Because they stand out on the page, we don't need quotation marks to designate them. If there are quotes within it, such as a quotation from a literary critic that includes a citation from a novel, follow the instructions for your required style guide. You will likely use single quotation marks within the quoted text.

How many block quotes are too many?

You should use block quotes to make essential points in your essay. However, if you use too many without complete analysis to back up their use, your teacher may suspect you're using them for bulking up an essay. You should avoid using them in a short essay and limit their use to one every other page in longer papers. 

Which style guide should I use?

Which style guide you use is usually determined by your teacher or professor and the paper's subject. If you're unsure, ask your professor. Visit your college's writing center if questions persist.

How do I stay up to date with the style guides?

Check out the MLA , APA , and Chicago Manuel of Style (CMOS) websites to stay up to date on the latest style guides and conditions.

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MLA Block Quotes – Formatting Explained (8th Edition)

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Block quotes in MLA style are used when quoting an extensive text block, usually exceeding four lines of prose or three lines of verse. When using an MLA block quote, the quote should follow the specific format presented in this article. Block quoting allows for the seamless integration of longer quotations while maintaining the visual integrity of your paper, helping your readers to distinguish between your words and the quoted material.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 MLA Block Quotes – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition and Requirements for MLA Block Quotes
• 3 Steps to MLA Block Quotes
• 4 MLA Block Quoting Poetry or Plays
• 5 Quotes Inside MLA Block Quotes
• 6 Shortening MLA Block Quotes

MLA Block Quotes – In a Nutshell

• MLA block quotes are used when the quote text exceeds four lines.
• MLA block quotes are used when a poem has more than three lines.
• The left edge of MLA block quotes is indented by 0.5 inches.
• If the source material does not have quotation marks, it should not be used.

Definition and Requirements for MLA Block Quotes

When including lengthy quotations in an MLA document, they must be formatted as block quotes. The eighth edition of this style manual mandates MLA block quotes formatting for:

• Poetry quotations longer than three lines
• Prose quotes longer than four lines

MLA block quotes begin on a new line, are indented 0.5 inches, and do not contain quotation marks. The MLA in-text citation should be placed following the period after the block quotation.

Steps to MLA Block Quotes

Follow these four basic steps to create MLA block quotes:

Step 1: Introducing the Block Quote

Always preface MLA block quotes with your words. Start with a phrase or two explaining why you’re using the quote and how it relates to your thesis. Insert a colon after the introductory statement, then begin the quotation on a new line.

Step 2: Formatting of the Block Quote

Like the rest of your document, MLA block quotes should be double-spaced. Use a half-inch indentation to the left of the page for the complete quote. All capitalization, punctuation, and line breaks must be preserved from the source material.

Step 3: Correctly Citing the Block Quote

Add an in-text MLA citation immediately before the final punctuation point after the quotation. This section includes the author(s) and the page(s) from which the quotation is drawn. Each citation inside the text must relate to an entry in the Works Cited list.

Step 4: Analyzing the Block Quote

Underneath the block quotation, include an analysis or commentary on the quoted material. Never conclude a paragraph with a block quotation; always begin and end with your own words.

MLA Block Quoting Poetry or Plays

You should use MLA block quotes if you wish to quote a chunk of text longer than four lines or a section of poetry longer than three lines. The MLA block quote format is also utilized when citing lines from a play. Always introduce MLA block quotes with your own words. You should inform the reader the source and purpose of the quotation.

Block Quoting Excerpts of Books

• When directly quoting a paragraph, the initial line of the block quote should not be indented more than the rest of the sentence.
• When quoting two or more paragraphs, indent the first opening sentence of each paragraph half an inch, or five spaces.
• Indent the first line of the second paragraph of a multi-paragraph quote by half an inch, if the first sentence is not the first sentence of a section.

Poetry Block Quotes

Unless the poetry contains irregular spacing or formatting, format it as you would any other piece of prose:

• Indent 0.5 inches or five spaces from the left margin.
• Do not use quotation marks unless they are included in the source.
• If the line of poetry does not fit on a single line of the paper, continue it on the following line, but add a hanging indent.
• When citing more significant portions of poetry, format the citation as closely as feasible to the original.

Block Quoting Plays and Dramas

MLA block quotes from plays are formatted slightly differently than those from prose or poetry.

To format the dialogue in plays:

• Use a half-inch (five-space) left margin indent.
• Start with the character’s name in all capital characters, followed by a period.
• If a character spans multiple lines, indent the successive lines by a half-inch or five spaces.
• If there are blank lines at the start of a dialogue sequence after the character’s name.
• Include all of the extra spaces in your copy of the printed script.
• The above format should be used when the conversation moves on to a new character.
• Avoid using page numbers when referencing text and instead refer to the specific act, scene, and line.

Quotes Inside MLA Block Quotes

To block quote a passage that includes a quote, you must use quotation marks around the inner quote.

Similar to his introduction of Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s initial description of Daisy swiftly conveys her attraction and charm:

I laughed along with her ridiculous, endearing giggle and stepped forward into the room. “My happiness has rendered me p-paralyzed.” She laughed again, as if she had said something clever, and held my hand for a time while gazing up into my face, assuring me that there was no one else in the world she desired to see more. This was one of her ways. (Fitzgerald 11)

Shortening MLA Block Quotes

You can abbreviate MLA block quotes by adding ellipses (…) to denote that some material has been omitted. If you condense a quote like this, ensure that you do not alter the author’s original intent or omit crucial context. If you wish to omit a line of poetry, you can denote this with a line of periods roughly the same length as the line.

I adore sun-kissed nations,

………………………………..

Regarding jagged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and torrential downpours.

How Long are MLA Block Quotes?

• When citing more than four lines from a source in MLA format, use block quotes.
• Use MLA block quotes for poetry quotations longer than three lines.

How are Block Quotes Formatted in MLA?

To format a block quotation in MLA format:

• On a new line, introduce the quotation with a colon.
• Indent the entire quotation 0.5 inches from the left margin.
• Place the MLA in-text citation following the period after the block quotation.
• Then, proceed with writing on a new line (not indented).

How Can I Create MLA Block Quotes in Microsoft Word?

Follow these instructions to format MLA block quotes correctly in Microsoft Word:

• Press Enter at the start and end of the quote.
• Select the Layout menu after highlighting the quote.
• Change the left indentation to 0.5 inches on the Indent tab.
• Include an in-text reference following the period after the quote.

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Block Quotes

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Block quotation is a method of formatting to highlight sections of directly quoted text in your writing. Direct quotes are usually integrated directly into your own text, but when quotes meet certain guidelines, block quotations are used instead. Though rules vary among citation styles, this example focuses on APA and MLA, as they are the most common styles.

Block quotes should be used sparingly. They are not intended for shorter essays because they take up extra space. Do not use block quotes just to fill space or try to reach a certain page length. For maximum impact, use them judiciously.

Block quotations are only used if the text is longer than 40 words (APA) or four lines (MLA). Shorter quotes should be integrated directly into your text.

The meaning of “four lines” for MLA can be unclear, so if you are unsure, consult with your instructor about whether a quote is four lines and if you need to use a block quote.

Don’t just drop a block quote into your own text without any explanation or context. Just like any other source you are using, always provide context and a lead-in when you use a block quote. Also, just like any other source, provide some follow-up after the quote to tie the information to your own writing.

Punctuation

Place a colon at the end of the last line before the block quote. This indicates that the quotation should be read seamlessly with your own text. Punctuate the text of the quote exactly as the original source does.

TIP: Use block quotes only when the author’s original words cannot be paraphrased or summarized. If you can say it just as well, paraphrase or summarize instead.

Double-space all lines. Do not add an extra space before or after the block quote. Just continue double spacing throughout your text.

Just like any other source, block quotes still need a citation. Note the placement of the punctuation in the example below. Typically, the punctuation would be placed after the citation, but after a block quote, the punctuation is placed first.

Quotation Marks

Unlike quotes integrated into your text, block quotes do not need quotation marks.

Indentation

Indent all lines of the block quote. For APA and MLA, indent one-half inch. Do not indent from the right side margin.

Ask Yourself: Do I need this entire section? Does every word help illustrate my point?  If you are using a block quote, make sure you really need the entire section you are using. If you don’t, choose the most important part and integrate it into your own text instead of using a block quote.

Scholars have explored the facets of good and evil in parallel characters in the  Harry Potter  series with frequent emphasis on the protagonist and antagonist and “absolute” virtues in each. Through exploring the grey areas of morality in other characters, Chevelier (2005) asserts that each main character is acting as an “absolute” by using comparison between Harry and Voldemort and explains:

Harry is constructed as the antithesis of Voldemort and is bound to him in numerous ways: the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead is the most obvious, as are Harry’s ability to speak Parseltongue and his wand, which is an exact counterpart of Voldemort’s. Like Frodo Baggins, Harry is the reluctant hero who must act as the instrument of absolute good, even at the risk of his own life, to defeat the instrument of absolute evil. (p. 339)

Though Chevelier (2005) mentions absolutes, he fails to address the potential that Harry might not be absolutely good and Voldemort might not be absolutely evil.

Chevelier, N. (2005). The liberty tree and the Whomping Willow: Political justice, magical science,

and Harry Potter.  The Lion and the Unicorn ,  29 (3), 397-415. doi:10.1353/uni.2005.0041

APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

• Basics of APA Formatting
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• Block Quotes

About Block Quotes

Block quote example.

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• Any quotation containing 40 or more words should be formatted as a Block Quote
• Do not use quotation marks to enclose block quotations.  Do use double quotation marks to enclose any quoted material within a block quotation
• Place period at the end of the quote rather than after the citation
• Block quotes should start on a new line and indent the block about ½ inch from the left margin
• If there are additional paragraphs within the block quote, indent the first line of each an additional half inch.

For further information and examples, consult pages 92 and 171 of the APA Manual.

Accord to Siegel and Hartzell (2004)            

trauma and loss requires an understanding of the low road and its connection to patterns of experiences from the past. The passing of unresolved issues from generation to generation produces and perpetuates unnecessary emotional suffering. If our own issues remain unresolved, there is a strong possibility that the disorganization within our minds can createdisorganization in our children’s minds. (p. 183)

During gestation, the numerous genes in the nucleus of each cell become expressed and the genes determine what proteins become produced and when and how to shape the body’s structure.  In utero brain development enables neurons to grow and move to their proper locations in the skull and begin to set up the interconnections that create the circuitry of this complex organ of the nervous system.  (Siegel & Hartzell, 2004)

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How to Use Block Quotations in Writing

The Rules Differ, Depending on the Writing Style Guide

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A block quotation is a  direct quotation that is not placed inside quotation marks but instead is set off from the rest of the text by starting it on a new line and indenting it from the left margin . Block quotations may be called extracts, set-off quotations, long quotations, or display quotations. Block quotations are used in academic writing but are also common in journalistic and nonfiction writing. While block quotations are perfectly acceptable, it's important for writers to be selective about their use. In some cases, block quotations are unnecessarily long and include more content than is needed to make or support a point.

There is no single rule of thumb for formatting block quotations. Instead, each major style guide recommends slightly different ways of selecting, introducing, and setting off the quotations. Before formatting, it's important to check on the style used for a particular publication, website, or class.

Key Takeaways: Block Quotations

• A block quotation is a direct quotation that is indented from the left margin and begins on a new line.
• Block quotations are used when a quotation exceeds a specific length. Requirements for length vary, depending on the style guide being used.
• Block quotes can be effective tools for persuading readers or proving a point, but they should be used sparingly and edited appropriately.

Recommended Length of Block Quotations

Customarily, quotations that run longer than four or five lines are blocked, but style guides  often disagree on the minimum length for a block quotation. Some styles are more concerned with word counts, while others focus on the number of lines. While each "official" style guide has its own approach to block quotes, individual publishers may have unique in-house rules.

Some of the more common style guides require block quotations as follows:

• APA: Quotes longer than 40 words or four lines
• Chicago: Quotes longer than 100 words or eight lines
• MLA: Quotes of prose longer than four lines; quotes of poetry/verse longer than three lines
• AMA: Quotes longer than four lines

MLA Block Quotes

Researchers in English literature usually follow the style guidelines of the Modern Language Association (MLA). The "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers" recommends the following for a quotation that will run more than four lines when it is included in the text:

• When appropriate in the context of the text, introduce the block quotation with a colon.
• Begin a new line indented one inch from the left margin; do not indent the first line more than the other lines in the block quotation.
• Type the quote double-spaced.
• Do not place quotation marks around the block of quoted text.

APA Block Quotes

APA stands for American Psychological Association, and APA style is used to format anything in the social sciences. When a quotation is longer than four lines line, APA requires that it be styled as follows:

• Set it off from your text by beginning a new line, indenting one inch from the left margin.
• Type it double-spaced, without adding quotation marks.
• If you quote only a single paragraph or part of one, do not indent the first line more than the rest.
• One inch is equivalent to 10 spaces.

Chicago Style Block Quotes

Often used for writing in the humanities, the Chicago (or Turabian ) Style Guide was created by the University of Chicago Press and is now in its 17th edition. It is sometimes referred to as the "Editors' Bible." Rules for block quotes in Chicago Style are as follows:

• Use block format for quotations longer than five lines or two paragraphs.
• Do not use quotation marks.
• Indent the entire quotation by half an inch.
• Precede and follow the block quote by a blank line.

American Medical Association Block Quotes

The AMA style guide was developed by the American Medical Association and is used almost exclusively for medical research papers. Rules for block quotes in the AMA style are as follows:

• Use block formats for quotations that are longer than four lines of text.
• Use reduced type.
• Use paragraph indents only if the material cited is known to begin a paragraph.
• If the block quote contains a secondary quote, use double quotation marks around the contained quotation.
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Citations: Block Quotations

According to the APA manual, quotations that are 40 words or more are considered block quotations and are formatted differently than regular quotations.

The following is a list of the unique formatting that is needed for block quotations:

• Block quotations start on their own line.
• The entire block quotation is indented 0.5 inches, the same as the indentation for a new paragraph, and is double spaced.
• Block quotations are not surrounded by any quotation marks.
• The punctuation at the end of the block quotation goes before the citation.
• The ending citation is included on the last line of the block quotation.
• The text after the block quotation begins on its own line, with no indentation. You should not end a paragraph with a block quotation because any quotation you use as evidence in your writing should be followed by analysis in your own words as part of the same paragraph.

Note that block quotations should be used sparingly. Block quotations tend to take over the voice of the paper, often overshadowing the voice of the author with that source’s voice. Instead, if at all possible, try to quote smaller portions of the piece of text and incorporate these into your own voice. This practice will not only allow you to establish your voice as the author but also show the way you are engaging with the information, not just reporting it.

Block Quotation Examples

Today, digital cameras have practically taken over photography. As Johnson (2010) explained,

Digital cameras now make up 90% of all camera sales at the leading electronic stores. This increase in sales can be partially attributed to the widespread use of email and social networking, which has encouraged the sharing of digital photos. (p. 23)

Johnson further noted that, even more than with the shift to digital cameras, the increasing use of phones and iPods that have built-in cameras has replaced the use of film cameras.

Computer users often disagree about which operating system is best: Mac or PC. Oyler (2010) stated that one operating system is not better than the other, but that one may be better suited for different purposes than the other. She explained by saying that

Macs are often the best option for users who wish to work with video or picture manipulation. Macs are also very user friendly, which may benefit consumers who are new to computers. PCs, however, run Microsoft Office Suite the best. Therefore, students might find that a PC is their best option because it can run Microsoft Word and PowerPoint the smoothest. (Oyler, 2010, p. 48)

Conversely, Jones (2010) disagreed with the statement that Macs work with graphics such as video and pictures better than PCs, stating that PCs can be modified to work as well as Macs.

Related Resource

Knowledge Check: Block Quotations

Knowledge Check

Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

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What this handout is about

Used effectively, quotations can provide important pieces of evidence and lend fresh voices and perspectives to your narrative. Used ineffectively, however, quotations can clutter your text and interrupt the flow of your argument. This handout will help you decide when and how to quote like a pro.

When should I quote?

Use quotations at strategically selected moments. You have probably been told by teachers to provide as much evidence as possible in support of your thesis. But packing your paper with quotations will not necessarily strengthen your argument. The majority of your paper should still be your original ideas in your own words (after all, it’s your paper). And quotations are only one type of evidence: well-balanced papers may also make use of paraphrases, data, and statistics. The types of evidence you use will depend in part on the conventions of the discipline or audience for which you are writing. For example, papers analyzing literature may rely heavily on direct quotations of the text, while papers in the social sciences may have more paraphrasing, data, and statistics than quotations.

Discussing specific arguments or ideas

Sometimes, in order to have a clear, accurate discussion of the ideas of others, you need to quote those ideas word for word. Suppose you want to challenge the following statement made by John Doe, a well-known historian:

“At the beginning of World War Two, almost all Americans assumed the war would end quickly.”

If it is especially important that you formulate a counterargument to this claim, then you might wish to quote the part of the statement that you find questionable and establish a dialogue between yourself and John Doe:

Historian John Doe has argued that in 1941 “almost all Americans assumed the war would end quickly” (Doe 223). Yet during the first six months of U.S. involvement, the wives and mothers of soldiers often noted in their diaries their fear that the war would drag on for years.

Giving added emphasis to a particularly authoritative source on your topic.

There will be times when you want to highlight the words of a particularly important and authoritative source on your topic. For example, suppose you were writing an essay about the differences between the lives of male and female slaves in the U.S. South. One of your most provocative sources is a narrative written by a former slave, Harriet Jacobs. It would then be appropriate to quote some of Jacobs’s words:

Harriet Jacobs, a former slave from North Carolina, published an autobiographical slave narrative in 1861. She exposed the hardships of both male and female slaves but ultimately concluded that “slavery is terrible for men; but it is far more terrible for women.”

In this particular example, Jacobs is providing a crucial first-hand perspective on slavery. Thus, her words deserve more exposure than a paraphrase could provide.

Jacobs is quoted in Harriet A. Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, ed. Jean Fagan Yellin (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1987).

Analyzing how others use language.

This scenario is probably most common in literature and linguistics courses, but you might also find yourself writing about the use of language in history and social science classes. If the use of language is your primary topic, then you will obviously need to quote users of that language.

Examples of topics that might require the frequent use of quotations include:

Southern colloquial expressions in William Faulkner’s Light in August

Ms. and the creation of a language of female empowerment

A comparison of three British poets and their use of rhyme

Spicing up your prose.

In order to lend variety to your prose, you may wish to quote a source with particularly vivid language. All quotations, however, must closely relate to your topic and arguments. Do not insert a quotation solely for its literary merits.

One example of a quotation that adds flair:

President Calvin Coolidge’s tendency to fall asleep became legendary. As H. L. Mencken commented in the American Mercury in 1933, “Nero fiddled, but Coolidge only snored.”

How do I set up and follow up a quotation?

Once you’ve carefully selected the quotations that you want to use, your next job is to weave those quotations into your text. The words that precede and follow a quotation are just as important as the quotation itself. You can think of each quote as the filling in a sandwich: it may be tasty on its own, but it’s messy to eat without some bread on either side of it. Your words can serve as the “bread” that helps readers digest each quote easily. Below are four guidelines for setting up and following up quotations.

In illustrating these four steps, we’ll use as our example, Franklin Roosevelt’s famous quotation, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

1. Provide context for each quotation.

Do not rely on quotations to tell your story for you. It is your responsibility to provide your reader with context for the quotation. The context should set the basic scene for when, possibly where, and under what circumstances the quotation was spoken or written. So, in providing context for our above example, you might write:

When Franklin Roosevelt gave his inaugural speech on March 4, 1933, he addressed a nation weakened and demoralized by economic depression.

2. Attribute each quotation to its source.

Tell your reader who is speaking. Here is a good test: try reading your text aloud. Could your reader determine without looking at your paper where your quotations begin? If not, you need to attribute the quote more noticeably.

Avoid getting into the “they said” attribution rut! There are many other ways to attribute quotes besides this construction. Here are a few alternative verbs, usually followed by “that”:

Different reporting verbs are preferred by different disciplines, so pay special attention to these in your disciplinary reading. If you’re unfamiliar with the meanings of any of these words or others you find in your reading, consult a dictionary before using them.

3. Explain the significance of the quotation.

Once you’ve inserted your quotation, along with its context and attribution, don’t stop! Your reader still needs your assessment of why the quotation holds significance for your paper. Using our Roosevelt example, if you were writing a paper on the first one-hundred days of FDR’s administration, you might follow the quotation by linking it to that topic:

With that message of hope and confidence, the new president set the stage for his next one-hundred days in office and helped restore the faith of the American people in their government.

4. Provide a citation for the quotation.

All quotations, just like all paraphrases, require a formal citation. For more details about particular citation formats, see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . In general, you should remember one rule of thumb: Place the parenthetical reference or footnote/endnote number after—not within—the closed quotation mark.

Roosevelt declared, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” (Roosevelt, Public Papers, 11).

Roosevelt declared, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”1

How do I embed a quotation into a sentence?

In general, avoid leaving quotes as sentences unto themselves. Even if you have provided some context for the quote, a quote standing alone can disrupt your flow.  Take a look at this example:

Hamlet denies Rosencrantz’s claim that thwarted ambition caused his depression. “I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space” (Hamlet 2.2).

Standing by itself, the quote’s connection to the preceding sentence is unclear. There are several ways to incorporate a quote more smoothly:

Lead into the quote with a colon.

Hamlet denies Rosencrantz’s claim that thwarted ambition caused his depression: “I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space” (Hamlet 2.2).

The colon announces that a quote will follow to provide evidence for the sentence’s claim.

Introduce or conclude the quote by attributing it to the speaker. If your attribution precedes the quote, you will need to use a comma after the verb.

Hamlet denies Rosencrantz’s claim that thwarted ambition caused his depression. He states, “I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space” (Hamlet 2.2).

When faced with a twelve-foot mountain troll, Ron gathers his courage, shouting, “Wingardium Leviosa!” (Rowling, p. 176).

The Pirate King sees an element of regality in their impoverished and dishonest life. “It is, it is a glorious thing/To be a pirate king,” he declares (Pirates of Penzance, 1983).

Interrupt the quote with an attribution to the speaker. Again, you will need to use a comma after the verb, as well as a comma leading into the attribution.

“There is nothing either good or bad,” Hamlet argues, “but thinking makes it so” (Hamlet 2.2).

“And death shall be no more,” Donne writes, “Death thou shalt die” (“Death, Be Not Proud,” l. 14).

Dividing the quote may highlight a particular nuance of the quote’s meaning. In the first example, the division calls attention to the two parts of Hamlet’s claim. The first phrase states that nothing is inherently good or bad; the second phrase suggests that our perspective causes things to become good or bad. In the second example, the isolation of “Death thou shalt die” at the end of the sentence draws a reader’s attention to that phrase in particular. As you decide whether or not you want to break up a quote, you should consider the shift in emphasis that the division might create.

Use the words of the quote grammatically within your own sentence.

When Hamlet tells Rosencrantz that he “could be bounded in a nutshell and count [him]self a king of infinite space” (Hamlet 2.2), he implies that thwarted ambition did not cause his depression.

Ultimately, death holds no power over Donne since in the afterlife, “death shall be no more” (“Death, Be Not Proud,” l. 14).

Note that when you use “that” after the verb that introduces the quote, you no longer need a comma.

The Pirate King argues that “it is, it is a glorious thing/to be a pirate king” (Pirates of Penzance, 1983).

How much should I quote?

As few words as possible. Remember, your paper should primarily contain your own words, so quote only the most pithy and memorable parts of sources. Here are guidelines for selecting quoted material judiciously:

Excerpt fragments.

Sometimes, you should quote short fragments, rather than whole sentences. Suppose you interviewed Jane Doe about her reaction to John F. Kennedy’s assassination. She commented:

“I couldn’t believe it. It was just unreal and so sad. It was just unbelievable. I had never experienced such denial. I don’t know why I felt so strongly. Perhaps it was because JFK was more to me than a president. He represented the hopes of young people everywhere.”

You could quote all of Jane’s comments, but her first three sentences are fairly redundant. You might instead want to quote Jane when she arrives at the ultimate reason for her strong emotions:

Jane Doe grappled with grief and disbelief. She had viewed JFK, not just as a national figurehead, but as someone who “represented the hopes of young people everywhere.”

Excerpt those fragments carefully!

Quoting the words of others carries a big responsibility. Misquoting misrepresents the ideas of others. Here’s a classic example of a misquote:

John Adams has often been quoted as having said: “This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no religion in it.”

John Adams did, in fact, write the above words. But if you see those words in context, the meaning changes entirely. Here’s the rest of the quotation:

Twenty times, in the course of my late reading, have I been on the point of breaking out, ‘this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!!!!’ But in this exclamation, I should have been as fanatical as Bryant or Cleverly. Without religion, this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in public company—I mean hell.

As you can see from this example, context matters!

This example is from Paul F. Boller, Jr. and John George, They Never Said It: A Book of Fake Quotes, Misquotes, and Misleading Attributions (Oxford University Press, 1989).

Use block quotations sparingly.

There may be times when you need to quote long passages. However, you should use block quotations only when you fear that omitting any words will destroy the integrity of the passage. If that passage exceeds four lines (some sources say five), then set it off as a block quotation.

Be sure you are handling block quotes correctly in papers for different academic disciplines–check the index of the citation style guide you are using. Here are a few general tips for setting off your block quotations:

• Set up a block quotation with your own words followed by a colon.
• Indent. You normally indent 4-5 spaces for the start of a paragraph. When setting up a block quotation, indent the entire paragraph once from the left-hand margin.
• Single space or double space within the block quotation, depending on the style guidelines of your discipline (MLA, CSE, APA, Chicago, etc.).
• Do not use quotation marks at the beginning or end of the block quote—the indentation is what indicates that it’s a quote.
• Place parenthetical citation according to your style guide (usually after the period following the last sentence of the quote).
• Follow up a block quotation with your own words.

So, using the above example from John Adams, here’s how you might include a block quotation:

After reading several doctrinally rigid tracts, John Adams recalled the zealous ranting of his former teacher, Joseph Cleverly, and minister, Lemuel Bryant. He expressed his ambivalence toward religion in an 1817 letter to Thomas Jefferson:

Adams clearly appreciated religion, even if he often questioned its promotion.

How do I combine quotation marks with other punctuation marks?

It can be confusing when you start combining quotation marks with other punctuation marks. You should consult a style manual for complicated situations, but the following two rules apply to most cases:

Keep periods and commas within quotation marks.

So, for example:

According to Professor Poe, werewolves “represent anxiety about the separation between human and animal,” and werewolf movies often “interrogate those boundaries.”

In the above example, both the comma and period were enclosed in the quotation marks. The main exception to this rule involves the use of internal citations, which always precede the last period of the sentence. For example:

According to Professor Poe, werewolves “represent anxiety about the separation between human and animal,” and werewolf movies often “interrogate those boundaries” (Poe 167).

Note, however, that the period remains inside the quotation marks when your citation style involves superscript footnotes or endnotes. For example:

According to Professor Poe, werewolves “represent anxiety about the separation between human and animal,” and werewolf movies often “interrogate those boundaries.” 2

Place all other punctuation marks (colons, semicolons, exclamation marks, question marks) outside the quotation marks, except when they were part of the original quotation.

Take a look at the following examples:

I couldn’t believe it when my friend passed me a note in the cafe saying the management “started charging $15 per hour for parking”!

The coach yelled, “Run!”

In the first example, the author placed the exclamation point outside the quotation mark because she added it herself to emphasize the outrageous nature of the parking price change. The original note had not included an exclamation mark. In the second example, the exclamation mark remains within the quotation mark because it is indicating the excited tone in which the coach yelled the command. Thus, the exclamation mark is considered to be part of the original quotation.

How do I indicate quotations within quotations?

If you are quoting a passage that contains a quotation, then you use single quotation marks for the internal quotation. Quite rarely, you quote a passage that has a quotation within a quotation. In that rare instance, you would use double quotation marks for the second internal quotation.

Here’s an example of a quotation within a quotation:

In “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” Hans Christian Andersen wrote, “‘But the Emperor has nothing on at all!’ cried a little child.”

Remember to consult your style guide to determine how to properly cite a quote within a quote.

When do I use those three dots ( . . . )?

Whenever you want to leave out material from within a quotation, you need to use an ellipsis, which is a series of three periods, each of which should be preceded and followed by a space. So, an ellipsis in this sentence would look like . . . this. There are a few rules to follow when using ellipses:

Be sure that you don’t fundamentally change the meaning of the quotation by omitting material.

Take a look at the following example:

“The Writing Center is located on the UNC campus and serves the entire UNC community.”

“The Writing Center . . . serves the entire UNC community.”

The reader’s understanding of the Writing Center’s mission to serve the UNC community is not affected by omitting the information about its location.

Do not use ellipses at the beginning or ending of quotations, unless it’s important for the reader to know that the quotation was truncated.

For example, using the above example, you would NOT need an ellipsis in either of these situations:

“The Writing Center is located on the UNC campus . . .”

The Writing Center ” . . . serves the entire UNC community.”

Use punctuation marks in combination with ellipses when removing material from the end of sentences or clauses.

For example, if you take material from the end of a sentence, keep the period in as usual.

“The boys ran to school, forgetting their lunches and books. Even though they were out of breath, they made it on time.”

“The boys ran to school. . . . Even though they were out of breath, they made it on time.”

Likewise, if you excerpt material at the end of clause that ends in a comma, retain the comma.

“The red car came to a screeching halt that was heard by nearby pedestrians, but no one was hurt.”

“The red car came to a screeching halt . . . , but no one was hurt.”

Is it ever okay to insert my own words or change words in a quotation?

Sometimes it is necessary for clarity and flow to alter a word or words within a quotation. You should make such changes rarely. In order to alert your reader to the changes you’ve made, you should always bracket the altered words. Here are a few examples of situations when you might need brackets:

Changing verb tense or pronouns in order to be consistent with the rest of the sentence.

Suppose you were quoting a woman who, when asked about her experiences immigrating to the United States, commented “nobody understood me.” You might write:

Esther Hansen felt that when she came to the United States “nobody understood [her].”

In the above example, you’ve changed “me” to “her” in order to keep the entire passage in third person. However, you could avoid the need for this change by simply rephrasing:

“Nobody understood me,” recalled Danish immigrant Esther Hansen.

Including supplemental information that your reader needs in order to understand the quotation.

For example, if you were quoting someone’s nickname, you might want to let your reader know the full name of that person in brackets.

“The principal of the school told Billy [William Smith] that his contract would be terminated.”

Similarly, if a quotation referenced an event with which the reader might be unfamiliar, you could identify that event in brackets.

“We completely revised our political strategies after the strike [of 1934].”

Indicating the use of nonstandard grammar or spelling.

In rare situations, you may quote from a text that has nonstandard grammar, spelling, or word choice. In such cases, you may want to insert [sic], which means “thus” or “so” in Latin. Using [sic] alerts your reader to the fact that this nonstandard language is not the result of a typo on your part. Always italicize “sic” and enclose it in brackets. There is no need to put a period at the end. Here’s an example of when you might use [sic]:

Twelve-year-old Betsy Smith wrote in her diary, “Father is afraid that he will be guilty of beach [sic] of contract.”

Here [sic] indicates that the original author wrote “beach of contract,” not breach of contract, which is the accepted terminology.

Do not overuse brackets!

For example, it is not necessary to bracket capitalization changes that you make at the beginning of sentences. For example, suppose you were going to use part of this quotation:

“The colors scintillated curiously over a hard carapace, and the beetle’s tiny antennae made gentle waving motions as though saying hello.”

If you wanted to begin a sentence with an excerpt from the middle of this quotation, there would be no need to bracket your capitalization changes.

“The beetle’s tiny antennae made gentle waving motions as though saying hello,” said Dr. Grace Farley, remembering a defining moment on her journey to becoming an entomologist.

Not: “[T]he beetle’s tiny antennae made gentle waving motions as though saying hello,” said Dr. Grace Farley, remembering a defining moment on her journey to becoming an entomologist.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. 2012. The Modern Researcher , 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, Joseph M. Williams, Joseph Bizup, and William T. FitzGerald. 2016. The Craft of Research , 4th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Gibaldi, Joseph. 2009. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers , 7th ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America.

Turabian, Kate. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How-To Geek

How to make a block quote in google docs.

Format your long quotation correctly for the writing style you’re using.

Quick Links

Block quotes per writing style, option 1: do a block quote using an indent, option 2: create a block quote using the ruler, option 3: add a block quote using the tab key.

When you create an essay, research paper, or article where you're including a long quotation, it's key to format it correctly. Here, we'll show you three ways to make a block quote in Google Docs.

A block quote is a quotation in your document that is indented and begins on its own line to break it away from the rest of the text. This highlights the quote and makes stand out from the remaining parts of the document.

Related: How to Add Block Quotes in Microsoft Word

Both MLA and APA writing styles are similar in their requirements for block quotes. However, Chicago style rules differ.

• MLA : More than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, indented 0.5 inches from the left margin, no quotation marks, and maintain double-spacing
• APA : 40 words or longer, indented 0.5 inches from the left margin, no quotation marks, maintain double-spacing, and no line spaces above or below the quote
• Chicago : Five or more lines or 100 or more words, indented from the left margin, no quotations marks, and use single-spacing

If you're required to use one of these writing styles, be sure to check other requirements for block quotes or your paper in general. Check with your professor or the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) .

Before using one of the below methods for creating your block quote, be sure to select the text. This quotation should start on its own line and subsequent text after the quote should also start on a new line.

Google Docs has a built-in tool for indenting paragraphs that you can use for your block quote.

With the text selected, click the Increase Indent button in the toolbar or select Format > Align & Indent > Increase Indent from the menu.

Related: How to Indent Paragraphs in Google Docs

If you use the Ruler in Google Docs for things like adjusting margins , you can use this tool to indent your block quote as well. To display the Ruler, go to View > Show Ruler from the menu.

Select the Left Indent indicator on the left side of the ruler. This is the triangle below the rectangle. Drag the indicator to the right until you reach 0.5 inches. You'll see this as you drag. When you reach that spot, release.

If you're using the default tab stops in Google Docs or have one set up for 0.5 inches from the margin, you can use the Tab key to indent your quote.

Again, make sure the entire block of quote text is selected, then press Tab.

Not every bit of formatting you do for your document is a major task. So, if you need to insert a block quote in Google Docs, be sure to format it the way it should be. It takes only a few seconds using these methods.

When you need to cite the source for your quote, take a look at how to add citations in Google Docs too.

Related: How to Find and Add Citations in Google Docs

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

In-Text Citations: The Basics

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Reference citations in text are covered on pages 261-268 of the Publication Manual. What follows are some general guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay.

Note:  On pages 117-118, the Publication Manual suggests that authors of research papers should use the past tense or present perfect tense for signal phrases that occur in the literature review and procedure descriptions (for example, Jones (1998)  found  or Jones (1998)  has found ...). Contexts other than traditionally-structured research writing may permit the simple present tense (for example, Jones (1998)  finds ).

APA Citation Basics

When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If you are referring to an idea from another work but  NOT  directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference.

On the other hand, if you are directly quoting or borrowing from another work, you should include the page number at the end of the parenthetical citation. Use the abbreviation “p.” (for one page) or “pp.” (for multiple pages) before listing the page number(s). Use an en dash for page ranges. For example, you might write (Jones, 1998, p. 199) or (Jones, 1998, pp. 199–201). This information is reiterated below.

Regardless of how they are referenced, all sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

In-text citation capitalization, quotes, and italics/underlining

• Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.
• If you refer to the title of a source within your paper, capitalize all words that are four letters long or greater within the title of a source:  Permanence and Change . Exceptions apply to short words that are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs:  Writing New Media ,  There Is Nothing Left to Lose .

( Note:  in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized:  Writing new media .)

• When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word:  Natural-Born Cyborgs .
• Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: "Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock's  Vertigo ."
• If the title of the work is italicized in your reference list, italicize it and use title case capitalization in the text:  The Closing of the American Mind ;  The Wizard of Oz ;  Friends .
• If the title of the work is not italicized in your reference list, use double quotation marks and title case capitalization (even though the reference list uses sentence case): "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds;" "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."

Short quotations

If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference (preceded by "p." for a single page and “pp.” for a span of multiple pages, with the page numbers separated by an en dash).

You can introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

If you do not include the author’s name in the text of the sentence, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

Long quotations

Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout, but do not add an extra blank line before or after it. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

Because block quotation formatting is difficult for us to replicate in the OWL's content management system, we have simply provided a screenshot of a generic example below.

Formatting example for block quotations in APA 7 style.

Quotations from sources without pages

Direct quotations from sources that do not contain pages should not reference a page number. Instead, you may reference another logical identifying element: a paragraph, a chapter number, a section number, a table number, or something else. Older works (like religious texts) can also incorporate special location identifiers like verse numbers. In short: pick a substitute for page numbers that makes sense for your source.

Summary or paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference and may omit the page numbers. APA guidelines, however, do encourage including a page range for a summary or paraphrase when it will help the reader find the information in a longer work. 

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Writing a 3000 word essay in under an hour might seem impossible, especially when facing a tight deadline. However, with the right approach, it's not as daunting as it sounds. A good example of this is our guide on how to write a 1000 word essay .

This article shares 5 practical tips and strategies to help you write efficiently and effectively within a limited timeframe.

EssayPro Guide on How to Write Your Essay Faster

Our team of experts has created a how-to guide for you on how to write your essay fast. Here you go:

Voice-to-Text Software

Voice-to-text software can significantly expedite essay writing by allowing users to dictate their thoughts and ideas, bypassing manual typing verbally. This technology enables a continuous writing flow, as individuals can speak their ideas naturally and conversationally without interruptions. 

For example, instead of pausing to search for the right words or phrases, users can express their thoughts fluidly, resulting in a faster and more efficient writing process. Additionally, voice-to-text software eliminates the physical strain associated with typing for extended periods, allowing users to maintain productivity and focus for longer durations.

Furthermore, voice-to-text software offers flexibility in writing environments, as users can dictate their essays from virtually anywhere using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. For instance, individuals can dictate their essays while commuting, exercising, or completing other tasks, maximizing their time and productivity.

You can use the following voice-to-text tools:

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking
• Google Docs Voice Typing
• Microsoft Dictate
• Apple Dictation

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The Stream-of-Consciousness Writing

Stream-of-consciousness writing is a technique that involves recording thoughts as they come to mind, without filtering or censoring them. This approach can be particularly useful for writing essays in less than 60 minutes as it allows for a rapid flow of ideas and content generation. 

By bypassing the need for careful planning and organization, stream-of-consciousness writing enables writers to quickly capture their thoughts on paper and generate raw material for their essays. For example, writers can focus solely on expressing their ideas and arguments instead of worrying about sentence structure or grammar, resulting in a faster and more spontaneous writing process.

Moreover, stream-of-consciousness writing can help writers overcome writer's block and tap into their creativity more effectively. This can lead to more original and compelling essay content. For instance, writers may discover new angles or perspectives on their topic that they hadn't considered before, enriching their essays with fresh insights and perspectives.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use the stream-of-consciousness technique to write an essay:

• Set a timer.
• Clear distractions.
• Choose a topic.
• Begin writing.
• Write continuously.
• Don't edit or censor.
• Keep the pen moving.
• Embrace tangents.
• Stay in the moment.
• Review and edit later.

AI Writing Tools

AI writing tools can significantly expedite the essay writing process by automating various aspects of content creation, such as generating ideas, structuring arguments, and even drafting entire paragraphs. These tools leverage advanced natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to analyze input data and produce coherent, contextually relevant text output. 

For example, platforms like OpenAI's GPT-3 and Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant offer features such as auto-completion, grammar and style suggestions, and even content generation based on user prompts. 

Furthermore, AI writing tools can assist writers in overcoming writer's block and generating ideas more efficiently. For instance, tools like Articoolo and QuillBot can generate article outlines or paraphrase existing text to provide inspiration and generate new content. 

Here are reliable AI essay writing tools:

• EssayPro Writing App

WARNING: While these tools can aid in content creation and idea generation, relying too heavily on them may lead to plagiarism or submitting low-quality, unoriginal work. Writers should use AI writing tools to supplement their research and writing process rather than replace critical thinking and academic rigor.

Collage Essay Method

The collage essay method is a creative approach to essay writing that involves assembling visual and textual materials into a collage to represent different aspects of the essay topic. This technique can be particularly effective in generating ideas quickly and organizing thoughts in a visually engaging manner. 

For example, imagine you're tasked with writing an essay on climate change. You could gather images, quotes, statistics, and diagrams related to climate change and arrange them on a poster board or digital canvas. The collage is a brainstorming tool to spark ideas and inspire the writing process by visually representing key concepts and arguments.

Moreover, the collage essay method encourages a nonlinear approach to essay writing, allowing writers to explore ideas from multiple perspectives and make connections between different topic elements. 

For instance, while arranging materials for the climate change collage, you might notice patterns or themes emerging that you hadn't considered before. This can lead to new insights and angles for your essay, enriching the content with diverse perspectives and supporting evidence.

Here are some useful tips for using the collage essay method for writing an essay fast:

• Gather diverse materials.
• Start with a central theme.
• Arrange materials strategically.
• Focus on visual impact.
• Incorporate text and images.
• Make connections between elements.
• Be open to unexpected insights.
• Iterate and refine as needed.

Role-Playing Scenario

The role-playing scenario method offers a fresh and engaging approach to essay writing, injecting creativity and empathy into the process. By immersing oneself in a specific role, writers can tap into their imagination and explore complex topics from various angles. 

For instance, if you're tasked with writing about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, you could adopt the perspective of a futuristic AI developer or a concerned citizen living in a world dominated by AI technology. This imaginative exercise sparks inspiration and encourages deeper reflection on the subject matter, leading to more insightful and thought-provoking essays.

Furthermore, the role-playing scenario cultivates empathy and understanding by encouraging writers to embody diverse viewpoints and experiences. Whether you're writing about climate change, social justice, or economic policy, stepping into the shoes of different characters allows you to see the world through their eyes and develop a more nuanced understanding of complex issues. 

For example, by pretending to be a climate scientist researching the effects of deforestation, you might gain a deeper appreciation for the urgency of environmental conservation efforts. This empathetic approach to essay writing fosters a greater connection with both the subject matter and the audience, resulting in essays that are not only informative but also engaging and impactful.

How to adopt the role-playing scenario technique for writing an essay:

• Choose a relevant persona.
• Research and understand their background.
• Embody the persona's mindset.
• Write from their perspective.
• Maintain consistency with the persona.
• Review and adjust as needed.
• Use insights to enrich your essay.

There’s nothing impossible if you put an effort into it. Although 60 minutes sounds like a very limited period, a smart student can use it to produce a pretty decent essay and even have a few minutes left! So, how to write essays faster ?

The tips we gave you above do work, which thousands of students with hectic schedules have already proved. A word of warning, though – don’t rush to use tools like ChatGPT to generate an essay in 5 minutes because it’s hazardous for academic integrity. Remember – AI tools are assistants, and generated texts are to be rewritten from A to Z, which can also be done in an hour or less. If you’re awfully tired and physically can’t think or type, you better ask a professional human writer to help you. 

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Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

• Howard, D. (2022, December 15). How to Write an Essay Fast . Nexus Education. https://nexus-education.com/blog-posts/how-to-write-an-essay-fast/
• 20 Top Tips for Writing an Essay in a Hurry . (2024, February 20). Oxford Royale. https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/writing-essay-hurry/ ‍
• 4 Ways to Write Essays Faster – The Bookshelf . (n.d.). https://blogs.cornell.edu/learning/4-ways-to-write-essays-faster/

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Kenyan Lawyers Move to Block Police Deployment to Haiti

NAIROBI (Reuters) -Kenyan lawyers have moved to block the country's planned deployment of police to Haiti, a court filing showed, days before officers are expected to arrive in the Caribbean nation to tackle spiralling violence there.

The High Court on Friday ordered the lawsuit be served to top government officials and that the case be heard on June 12, it said in a statement.

Responding to Haiti's appeal for assistance, Kenya offered last July to send 1,000 officers to Haiti to help tackle a worsening security crisis where escalating gang control has plunged millions into a humanitarian crisis.

However, Kenya's High Court ruled in January that the police officers could not be deployed to Haiti in the absence of a "reciprocal arrangement" with the host government.

Kenyan President William Ruto then signed a security deal with Haiti's then-prime minister Ariel Henry in March which Nairobi hoped would satisfy the court's objections and allow the deployment to go ahead.

Lawyers Ekuru Aukot and Miruru Waweru, who lead an opposition party in Kenya called Thirdway Alliance, said in their application to the High Court on Thursday that respondents including Ruto and the police had blatantly disobeyed the court order in signing the reciprocal instrument with Haiti.

They said the government would be in contempt of court if it pressed ahead with the deployment.

"The applicants are reliably informed that the impugned deployment may be done any time from now," the lawyers said in their application.

Ruto's spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the application.

Kenya's government said in March it was pausing the deployment following Henry's resignation. But Ruto said later that the swearing-in of a transition council in Haiti on April 25 had addressed concerns about a power vacuum there and that Kenya was now discussing how to proceed with its deployment.

Last week, the U.S. military's Southern Command said civilian contractors had arrived in Haiti to build living quarters for the Kenyan-led force.

Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Bangladesh have also pledged personnel to the force.

Foreign governments have been reluctant to take part in the mission. Many Haitians have also been wary of international interventions after previous U.N. missions left behind a devastating cholera epidemic and sex abuse scandals.

(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Hereward Holland, Clarence Fernandez and Gareth Jones)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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UPDATE: Luka Doncic's Official Injury Status For Mavs-Thunder Game 5

Ben stinar | may 15, 2024.

UPDATE : Luka Doncic is available.

Luka Dončić (right knee sprain, left ankle soreness) will be AVAILABLE for Game 5 against the Thunder. Maxi Kleber (right shoulder AC separation) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (left ankle sprain) will be OUT. — Mavs PR (@MavsPR) May 16, 2024

On Wednesday evening, the Dallas Mavericks will play the Oklahoma City Thunder (in Oklahoma) for Game 5 of their second-round playoff series.

For the game, the Mavs have listed All-Star forward Luka Doncic as probable on the injury report, so he should end up being available.

Via ESPN's Tim MacMahon on Tuesday : "Mavs list Luka Doncic (right knee/left ankle) as probable for Game 5. No additions to injury report."

Mavs list Luka Doncic (right knee/left ankle) as probable for Game 5. No additions to injury report. — Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 14, 2024

Doncic is currently averaging 26.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 40.0% from the field and 26.0% from the three-point range through his first ten games of the 2024 postseason.

While his numbers are good, he is struggling to shoot the ball.

Most recently, the Mavs lost Game 4 (at home) by a score of 100-96.

The series is now tied up at 2-2.

Doncic finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, ten assists, two steals and one block while shooting 6/20 from the field and 2/9 from the three-point range in 42 minutes of playing time.

Game 5. 🆚 @okcthunder ⌚ 8:30PM CT 📺 @NBAonTNT 📻 97.1 FM and 99.1 FM pic.twitter.com/Mtr9SLskDY — Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 15, 2024

Game 6 of the series will be on Saturday evening when the teams return to Dallas.

Whoever wins the series will advance to the Western Conference Finals and face off against either the Denver Nuggets or the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Nuggets lead the Timberwolves 3-2 with Game 6 on Thursday evening at the Target Center in Minnesota.

Doncic led the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, but they are coming off a season where they missed the playoffs.