What Are Three Mla Rules for Citing Long Quotations?

Long quotations

For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1/2 inch from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing.

What are the rules for a long or block quote?

Basics

  • 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.

What is considered a long quote in MLA?

A long quotation contains more than four lines of quoted material. Place a colon after the introduction to the quotation, and indent the whole quotation one inch from the left side. These quotations can be either single or double-‐ spaced, and should not contain quotation marks unless they occur in the original text.
David Miller

David Miller

Executive Financial & Market Analyst

David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.

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