What a block quotation is and when to use it

A block quotation is a way to set off a long quote from a source so it stands apart from your own writing. In Word, it means indenting the entire quote from both the left and right margins, usually without quotation marks around it. The indentation itself signals to a reader that these are someone else's words.

Most style guides — MLA, APA, and Chicago — require block quotation formatting when a quote runs longer than a certain number of words. MLA uses 40 words or more. APA uses 40 words or more as well. Chicago style typically uses 100 words or more, though some versions allow 8 or more lines. Check the style guide your school or workplace requires before you format.

Block quotations appear most often in research papers, essays, and reports where you need to show your source's exact language. They are also common in legal documents, policy briefs, and any writing where precision matters.

Key Takeaways

  • Block quotations in Word are created by selecting the quote text and increasing the left indent to 0.5 inches (or 1 inch for APA style in some cases).
  • You can use the indent buttons on the toolbar, the ruler at the top of the page, or the Paragraph dialog box to set the indentation.
  • Block quotations do not use quotation marks around the text, and the citation appears after the closing punctuation.
  • The fastest method is to select your quote, then click the Increase Indent button on the toolbar once or twice depending on your style guide.

Using the indent button on the toolbar

The simplest way to create a block quotation is with the Increase Indent button. First, select the entire quote by clicking at the start of the text and dragging to the end, or by triple-clicking to select the whole paragraph if the quote is one paragraph.

Look at the toolbar near the top of Word. You will see a button that looks like lines with an arrow pointing right — this is the Increase Indent button. Click it once. The quote will move 0.5 inches to the right. For MLA style, one click is usually enough. For APA style, you may need to click it twice to reach 1 inch of indentation, depending on your instructor's requirements.

If you cannot find the Increase Indent button, your toolbar may be customized. Look for a button showing horizontal lines with a right-pointing arrow, or right-click the toolbar and search for "Increase Indent" in the list of available commands.

Using the ruler to set exact indentation

The ruler runs horizontally across the top of your document, just below the toolbar. It shows measurements in inches. This method gives you precise control if you need to match a specific indentation width.

Select your block quotation text first. On the ruler, you will see a small square or triangle marker on the left side — this is the left indent marker. Click and drag it to the right to 0.5 inches for MLA style. You can see the number as you drag, or you can release and check the ruler to confirm the position. For APA, drag it to 1 inch instead.

If the ruler is not visible, go to the View tab at the top of Word and check the box next to Ruler. The ruler will appear when ready.

Using the Paragraph dialog for precise control

If you want to set indentation to an exact measurement without guessing, the Paragraph dialog box is the most reliable method. Select your block quotation text, then right-click and choose Paragraph from the menu that appears.

A dialog box will open. On the left side, look for the Indents & Spacing tab (it is usually already selected). Under the Indentation section, you will see a field labeled Left. Click in that field and type 0.5 for MLA style or 1 for APA style. Then click OK. The indentation will explore when ready and precisely.

You can also reach this dialog by going to the Home tab, finding the Paragraph group on the right side of the ribbon, and clicking the small arrow icon in the bottom right corner of that group.

Removing quotation marks and formatting the citation

Block quotations do not use quotation marks, even though the text is a direct quote. If you copied the quote from your source with quotation marks already around it, delete them. Select and remove the opening and closing quotation marks so only the text remains.

The citation goes after the closing punctuation of the quote. In MLA style, the citation appears in parentheses with the author's last name and page number, like this: (Smith 45). In APA style, it looks like this: (Smith, 2023, p. 45). In Chicago style, you may use a footnote or endnote instead. Check your style guide for the exact format required.

The quote itself should be in the same font and size as the rest of your paper — do not make it bold, italic, or larger. The indentation alone signals that it is a quotation.

Fixing indentation that went wrong

If you clicked Increase Indent too many times and the quote is now indented too far, select the text again and click the Decrease Indent button (it looks like lines with a left-pointing arrow). Each click removes 0.5 inches of indentation.

If only part of your quote is indented, you probably did not select all of it before clicking the indent button. Select the entire quote again, including any text that should be indented but is not, and click Increase Indent once more. The whole selection will move together.

If the indentation looks right on your screen but prints differently, check your printer settings and margins. Some printers have minimum margin requirements that can shift indentation. You can also go to File > Print Preview to see how the page will look before printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to indent both the left and right sides of a block quotation?

MLA style requires indentation on the left side only. APA style also indents only the left side. Chicago style typically indents the left side only as well. Some instructors or publications may ask for right-side indentation too, so check your specific requirements, but the standard is left-side indentation alone.

What if my quote is only one sentence but it is 40 words long?

Use block quotation formatting. The word count is what matters, not the number of sentences. If your style guide says 40 words or more, and your quote reaches that length, indent it as a block quotation even if it is a single sentence.

Can I use block quotations in emails or online documents?

Block quotation formatting works in Word, Google Docs, and most word processors. In emails or plain-text documents, you may not have indentation options. In those cases, many people use a different marker like a vertical line on the left, or they straightforward note that the text is a quotation in the surrounding text.

Should the first line of a block quotation be indented extra, like a regular paragraph?

No. A block quotation is indented as a whole, but the first line does not get an additional indent. All lines of the block quotation sit at the same left margin — 0.5 inches or 1 inch from the left edge of the page, depending on your style guide.