Prolonged quotations Place quotes longer than four lines of prose or three lines of verse in a free-standing block of text and avoid quotation marks. Begin the quotation on a new line, with the full quotation indented 1/2 inch from the left margin and double-spaced. End the quotation with another full stop followed by a blank line.
For example: "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Pellentesque eget neque non nunc porta. Sed hendrerit mi at eros facilisis dictum. Integer posuere metus a tellus iaculis pretium. Maecenas id mauris ac massa commodo suscipit. Morbi nec est et justo dignissim pellentesque. Phasellus nec lectus risus, quis viverra nibh. Nullam vehicula tortor vitae fringilla congue. Duis luctus purus odio, sed finibus dui mattis vel. Nunc imperdiet enim ut felis volutpat aliquam. Donec pharetra magna ac tristique convallis. Nam lacinia turpis eu sem malesuada, et feugiat libero eleifend. Cras rhoncus arcu non nulla tempor bibendum.
Prolonged quotations Direct quotes of 40 words or more should be included in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, with quotation marks omitted. Begin the citation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, just as you would a new paragraph. Then continue it across the page with the remaining text of the sentence.
When quoting extensively from a single source, it is helpful to number the paragraphs for which you have data. This makes it easier to refer back to particular sentences or passages when preparing your manuscript for publication.
The following example includes direct and prolonged quotations. The quotation itself is on a separate line, followed by its reference number.
Langston Hughes wrote about jazz: "It's not just a dance anymore. It's not just music. It's not even entertainment. Jazz is the language of all black people, and as such it is universal." (1)
Langston Hughes also wrote about civil rights: "We must forever remain vigilant against racial injustice, intolerance, and discrimination in all their forms and manifestations." (2)
Finally, Langston Hughes praised African Americans' contributions to American culture: "Thank God for black people! Without them there'd be no jazz, no blues, no rock 'n' roll. There'd be no American music." (3)
Prolonged quotations (block quotes) Omit quotation marks and place direct quotations longer than 40 words in a free-standing block of typewritten lines. Begin the citation on a new line, five spaces in from the left margin. You can use page numbers or not; your choice.
If you choose to use page numbers, type the page number at the beginning of the quotation block. The end of the quotation block should refer back to the original source note.
The following is an example of a quotation that could be used with this technique: "Friedrich Nietzsche invented the term 'Übermensch' in 1882 to describe someone who had achieved a state of self-overcoming beyond that of ordinary mankind. This concept would later form the basis for modern notions of human greatness." Source: "Inventing the Superhuman: A History of Ideas," by Gregory Martin. Oxford University Press, 2008. Page 63.
Nietzsche's idea of a "superman" was not new. It had been proposed before but he made it popular once again. His book Thus Spoke Zarathustra was published in nine parts between November 1883 and May 1885. It was first written in German then translated into English by Richard Walter Schirrmacher.
Omit quotation marks and place direct quotations longer than 40 words in a free-standing block of typewritten lines. Put the date at the end of the essay.
More than four lines of cited text constitute a lengthy quotation. After the beginning to the quotation, add a comma and indent the entire quotation one inch from the left side. These quotations can be single- or double-spaced and should not include quotation marks unless they appear in the original text. Longer quotations can easily cause pages to run out of space so try to keep them as short as possible.
To quote 5 or more lines of prose or 3 or more lines of verse, start on a new line, indent the quoted section 1 inch (2.5 cm) or around 10 spaces from the left margin, and double-space between lines without using quotation marks. Then include the source name and page number after your quotation.
For example, if the source is in the library and you want to include it in your essay, start on a new line about one-fifth of the way down the page, right-align the text, and type "MLA Handbook" followed by the page number. You can also use endnotes instead of a list of sources.
The goal is to make it easy for readers to find other works by the same author or information about topics discussed in the essay. While most people will only read an excerpt from your paper, including the source description ensures accurate referencing later.
Sources should not be included in academic essays unless they are directly related to the topic at hand. Including extraneous material will only confuse readers who are trying to understand the main idea behind your paper.
Academic journals are usually required to provide sources for any information written about cases or individuals. If you are writing about a case study or interview subject and cannot locate relevant documentation, ask them first before citing something out of context.
Otherwise, type the quotation on a separate sheet or slip of paper, and include the source with your manuscript or database entry.
There are no formal quotation length restrictions, although any quotation longer than four lines should be handled as a single block quote. However, rather than using straight quotations, it is often preferable to paraphrase the sources you mention. This not only makes your essay more original, but also allows you to give better credit where it is due.
As long as you aren't going over the limit, there is no need to worry about how many quotes you use in your essay.
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