Ordinarily, a student’s life is full of research and writing dissertations. It is also notable that different research and dissertation assignments come with different instructions for formatting, including citations and quotations. Students must familiarize themselves with the various formatting styles available and their respective rules.
When it comes to blockquote, different formatting styles have varying rules on when and how to use them, especially length. However, the format itself has a few rules to be followed when using it. These include a few dos and don’ts. Consequently, this article seeks to guide you on how and when to use the blockquote, the dos and don’ts included. Don’t miss your essay, as we are ready to help you have a better write-up.
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What is Block Quote?
A block quote is a quotation used where the quoted phrase is long – contains at least forty words (specifically for APA formatting) and therefore needs to start on its line. Consequently, the blockquote will require different formatting than the standard quoting.
When Must You Use Block Quote?
There are points where a block quote is the only form of quotation you can use. Technically, this only applies to where the phrase being quoted meets the minimum number of words, depending on the formatting style you are using.
When Must You Not Use Block Quote?
There are a few instances in which you must never use the block quote. Those instances include:
- Where the phrase does not meet the minimum number of words required for block quotation for the format style you are using.
- Where you don’t have the full information on the refence, you’re quoting.
- Where you have first-hand information on any bit thereof which has been obtained first hand.
Block quote unique formatting
Below are the few formats making block quote unique:
- They start in their line, unlike the standard quotation.
- The quotation is indented at 0.5 inches and is double spaced.
- The quotation does not require quotation marks.
- The citation comes after the punctuation mark on the last word of the phrase.
- The text after the quotation begins in its line with no indentation.
Minimum number of words for block quote for various format styles
- Harvard – 30 words
- APA & Vancouver Citing – 40 words
- ACS – 50 words
- Chicago & APSA – 100 words
- MLA block quote format requires four lines of prose or three lines of poetry as a minimum.
- OSCOLA & IEEE format requires at least three lines.
- AMA & AAA formats require at least four lines.
- Turabian requires at least five lines.
How to use block quote
When using block quote, you should always include an introduction, written in your own words to make the quote make sense.
The Block quotes do not require quotation marks as they are supposed to stand out by following their unique formatting rules. The text is indented 0.5 inches from the left margin for APA and MLA style formats. Notably, certain styles require different spacing, fonts, and right-side indents. Consequently, you should always ensure that your formatting conforms to the format style you are using.
To ordinarily use the block quotes in MS Word, highlight the phrase to be quoted, then press Enter key at the beginning or end of your quote depending on the format style you are using. You then highlight it and select the Layout Menu tab, then change the indentation to 0.5 inches from the indentation tab. Your selected phrase will be automatically block quoted.
Can one make a perfect block quotation that fits in all format styles? Remember to follow the word count rule when using the block quote.