When a passage you want to quote runs to 40 words or more, the rules change completely, and this guide to apa in text citation for direct quote formatting explains the long-quotation case in full. In APA Style, seventh edition, a quotation of 40 words or more is called a block quotation: it is set off from your text as a separate indented block, it uses no quotation marks, and its citation follows a slightly different punctuation pattern. Many students know the short-quotation rules well but stumble here, either by keeping quotation marks on a long passage, by forgetting the indentation, or by placing the full stop in the wrong place. This article walks through the formatting, the citation placement, and worked examples, so that long quotations in your work look professional and meet APA requirements.
APA in Text Citation for Direct Quote: The 40-Word Threshold
APA in text citation for direct quote decisions start with counting. A quotation of 39 words or fewer stays inline, inside double quotation marks, as a short quotation. A quotation of 40 words or more becomes a block quotation, indented and without quotation marks. The count includes only the quoted words, not your introduction and not the citation. If you are near the boundary, count twice, because a 40-word passage formatted inline is an error just as surely as a 30-word passage formatted as a block. This strictness is central to apa in text citation for direct quote block rules. A practical method is to paste the passage alone into a blank document and use the word count tool, or to count manually and then recount in reverse. The threshold is strict, but it is also simple once you build the counting habit.
It is worth asking, before formatting any block quotation, whether you need it at all. Long quotations are powerful when the exact wording matters, for example a definition, a legal formulation, or a passage whose phrasing is itself under discussion. They are weak when used to pad an essay, to avoid paraphrasing, or to fill space. Examiners and markers notice paragraphs that are mostly borrowed text, and they reward writers who quote selectively and analyse generously. A good rule is to use block quotations sparingly, perhaps once or twice in a long essay, and to follow every block with substantial discussion of your own. Restraint like this marks strong apa in text citation for direct quote practice. If the passage is long but its exact wording is not crucial, paraphrase it and cite the source normally.
APA in Text Citation for Direct Quote: Block Formatting Rules
A block quotation begins on a new line, is indented 0.5 inches (about 1.27 centimetres) from the left margin, and is double-spaced like the rest of the paper. The entire block is indented, not just the first line, and no extra blank line is needed before or after it beyond normal double spacing. Crucially, there are no quotation marks around a block quotation: the indentation itself signals to the reader that the words are borrowed. If the quotation contains multiple paragraphs, the first line of each subsequent paragraph is indented a further 0.5 inches, so the structure of the original is preserved. The block should be introduced by a sentence of your own, often ending with a colon, which prepares the reader for the extended borrowing.
Here is the shape of a correctly formatted block in prose form. Imagine your introductory sentence ends with a colon, and then the block follows, indented, in its own paragraph, with no quotation marks at the start or end. The citation comes after the final full stop of the quoted passage, which is the opposite of the short-quotation pattern. So the block ends with a full stop, then the parenthetical citation, and no further full stop after the citation. For example, a block might end like this: … end of the quoted passage. (Patel, 2021, p. 114) That final placement surprises many writers, because it reverses the habit learned for short quotations, but it is the APA rule, and markers check it. Remembering it is essential apa in text citation for direct quote knowledge. In a narrative introduction, the author and year appear in your lead-in sentence, and only the page number follows the block: … end of the quoted passage. (p. 114)
Indentation and Spacing in Practice
In most word processors, the simplest way to format a block is to select the quoted paragraphs and increase the left indent by 0.5 inches, or to use the paragraph indent controls rather than pressing the space bar repeatedly. Never fake indentation with spaces or tabs, because it will not survive reformatting and will look uneven. Keep the font and font size the same as the rest of the paper; APA does not require a smaller font or italics for block quotations, and adding them is a common over-formatting error. Avoiding extra formatting keeps apa in text citation for direct quote blocks clean. Double spacing continues through the block, and the block should not be single-spaced to save room. If your institution requires a different indent, for example a full centimetre, follow the institutional rule, but the APA default is half an inch from the left margin.
Quotations Inside a Block Quotation
Sometimes the passage you are quoting already contains quotation marks, for example when the original author quotes someone else. In a block quotation, those inner double quotation marks become single quotation marks, because the outer quotation marks have been removed by the block format. This is a small detail, but it shows care. If the original passage contains a quotation that itself runs long, keep the structure as faithful as you can while applying this conversion. Any omissions within the block are marked with an ellipsis, just as with short quotations, and any added clarifying words go in square brackets. The goal is always the same: the reader should be able to tell exactly which words are yours. That clarity is the purpose of apa in text citation for direct quote formatting., which are the source author’s, and which are quoted within the source.
Worked Examples of Block Quotations
Suppose you wish to quote a passage of about 60 words from a book on feedback. Your lead-in sentence might read: Patel (2021) summarises the argument as follows: Then the block follows, indented, without quotation marks, reproducing the passage word for word across several lines, with its own internal punctuation intact, and ending with a full stop. After that full stop comes the page reference in brackets, with no further full stop: (p. 114) The next paragraph of your own writing then begins at the normal left margin, and it should discuss the passage, not merely repeat it. That discussion is what earns marks: explain why the passage matters. Discussion turns apa in text citation for direct quote blocks from filler into argument., agree or disagree with it, connect it to other evidence, or show how it supports your argument. A block left undiscussed looks like filler, however beautifully formatted.
A parenthetical version works the same way, except that the author and year are not in the lead-in sentence. Your introduction might read: The case for specific feedback has been made at length: Then the block follows, and the citation after the final full stop carries all three elements: (Patel, 2021, p. 114) Both versions are correct, and the choice depends on whether you want to foreground the author. Either choice follows apa in text citation for direct quote block conventions. Note again the punctuation: full stop at the end of the quoted passage, then the citation, then nothing. No full stop after the closing bracket. For a related guide to shorter quoted material, see our guide to APA in-text citation for a quote, and for general quotation citation patterns, see our guide to APA in-text quote citations.
Block Quotations Spanning Multiple Paragraphs
When a quotation runs across two or more paragraphs of the original, each paragraph of the block is indented from the left margin, and the first line of the second and later paragraphs gets an additional half-inch indent. This preserves the paragraph breaks of the source and helps the reader follow the structure. Do not merge separate paragraphs into one block paragraph, and do not add paragraph breaks that were not in the original. Fidelity like this is required by apa in text citation for direct quote standards. If you need to omit a whole paragraph from the middle of a long quotation, mark the omission clearly and consider whether the omission changes the meaning; if it does, choose a shorter quotation or paraphrase instead. Long multi-paragraph quotations are rare in student work and should be used only when the structure itself is part of the point, for example when analysing an argument that develops across paragraphs.
Sources without page numbers need a different locator after the block, such as a paragraph number, a section heading, or a timestamp for audiovisual material. The formatting of the block does not change; only the locator inside the final citation changes. For example, a block from a webpage might end with (Patel, 2021, para. 4), and a block from a report section might end with (Patel, 2021, “Feedback in Practice” section). These locator rules are covered in depth in our companion guide on page and paragraph numbers, and the appendix guidance in our guide to APA in-text citation for an appendix is useful when quoted material sits in supplementary sections. Whatever locator you use, keep it consistent with the corresponding reference list entry. Consistency completes apa in text citation for direct quote work.
Common Mistakes With Block Quotations
The most common mistake is leaving quotation marks on a block quotation. The indentation replaces the marks, so using both is redundant and incorrect. The second is placing the full stop after the citation instead of before it, which is the short-quotation pattern wrongly applied to a block. The third is indenting only the first line, which makes the block look like an ordinary paragraph. The fourth is single-spacing the block or shrinking the font, neither of which APA requires. The fifth is failing to introduce the block, so that it appears without context, or failing to discuss it afterwards, so that it floats unconnected to the argument. Check each of these before submitting, and your block quotations will be correct. That checklist covers the main apa in text citation for direct quote block errors.
Another frequent problem is overuse. An essay with four or five block quotations usually signals that the writer is leaning too heavily on sources and not developing an independent voice. Markers want to hear your analysis, with sources in support, not a patchwork of long borrowed passages. If you find yourself reaching for a third block quotation, stop and ask whether paraphrase would serve better. Often it will, and the resulting paragraph will be stronger, because paraphrase forces you to process the idea. Choosing paraphrase wisely is part of apa in text citation for direct quote judgement. and express it in your own structure. Reserve blocks for the passages that genuinely deserve extended, word-for-word attention.
Frequently Asked Questions About Block Quotations
Do block quotations use quotation marks? No. The indentation signals that the passage is quoted, so no quotation marks are used around a block quotation.
Where does the full stop go in a block quotation? Before the citation. The pattern is: … end of passage. (Author, Year, p. X) with no full stop after the bracket.
How far is a block quotation indented? Half an inch (about 1.27 centimetres) from the left margin, for the whole block, with further indentation for later paragraphs.
Can a block quotation be single-spaced? No, under APA seventh edition the block remains double-spaced like the rest of the paper, unless your institution directs otherwise.
Conclusion
Long quotations need not be intimidating once the pattern is clear: count the words, and if the passage reaches 40 words, set it as an indented block on a new line, drop the quotation marks, keep the spacing double, and place the citation after the final full stop. Introduce the block with a sentence of your own, discuss it afterwards, and use it only when the exact wording earns that prominence. That discipline, applied consistently, will make apa in text citation for direct quote work in the long-quotation case feel as routine as the short-quotation rules. Keep a correctly formatted example beside you while drafting, check the five common mistakes before submitting, and your block quotations will meet APA seventh edition standards with confidence. That confidence comes from mastering apa in text citation for direct quote block rules.
