What is the maximum amount of your paper that should be a direct quotation?

By Carter Sullivan

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How short can Quotes be?

A short quotation contains no more than four lines of quoted material. Normal MLA formatting should be used when incorporating a short quotation into your work. This includes reference to the author and page number of the quotation.

What is a short direct quote?

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Short Quotations When a direct quotation is used, always include the author, year and page number as part of the citation. A quotation of fewer than 40 words should be enclosed in double quotation marks and should be incorporated into the formal structure of the sentence.

How long is a short burst quotation?

Because short quotations contain fewer than 40 words, they should be integrated into the surrounding paragraph using introductory phrases that provide some context for the quoted material.

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What do you do when a quote is too long?

Place quotations longer than four typed lines in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented one inch from the left margin, and maintain double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

How long of a quote is too long apa?

Long quotations Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph.

How many block quotes can I use?

DON’T use a block quote for any quoted segment that is both less than three full lines of text in the editing interface and fewer than five sentences. This is pretty much what I just said in No. 2, but it’s nice to alternate between dos and don’ts for effect.