Block quotation

A block quotation, also known as a "long quotation", block quote or "extract", is a quotation in a written document, set off from the main text as a distinct paragraph or block. It is typically used for a longer passage than a run-in quotation, which is set off with quotation marks. A block quotation is often distinguished visually using indentation, setting in a different typeface, or in a smaller size.

Origins

In the first centuries of typesetting, quotations were distinguished merely by indicating the speaker, and this can still be seen in some editions of the bible. During the Renaissance, quotations were distinguished by setting in a typeface contrasting with the main body text (often Italic type with roman, or the other way round). Block quotations were set this way at full size and full measure.

Quotation marks were first cut in type during the middle of the sixteenth century, and were used copiously by some printers by the seventeenth. In Baroque and Romantic-period books, they could be repeated at the beginning of every line of a long quotation. When this practice was abandoned, the empty margin remained, leaving an indented block quotation. [Bringhurst (2002), p 86.]

Formatting block quotations

There is no hard-and-fast rule for exact formatting of a block quotation. To a large extent the specific format may be dictated by the method of publication (e.g. handwritten text, typewritten pages, or electronic publishing) as well as the typeface being used.

For writers and editors, the Chicago Manual of Style recommends using a block quotation when cited text is four or more lines in length, and setting it smaller than the surrounding text. The block quotation may also be used to distinguish shorter citations from original text, though strictly speaking this does not follow APA or MLA style guidelines. Use of the block quotation for shorter passages is a stylistic choice that may or may not be acceptable depending on the situation.

Some guidelines suggest an indentation of five, ten, or fifteen spaces. However, five spaces in a proportional font may be much narrower than in a typewriter font of the same point size. In addition, setting an indent based on an exact number of spaces may not be technically possible in a given word processing or electronic publishing application. In these situations, a measurement of distance rather than a number of spaces may be prescribed instead (for example, a 0.5–1" indent). Some writers indent block quotations from the right margin as well. Block quotations are generally set off from the text that precedes and follows them by also adding extra space above and below the quotation and setting the text in smaller type. Barring specific requirements, the format of the block quotation will ultimately be determined by aesthetics, making the quotation pleasing to the eye, easy to read, and appropriate for the particular writing task.

In typesetting, block quotations can be distinguished from the surrounding text by variation in typeface (often italic vs. roman), type size, or by indentation. Often combinations of these methods are used, but are not necessary. Block quotations are also visually distinguished from preceding and following main text blocks by a white line or half-line space. [Bringhurst (2002), pp 40–41.]

Introductory punctuation, capitalization, and indentation

Block quotations are usually preceded by a sentence ending with a colon or a period, and they usually begin with a capitalized first word.

Quotations within an extract

If a block quotation itself contains quoted material, double quotation marks enclose that material. (In a run-in quotation, these would be set as single quotation marks.)

Comparing with run-in quotations

The examples given above are block quotations. The following sentence contains a run-in quotation:

Notes

References

* Bringhurst, Robert (2002). "The Elements of Typographic Style", version 2.5. Vancouver, Hartley & Marks. ISBN 0-88179-133-4.

External links

* [http://www.englishdiscourse.org/block.quotes.htm How and When to Use Block Quotes]
* [http://www.original-ink.net/Units/Writing%20Guide/using%20quotes%20in%20a%20research%20paper.htm Using Quotes in a Research Paper]