Typography & Style
Reading time: 5 min
How to Format Block Quotations (40+ Words) in APA 7: Rules & Indentation
💡 Fast Answer: The 4 Rules for APA 7 Block Quotes
- Threshold: Any direct quote containing 40 words or more must be presented as a block quote.
- Indent: Indent the entire block 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) from the left margin.
- No Quotation Marks: Do NOT put quotation marks around the block.
- Period Placement: The period goes at the end of the text, before the parenthetical citation (e.g.,
...findings were conclusive. (Taylor, 2024, p. 112)). Do not put a period after the closing parenthesis.
1. Block Quote vs. Short Quote: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Formatting Element | Short Quote (< 40 words) | Block Quote (≥ 40 words) |
|---|---|---|
| Placement | Embedded directly into the paragraph text | Starts on a new line as a freestanding block |
| Quotation Marks | Required (enclosed in double quotation marks "...") |
Strictly forbidden (no quotation marks) |
| Left Indentation | Standard paragraph indent (0.5 in on first line only) | Full 0.5-inch indent across all lines of the block |
| Period Position | Period goes after the citation: "text" (p. 20). |
Period goes before the citation: text. (p. 20) |
| Line Spacing | Double-spaced | Double-spaced throughout (no extra blank lines) |
2. Real-World APA 7 Block Quote Example
Below is a demonstration of how a block quote should look inside your research paper:
When investigating the behavioral adaptations of captive cetaceans, researchers documented significant shifts in acoustic vocalization patterns under altered environmental conditions:
The introduction of artificial ambient noise frequencies produced measurable deviations in echolocation pulse intervals. Rather than elevating frequency amplitude to compensate for acoustic masking, subjects demonstrated prolonged intervals of vocal suppression, followed by synchronized burst-pulse sequences during low-decibel observation windows. These empirical observations suggest that acoustic behavioral plasticity is constrained by localized sensory fatigue rather than energetic expenditure limitations. (Harrison & Lindqvist, 2023, p. 308)
Notice that the text following the block quote begins at the standard left margin without an indentation, unless it constitutes a new conceptual paragraph.
3. What If the Block Quote Has Multiple Paragraphs?
If your direct quotation spans two or more paragraphs in the original source, format it as follows:
- Indent the first paragraph 0.5 inches from the left margin.
- Indent the first line of the second and subsequent paragraphs an additional 0.5 inches (1.0 inch total from the left margin).
4. How Block Quotes Affect Turnitin Plagiarism Scores
One of the most frequent reasons students receive elevated Turnitin similarity scores is improperly formatted long quotations:
- The Quotation Mark Trap: If you place quotation marks around a block quote, citation audit algorithms may interpret the marks as nested dialog, triggering syntax errors.
- Missing Page Numbers: Turnitin and academic graders expect direct quotes to include a specific page number (
p. 45), paragraph number (para. 8), or section heading. Omitting the locator frequently gets flagged as uncited content.