What Do You Do If A Quote Is Too Long?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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  1. Shorten long quotes with ellipses. You can shorten quotes by removing words from the middle of the quote and adding ellipses to indicate that you have removed some words. …
  2. Clarify Quotes with Brackets. …
  3. Mix your own words and snippets of quotes in the same sentence.

Is there a limit to how long a quote can be?


There are no official limits to quotation length

, though any that are more than four lines should be formatted as a separate block quote. However, it is generally better to paraphrase the sources you cite rather than use direct quotations.

Can I shorten a quote?

Shortening a quote

If some parts of a passage are redundant or irrelevant,

you can shorten the quote by removing words, phrases, or sentences and replacing them

with three dots, called an ellipsis. … When you shorten a quote, be careful that removing the words doesn't change the meaning.

What do you do if a quote is longer than 40 lines?

Place direct quotations longer than 40 words in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and

omit

. Start the quotation on a new line, indented five spaces from the left margin.

What do you do if you have a quote that is more than five lines long?

Long quotations – Prose quotations of more than five lines should be presented as

a single-spaced block quotation

. Leave a blank line before and after the quote and indent the whole quote from the left margin. Do not add quotation marks.

How do you end a quote early?


Use ellipses

to make a quote say something other than what the author originally intended. Include the sentence's ending punctuation followed by the ellipsis points when the dots are inserted after a complete sentence. Leave out the spaces before and after the ellipsis points or between them.

What are cute quotes?

  • I don't get cute, I get drop-dead gorgeous. …
  • The only rule is don't be boring and dress cute wherever you go. …
  • I myself never feel that I'm sexy. …
  • Don't try to be what you're not. …
  • People see me as cute, but I'm so much more than that. …
  • Beauty ain't always a little, cute colored flower.

How much is a quote in an essay?

There's a simple rule for how many quotes should be in an essay. Here's a good rule to follow:

one quote for every five paragraphs

. A paragraph is usually 150 words long, so you're looking at one quote in every 750 words, maximum.

How long is a long quote MLA?

Long quotations

For quotations that are

more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse

, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1/2 inch from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing.

How do you paraphrase?

  1. Read the passage several times to fully understand the meaning.
  2. Note down key concepts.
  3. Write your version of the text without looking at the original.
  4. Compare your paraphrased text with the original passage and make minor adjustments to phrases that remain too similar.

What does block quote look like?

Block quotations

start on their own line

. The entire block quotation is indented 0.5 inches, the same as the indentation for a new paragraph, and is double spaced. Block quotations are not surrounded by any quotation marks. … The text after the block quotation begins on its own line, with no indentation.

When should a quote be a block quote?

Block quotations are only used

if the text is longer than 40 words (APA) or four lines (MLA)

. Double space all lines. Do not add an extra space before or after the block quote. Unlike quotes integrated into your text, block quotes do not need quotation marks.

What precedes and follows a quote is just as important as the quote itself?

The words that precede and follow a quotation are just as important as the quotation itself. You can think of each quote as the filling in a sandwich: it may be tasty on its own, but it's messy to eat without some bread on either side of it.

How do you properly quote a quote?

Rule:

Use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks when you have a quotation within a quotation

. Example: Bobbi told me, “Delia said, ‘This will never work.

What are the four things you need to do if you are blocking a quotation?

  1. Prose. If you quote a single paragraph (or just part of one), do not indent the first line of the block quote more than the rest: …
  2. Poetry. Just as for prose, poetry block quotations (3+ lines) should begin on a new line. …
  3. Drama.

What are the best quotes about life?

  • “ The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama.
  • “ Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.” — John Lennon.
  • “ Get busy living or get busy dying.” — Stephen King.
  • “ You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West.
  • “ …
  • “ …
  • “ …
Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.