How to Cite an MLA Format Paragraph

The Modern Languages Association's (MLA) formatting rules are the go-to citation guidelines for teachers and students of the humanities. MLA formatting governs citation style in research papers, from referencing books to electronic resources. At times, writers will need to cite a paragraph in MLA format, which follows its own special formatting, but is still simple to duplicate. MLA defines a paragraph, or long quotation, as more than four lines of text.

Instructions

    • 1

      Place a colon at the end of the sentence that you want to place your long quotation after. "Shakespeare repeatedly uses hand imagery in 'Macbeth':"

    • 2

      Press "Enter" on your keyboard twice, leaving a blank line after your last sentence.

    • 3

      Tab over once to create a one inch margin. Type your long quotation.

    • 4

      Cite the long quotation with the author's last name, followed by the page number of the book from which you retrieved the quotation, inside of a pair of parentheses. Indicate the line number, if you are citing poetry or verse. (Shakespeare 2.1.33)

    • 5

      Press "Enter" twice and continue writing your essay at the left-hand margin.

      "Shakespeare repeatedly uses hand imagery in 'Macbeth':

      Is this a dagger which I see before me,

      The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

      I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.

      Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible

      To feeling as to sight? or art thou but

      A dagger of the mind, a false creation,

      Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? (Shakespeare 2.1.33)

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