How to Format Block Quotes in Chicago Style

Before formatting, verify that your quote meets the length requirements for a block. In Chicago style, you should use a block format if the prose quote is five lines or longer, or roughly 100 words or more. For poetry, use a block quote if you are citing two or more lines. If the quote is shorter, keep it within the main body of your paragraph enclosed in standard quotation marks. Using block quotes for short snippets can disrupt the flow of your essay and may appear as an attempt to artificially increase page length.

Lead into your block quote with a complete introductory sentence. This sentence should provide context for the quote and explain why it is relevant to your argument. End this introductory sentence with a colon. Do not simply drop the quote into the text without a signal phrase. The colon serves as a formal gateway, signaling to the reader that a significant piece of evidence follows. Start the block quote on a new line immediately following this introductory sentence.

Apply a 0.5-inch indent to the entire block of text from the left margin. In Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can achieve this by highlighting the text and dragging the left indent marker on the ruler. Unlike the rest of your Chicago style paper, which is usually double-spaced, the block quote itself should be single-spaced. Do not use quotation marks around the block. If the quote contains internal dialogue or another quote, use double quotation marks for that specific portion within the block.

The placement of the citation depends on whether you are using the Notes-Bibliography or Author-Date system. For the Notes-Bibliography system, place a superscript footnote number at the very end of the block quote, after the final period. For the Author-Date system, place the parenthetical citation (e.g., Smith 2023, 45) after the final punctuation mark of the quote. Unlike shorter in-text quotes where the period follows the citation, in a block quote, the period comes before the citation.