teach my word to indent properly again! like in the old days!

December 3, 2010 6:30 PM

why can word 2004 no longer indent block quotes properly?

my buddy and I were chatting about word and block quotes and blargh and realized we have the same issue -- one day, word suddenly stopped being able to properly indent block quotes. When I want to include a single space block quote passage in a double spaced essay, I can't just indent the first line and have the following lines understand automatically to indent. Makeshift solutions are annoying. Any ideas how to change this? Thanks!

posted by elephantsvanish to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Do you use syles? You can add a specific style that is indented and single-spaced. When you want to type a block quote you simply switch to that style, or you type your text, then higlight it before applying your custom style. A bit more about styles here (I just googled word 2004 styles).
posted by ddaavviidd at 7:22 PM on December 3, 2010

If you're following MLA style, the block quotes should be double-spaced, just as the rest of the paper should be. The easy way to format them is to type them first, then highlight the paragraph and use the rulers to indent the left margin.
posted by wheat at 8:08 PM on December 3, 2010

Have you tried indenting the first and second lines of lines? Indent the first line using the tab key, then place the cursor at the beginning of the second line and hit the tab key. The second line and all following lines should indent.
posted by Majorita at 11:34 AM on December 4, 2010

Make sure you have this option on: File->Options->Proofing->AutoFormat As You Type->Set left- and first-indent with tabs and spaces. Then what Majorita says should work for you (if it doesn't already).
posted by zanni at 4:37 PM on December 4, 2010