Use blockquote for long quotes, use q for short quotes, and use cite for references. In practice, only blockquote and q are usually used.
According to the HTML specification, there are three elements used to quote content, namely <blockquote> <q> <cite>. In reality, these tags are still used relatively little, so what tags should you use when you actually apply them? You must know their semantics well.
<blockquote>
blockquote is a reference to the content. Content must include block-level elements such as titles, lists, paragraphs, or div tags. This element can also have an optional attribute cite specified location (in the form of a URI) for example:
<blockquote cite=https://www.VeVb.com/reference/htmltags/blockquote/>
<p>A large quotation. The content of a blockquote element must include block-level elements such as headings, lists, paragraphs or div's.</p>
<p>cite can be used to specify the location (in the form of a URI) where the quote has come from.</p>
</blockquote>
<q>
The <q> tag defines a short reference. The <q> tag is essentially the same as <blockquote>. The difference is their display and application. The <q> tag is used for short in-line references.
Bob said <q>sexy pyjamas</q> but Chris said <q>a kimono</q>
Although <q> has almost never been used, it has some useful properties. For example, you can specify the appearance quote symbols for <q> through CSS. This is allowed
Q {}
Q {quotes: '»' '«' }
Q {quotes: '„' ''}
It seems good, but the entire IE series does not support it, even the latest IE8. Huge ~~
<cite>
Use this tag to define citations of references, such as the title of a book or magazine. For example:
<p>And <cite>Bob</cite> said <q>No, I think it's a banana</q>.</p>
Summarize:
Long quotations are used <blockquote>, short quotations are used <q>, and reference quotations are used <cite>. In practice, only <blockquote> and <q> are usually used.