Who Said What? Introducing and Contextualizing Quotations

Unless the author’s original words are necessary to make your point, rewrite the passage in your own words. Try to condense the original author’s ideas into 1 or 2 sentences that support your argument. Then, incorporate your paraphrase into your paragraph, without using quotation marks. However, do include a citation to let your reader know where you found those ideas. Use quotation marks anytime you include someone else’s words in your own paper. This lets the reader know that you have borrowed from another writer.

This is where you tie your thoughts together in a nice bow. Anchor charts are meant to be created withthe whole class, of course, but sometimes I like to have the students create them in groups to share with their classmates later. (There are some optional title pageshere – it’s best to let the kids do the whole design, but sometimes they need a little push to get started). C) Give students sheets – either at their desks how to properly head an essay or on the wall – with a series of quotations that have been properlyandimproperly embedded and cited. They have to find the ones that are not done properly and re-write them so they are. Before my students use the interactive activities, though, I do have toteachthem how to select, embed, explain, and cite. There is a lot of information to give them, and it’s hard to find a way to do that without putting them to sleep.

Job Materials and Application Essays

Paraphrasing is when you restate someone else’s ideas in your own words. It’s a great way to incorporate evidence into your paper without using a direct quote every time. Although you don’t need to use quotes around a paraphrase, you do need to cite it. Prepare to paraphrase by reading the passage that you want to use several times, cover it, and then write out the ideas of the writer without looking at the original passage.

“Longer” quotations should be formatted according to the expectations of a block quote. This unit of text should be positioned one half inch from the left margin, and opening and closing quotation marks are not used. The MLA Handbook, 8th edition recommends that indented quotations be double-spaced, but many instructors prefer them single-spaced. The meaning of “longer” varies slightly from one style system to another, but a general rule is to indent quotations that how to introduce quotes are more than two lines of verse or four lines of prose. Sometime you may decide to use a direct quote but want to avoid including a lengthy passage when the essential meaning that you want to include is much shorter. To replace unnecessary words in a quoted sentence, you may use an ellipses – a series of three periods followed by the remainder of the quotation. Block quotations are double spaced like the rest of your essay and not surrounded by quotation marks.

Giving added emphasis to a particularly authoritative source on your topic

When in doubt as to whether or not to quote, it is always safer to use a quotation. Not all scholars agree that the question of literacy in the United States is a simple matter. After all, she asserts, “he line is not so easy to draw between ‘able to read’ and ‘able to understand’.” If we want to be prepared to help the Lord accomplish difficult tasks, we must have stronger faith in the Savior. We must also seek inspiration and strengthen ourselves spiritually. In the work that lies ahead, the Lord will ask us to do hard things. We will need stronger faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

With this in mind you must always insert a footnote or parenthetical citation after such a passage to fully credit the source of your information. The following examples provide a basic sense of what instructors mean when they talk about paraphrasing and quoting sources.

Block Quotes

Sometimes you want to shorten a quote to help your reader better understand why it supports your argument. Similarly, you may want to cut out words that aren’t essential to the quote’s meaning. To cut out a word or words, you just need to put an ellipsis (…) in place of the words. A signal phrase is a short introduction phrase that indicates that a quote or paraphrase is coming. By introducing a quotation or paraphrase with a signal phrase, you provide an effective transition between your own ideas and the evidence used to explore your ideas. Remember that you are required to cite your sources for paraphrases and direct quotes. For more information on MLA Style, APA style, Chicago Style, ASA Style, CSE Style, and I-Search Format, refer to our Gallaudet TIP Citations and Referenceslink.

Finally, do research to find data and examples that can support your reasons. In the example above, the writer is referring to a research article, so when he introduces the quotation, he uses present tense . Please note that the information below is only intended for quotations within nonfiction works, articles, reports, and blog posts. Dialog in transcripts, screenplays, and some fictional works can follow different formats than those shown here.

Be sure that you dont fundamentally change the meaning of the quotation by omitting material

Be sure that you don’t fundamentally change the meaning of the quotation by omitting material. Place parenthetical citation according to your style guide . Twenty times, in the course of my late reading, have I been on the point of breaking out, ‘this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!!!!

• Choice B ends in wrote, a speaking verb, and is correctly followed by a comma.
• You can also use square brackets to show that you changed or added some words.
• You need to be careful when using quotes because your tutor wants to see how you understand the topic, not those ten field experts you have cited.

One way to avoid using too many quotations in your writing is to have something original to say. When you are given a research writing assignment, get started right away—do not procrastinate. Study the instructions for the assignment and write out possible ideas for your essay. Whether you are writing an article, a blog post, or a report, quotations can add depth and authenticity to your content. (And, you can quote me on that!) Here is a quick overview on how to introduce run-in quotations, which are short quotations integrated into sentences. A clause that ends in a speaking verb such as asks and says cannot function as a standalone sentence, and should be followed by a comma. Choice B begins with an independent clause, which could function as a complete sentence.

How to determine your signal phrase

The exact rules depend on the reference system you’re using, though, so be sure to check your style guide. And, when in doubt, you can always submit a document for proofreading. We can help make sure your quotations are fully integrated into the rest of your text. When you restate the information from a source in your own words instead of citing a quote from an article, you don’t need to put quotation marks. But don’t forget to specify all the necessary details after the passage and to provide the analysis of the paraphrase or summary. This activity is one that requires my students to really think through the quote selection process.

Don’t omit information if its absence distorts the original meaning of the quote. There are a few differences between the American and British styles of using inverted commas. As for other types of academic writing, there are exceptions.

Don’t follow it with a comma if your lead

I realized that the old lecture/worksheet approach was NOT working, so I decided that we needed to get a little more interactive. The stand-up stations are one of the things I started using, but I’ve got a few more activities that I can share with you to get your students actively engaged in the process. Prose or verse quotations less than four lines long are not indented. For quotations of this length, use the patterns described above. Remember that using proper quotation format not only adds polish and smoothness to your paper, it also guards against potential plagiarism.

• All quotations, however, must closely relate to your topic and arguments.
• It doesn’t deal with the way you need to cite them, which requires the author’s name, the year of publication, the page number, etc.
• Changing verb tense or pronouns in order to be consistent with the rest of the sentence.
• “It is, it is a glorious thing/To be a pirate king,” he declares .

Then choose a verb that is appropriate for the source material’s purpose. They plop a quotation in the middle of their writing without introducing it. Or, they choose ones that don’t support their points. The documentation style used in this handout is that presented in the MLA Handbook, 8th edition , the most common citation style for literary analysis papers.

How do I set up and follow up a quotation?

Remembering just a few simple rules can help you use the correct punctuation as you introduce quotations. There are some exceptions to the rules below, but they should help you use the correct punctuation with quotations most of the time.

Teachers and their students often feel a mix of excitement, anxi… By Presto Plans Log onto your favorite social media platform, and you are bound to be met with at least one inspirational quote. One of my favourite activities to do during a short story or novel unit is to dig deep into the characters.

Refer to section 25 2 in the Turabian Manual 8th ed. for details on incorporating quotes into your paper.

The author reveals his true feelings with his ironic remark that we should “just resort to cannibalism to defeat world hunger” (p. ##). The author declares, “All people, rich or poor, should pay the same taxes to the government” (p. ##). We see this self doubt again in the second scene, when Agatha comments, “Oh, times like this I just don’t know whether I am right or wrong, good or bad” (p. ##).