Quote What?: Using Quotations Effectively/MLA at a GlanceUWC Writing Workshop

Spring 2014

Do you recognize any of these? What do they mean to you? What significance do they hold?

Integrating Quotations What do you know about integrating quotations?

What aspect of integrating quotations do you struggle with the most? What do you hope to take away from today’s workshop?

What is a quotation? Something that is quoted; a passage quoted from a

book, speech, etc.; i.e. a speech full of quotations from Lincoln’s letters

Provides important information/pieces of evidence and lends fresh voices and perspectives to your work

When should I quote? Discussing specific arguments or ideas: in order to have a

clear, accurate discussion of the ideas of others, you need to quote those ideas word-for-word

Giving added emphasis to a particular authoritative source on your topic: there will be times when you want to highlight the words of a particularly important and authoritative source on your topic

Analyzing how others use language: you might find yourself writing about the use of language in history and social science classes. If the use of language is your primary topic, then you will obviously need to quote users of that language.

When should I quote? (cont’d) Spicing up your prose: in order to lend variety to your

prose, you may wish to quote a source with particularly vivid language

How do I set up and follow up a quotation? Provide a context for each quotation: do not rely on

quotations to tell your story for you; it is your responsibility to provide your reader with a context for the quotation

Attribute each quotation to its source: tell your reader who is speaking; make it clear where your ideas/thoughts end and the quotation begins Use various verbs that help lead into the quote (usually followed

by “that”): add, remark, exclaim, announce, reply, state, note, think

How do I set up and follow up a quotation? (cont’d) Explain the significance of the quotation: once you’ve

inserted your quotation, along with its context and attribution, don’t stop! Your reader still needs your assessment of why the quotation holds significance for your paper!

Provide a citation for the quotation: all quotations, just like all paraphrases, require a formal citation. For MLA, the style you use in your ENGL classes, in-text citations start on pg. 289 in A Writer’s Resource!

Integrating Quotations: The Basics First…let’s define “integration!”

What do you think this terms means?

An integration is… an act or instance of combining into an integral whole.

Patterns for Integrating Quotations A signal phrase/introduction phrase/orientation plus the

quotation, and a connection to your argument Example: In this poem it is creation, not a hypothetical creator,

that is supremely awesome. The speaker asks, “What immortal hand or eye/Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?” (lines 43-44). (signal phrase before the quote)

Example: Gatsby is not to be regarded as a personal failure. “Gatsby turned out alright at the end” (176), according to Nick. (signal phrase after the quote)

Patterns for Integrating Quotations (cont’d) An assertion of your own and a colon, plus the quotation

(used for complete sentence quotations) Example: Vivian hates the knights for scorning her, and she

dreams of achieving glory by destroying Merlin’s: “I have made his glory mine” (390).

Example: Fitzgerald gives Nick a muted tribute to the hero: “Gatsby turned out all right in the end” (176).

Patterns for Integrating Quotations (cont’d) An assertion of your own with quoted material worked in

(for just a few quoted words) Example: For Nick, who remarks that Gatsby “turned out all right”

(176), the hero deserves respect but perhaps does not inspire great admiration.

Example: Satan’s motion is many things; he “rides” through the air (63), “rattles” (65), and later explodes, “wanders and hovers” like a fire (293).

Also Consider…

What If… I want to omit part of a quotation?

Sometimes you want to omit part of a quotation:

If you want to leave out part of a quotation, and the omission doesn’t seriously alter the quotation’s meaning, you can use ellipses (…).  FULL QUOTATION: In the Contra Costa Times, Randy Myers writes, “The outrageous ‘Greek’ works better than ‘Funny People’ at least in part because Apatow, who tends to make films that meander too much, hands over writing and directing to a protégé.” WITH WORDS OMITTED, MEANING UNCHANGED: In the Contra Costa Times, Randy Myers writes, “The outrageous ‘Greek’ works better than ‘Funny People’ . . . because Apatow, who tends to make films that meander too much, hands over writing and directing to a protégé.” 

What If… I need to change a quotation ever so slightly to make it fit my

sentence structure?

Sometimes you need to change a quotation ever so slightly to make it fit your sentence structure:

If you include a quotation in a sentence, it must fit grammatically. Try to do that without changing the quotation, but if you must you can change words (usually pronouns) to make grammatical sense.

ORIGINAL: Alvarez realizes that everyone there speaks English. People of New York “must be smarter, I thought.Maids, waiters, taxi drivers, doormen, bums on the street, all spoke this difficult language” (26-27).

BETTER: Alvarez realizes that everyone there speaks English. People of New York “must be smarter, [she] thought.Maids, waiters, taxi drivers, doormen, bums on the street, all spoke this difficult language” (26-27). 

What If… I want to use a quotation, and it is a bit long?

Also, remember that STYLE MATTERS!!!

Sometimes a quotation is long:For quotations longer than 4 lines of your paper, quotations look different. You start a new line, indent it one inch (or 10 spaces), and do not use quotation marks around it. A parenthetical citation (like in MLA) follows the period.

The New York times explained the situation in French cinema in a recent article:The French press, eager for a follow-up to Marion Cotillard’s Oscar in 2008 for her portrayal of Edith Piaf, is already gushing. In a recent interview by telephone, Michel Hazanavicius, the 44-year-old director, conceded that the project had been a risk, but not for him. The biggest gambler, he said, was the producer Thomas Langmann, who not only backed the film, but also concurred with the idea that it had to be shot in Hollywood and nowhere else. (13)

Make sense? Let’s put this all together!http://

www.screencast.com/users/WVUWritingCenter/folders/Jing/media/ec57e7ac-44aa-4cbe-8a04-245ad1edfb1c Courtesy of West Virginia University Writing

Center

MLA at a Glance Who uses MLA?/Where did MLA style come from?

English Studies: Language and Literature Foreign Language and Literature Literary Criticism Comparative Literature Cultural Studies

The most noticeable feature of MLA style is in-text parenthetical citations. This means NO footnotes.

The Modern Language Association decided to introduce a system it liked better. MLA considers parenthetical citations easier on the eyes and the brain.

MLA at a Glance (cont’d) Make sure to have 1 inch margins and double space throughout the entire

document. Include your last name and page number in the upper right-hand corner of each

page of the paper! (go to “Insert” tab, click on “Page Number,” select “Top of Page” and “Plain Number 3.” Then, go into header provided and type in your last name).

Beginning on your first line, type in: Your Name Your Professor’s Name Class (i.e. ENGL 1101-01) Date (i.e. 2 November 2013)

Include a title for the paper. DO NOT solely use the name of the story/novel/play/poem you are studying.

When you begin any new paragraph, make sure to indent ½ inch (i.e. hit the “Tab” key once).

When including a block quote in your work, make sure to indent 1 inch (i.e. hit the “Tab” key twice) and omit quotations marks from the quote.

Want more info about MLA???MLA & APA Boot Camp (Feb. 26th & 27th)

Need help? Visit the UWC! 678-839-6513 writing@westga.edu TLC 1201 (First floor, past the snacks) www.westga.edu/writing Like us on Facebook:

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