Using Quotations

“You Can Quote Me On That” A quote is the exact wording of a

statement from a source Quotes make your ideas and opinions

more believable, in writing or speaking. They are evidence that can support your thesis and statements.

There are several types of quotes

Direct Quotes Quotes printed word for word exactly as

the author wrote them are direct quotes.

These words appear in quotation marks

The attribution word appears outside the quotation marks

The attribution is the phrase that tells who said it—where you got the information

Examples of Direct Quotes “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop

and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” said Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller in the famous 1986 film.

“I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy,” states the lovable Ellen DeGeneres as Dory in the film, Finding Nemo.

Indirect Quotes If the information from a source is not the

author’s exact words, they are not placed in quotation marks. This is an indirect quote or paraphrase

Indirect quotes are used to: Express a fact or statement Clarify a quote that is too long, confusing,

or dull Condense the ideas of several direct quotes

Indirect Quotes or Paraphrases Never change the meaning of a quote when you

paraphrase! You still need to cite (give credit to) your source,

whether you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information from it.

DQ: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” said Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller in the famous 1986 film.

P: Ferris Bueller, played by Matthew Broderick, gave great advice about not missing out on all that life has to offer.

Paraphrases A paraphrase is when textual evidence

is presented in your own words. The paraphrase must include different words and different sentence structure.

Paraphrased information is not placed in quotation marks.

Partial Quotes Sometimes you want to use a part of a

quote rather than the whole thing. This is called a partial quote. To do this, only include quoted words or phrases inside the quotation marks.

Partial quotes are useful when the original is too long or not very interesting, or just plain confusing. In that case you can quote a phrase and paraphrase the rest.

Example of a Partial Quote In his novel, Styles at LCC, author Harry

Skaulp states that spiked hair is a “part of our cultural heritage, not merely a symbol of rebellion,” adding that he thinks nose piercing should be mandatory (75).

Deciding when to Quoteo Avoid over-quoting

o Quote words when how it is said is as important as what is said. Otherwise, paraphrase information.

Punctuating Quotations The author’s exact words go inside the quotation

marks The author’s exact punctuation should be

included with the words inside the quotation marks If there are mistakes or specific, unusual diction

choices in your quote that you want to keep, add the word “sic” in brackets [sic}. This tells your reader that you copied it as it was written and was not your mistake.

Ex. She wrote, “They made there [sic] beds.”

Punctuating Quotes Cont. If the quote seems ambiguous or

unclear you may add words for clarity by including them in [brackets]

Ex. “It [driving] imposes a heavy procedural workload on cognition that . . . leaves little processing capacity available for other tasks” (Taggart 16).

Integrating Quotations Never just drop a quotation into your

paper. Always introduce it and explain it with your own words.

A quote should never stand alone as its own sentence

There are three main ways to introduce quotations. These include:

A. Embedding Quotes Embed the quotation within you

sentence, punctuating it just as you would if it was not a quotation Ex. Mrs. Barry teaches the use of

quotation marks because quotes “add interest to writing and provide the best type of evidence to support an opinion or argument.”

B. Attribution B. Introduce the quotation by using an

attributive tag like he writes, she claims, they stated, she said, etc. and follow it with a comma.

Ex. To describe her job Mrs. Barry explained, “I never get bored, because no two days are ever the same.”

Attribution ctd. The attribution phrase appears outside

the quotation marks Introduce a full sentence quotation by

writing your own full sentence introduction followed by a colon to introduce the quotation Ex. Richard Wright explains his reasons for

writing: “I was striving for a level of expression that matched those of the novels I read” (“Richard Wright Biography”).

Standard Parenthetical Citation Author’s last name - Farquhar Page number – Farquhar 37 In parentheses - (Farquhar 37) Before end punctuation mark – (Farquhar

37). Despite what many people may think, the

Founding Fathers did not all get along: “Busy as they were building a new nation, the Founding Fathers always managed to squeeze in enough time to tear each other apart”(Farquhar 37).

Some Notes on Citations Online sources often do not have

authors. In that case, write the title of the article in parentheses following the quote:

Example: ”Ads seek to grab your teen's attention, persuading him to feel something - even fear or intimidation - and to take action as a result”(“Children and Media: Advertising: Teens”)

Notes on citation cont. If you mention the title of the article in the

introduction to the quote, you do not need to cite it in parentheses:

Example: The article “Children and Media: Adverting: Teens,” stresses the need for teenagers to be aware of the persuasive nature of advertising: “Ads seek to grab your teen’s attention, persuading him to feel something-even fear or intimidation-and to take action as a result.”

And more citation notes . . . If the quote ends in a period and it

follows with a parenthetical citation, place the period outside of the closing quotation mark.

Example: