COMM 337: Using Quotes

1. COMM 337: Using Quotes

2. COMM 337 Using quotes in our work. • When do you use quotes? • How to punctuate quotes. • Some common issues and errors.

3. COMM 337 Don’t quote material better paraphrased. • NOT: Smith told the committee, “The budget will be changed so we can spend more money improving roads.” • INSTEAD: Smith told the committee that more money will be spent on roads.

4. COMM 337 Punctuation • Commas and periods always go inside quotation marks. • Other punctuation goes inside quotation marks if the punctuation refers to the quoted material. • He asked, “When does the semester end?” • Who said, “I hope it ends soon”?

5. COMM 337 If the second part of a quote is a sentence, make it one. • NOT: “Trade is very beneficial,” Smith said, “We need to cater to world needs.” • INSTEAD: “Trade is very beneficial,” Smith said. “We need to cater to world needs.”

6. COMM 337 Be careful of ellipses. • “The program has … not worked as expected.” • “ … I am overwhelmed,” he said.

7. COMM 337 Beware of quote introductions • “When women run, women win,” Tipper Gore told a crowd at a National Women Conference at the University of Indiana Monday.

8. COMM 337 Don’t put the attribution at the beginning unless you have to. • Goodwin won the Virginia state lottery in 2007. Goodwin said, “This is a real windfall and I want to share my good fortune with others.”

9. COMM 337 Limit the use of partial quotes • McDonald said he sees the government as “weak and inept” and fraught with “minor-league problems.”

10. COMM 337 There are cases where “partial quotes” or “orphan quotes” are helpful. • The White House announced today that two investigations had found no violation of the law in the preparation of a CIA manual for Afghan guerrillas. But the White House statement added that there may have been “lapses in judgment” requiring disciplinary action.

11. COMM 337 Do not attribute quotes to more than one person. • Members of the team said, “We were happy to win the game.” • “Go for 100 points,” was the cheer from many members of the crowd.

12. COMM 337 You MUST have a source. • Many students are spending their way into “high-level” debt, with 21 percent of undergraduate students owing more than $7,000.

13. COMM 337 • Each new speaker must be quoted in a separate paragraph. • Use paragraphs as another tool for emphasis and clarity.

14. COMM 337 Don’t attribute a quote more than once. • “He walked right into the bank like he owned the place,” Smith said. “Then he pulled out his gun and started waving it like a madman,” he said.

15. COMM 337 With a long quote, don’t make the reader wait until the end of the paragraph to find out who is speaking. • “I was more happy for her because she made the decision,” Freeman said. “I know her well enough to know she’s a very proud athlete. I respect her for what she represents. I wish her well. This has been a great moment for both of us.”

16. COMM 337 Attribution in the middle of a sentence should not interrupt a thought. • “It isn’t the best way,” he said, “to quote someone.”

17. COMM 337 Don’t tack on long explanations to a quote. • “I heard the news on the television,” he said when explaining how he learned about the fire in his apartment complex. Don’t offer unnecessary explanation. • “As citizens we all have rights, and we all have responsibilities.” Lieberman continued to explain the role of gun control in America. “We all know that mixing criminals and guns leads to violence.”

18. COMM 337 Do not characterize the quote for the reader. • Later, in an interview Tuesday, she said with dignity, “A lot of people thought very highly of my father.”

19. COMM 337 Finally, use “said” • Committee member Stephanie Richmond cited less publicity as a reason for lower turnout. • Larry King advised the students to take advantage of this opportunity. • Blitzer spoke about the responsibility students have to the media profession.

20. COMM 337 • End