Using Quotations

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 Quote • Avoid over-quoting • 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:

Using Quotations