Have a look at the original text below on the left and then the quotes on the right. All three quotes are examples of plagiarism in various degrees. See if you can spot the error before you click the quote to see the answer and the explanation of the quote as it should be. We omitted a part of the quote (some examples of things parents thought their children couldn’t do) that was not essential to our argument. Notice that the writer uses plain language to ensure that her audience can understand her explanation. Some verbs, like “argued” and “asserted” mean that the author was very forceful.
- This lets the reader know that you have borrowed from another writer.
- Notice how statements expressing the writer’s ideas and observations are verified with evidence from the novel in both summarized and quoted form.
- After all, she asserts, « he line is not so easy to draw between ‘able to read’ and ‘able to understand’. »
- For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial.
Dr. Patelobservesthat “most people tend to respond well to hypnotherapy” (p. ##). Note that in the second example below, a slash with a space on either side ( / ) marks a line break in the original poem.
Leading With an Introductory Phrase or Verb
You should also use a block quote when your quoted passage contains more than one paragraph and any quoted material that requires special formatting, such as lists and lines of poetry. Another modification is to omit certain words from a quotation to remove unnecessary phrasing. This is allowed, but you must make sure that your omission of certain words does not change the meaning of the sentence and that it is clear to the reader that you have omitted some material. All double quotation marks in the original source must be changed to single quotation marks. However, you also need to make sure your direct quotation is connected to the point or thesis of your essay. You can do this by providing an explanation, or a paraphrase, of the quote in the next sentence. Although most of your research should be incorporated using paraphrases, sometimes it is beneficial to use a direct quote.
- To write a topic sentence, start with a transition word or phrase.
- If a quote is longer than forty words, skip a line after the colon and indent the left margin of the quote five spaces.
- Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this website’s owner is strictly prohibited.
- By calling them ignorant, the author implies that they were unschooled and narrow minded (author’s last name p.##).
You should always be contextualizing all of your outside material with your own ideas, and if you let quotes build up without a break, readers will lose track of your argument. When you are quoting something that is already in quotation marks in the text, use single quotation marks to denote the original quotation and double quotation marks to indicate your own. In history classes, you will often find yourself working with the words and ideas of others. It is therefore very important to learn to paraphrase accurately and cite your sources according to a recognized manual of style. This tells your instructors where your information comes from, and demonstrates that you are not trying to cheat. Have double quotation marks surrounding it, and it is formatted in a block style.
Direct Quotes
The reader will recognize that the material is a direct quote because it’s set off from the rest of the text. However, you will include your citation at the bottom. Introduce a long direct quote, then set it off in a block. A long quote is anything that’s longer than 4 typed lines. You’ll present these quotes in a block of text set off from the rest of your paragraph. Because the quote is set off in a block, you don’t need to put quotation marks around it. Paraphrase the quote if you can restate the author’s ideas in your own words.
Based on his research, we can assume Hatfield thinks that our treatment of our environment has been careless (author’s last name p.##). Her preoccupation with her looks suggests that she is too superficial to make her a believable character (author’s last name p.##). By calling them ignorant, the author implies that they were unschooled and narrow minded (author’s last name p.##). The Department of Transportation denies phrases to introduce a quote claims that the new bridge will damage the fragile ecosystem of the Potomac River (author’s last name, year, p. ##). Although they have stopped short of admitting that smoking causes cancer in humans, tobacco companies have admitted that “smoking causes cancer in laboratory rats” (p. ##). Whiley rejects the idea that the earth could have been formed by a massive explosion in space (author’s last name, year, p. ##).
A Curious Students Guide on Types of Quotes
Use short quotations–only a few words–as part of your own sentence. Make the quotation a part of your own sentence without any punctuation between your own words and the words you are quoting. 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. A colon, if you use a complete sentence before inserting the quotation. Choose an appropriate verb to create your own signal phrase that will make your source’s position clear . Signal phrases provide a seamless transition from the writer’s thoughts to a source’s thoughts and can provide details about the source that highlight credibility and expertise.
A maximum of one quote per paragraph is the unspoken rule you must remember here. If you still think you need to include another citation, paraphrase. One of the most intimidating aspects of essay writing is crafting an effective introduction. Basically, for writing the introductory paragraph in an essay, there are different the lonely good company of books by richard rodriguez approaches available. But the most considerable approach is beginning the essay with a quotation. When you start the essay with a catchy quote, possibilities are there to grab the attention of the readers and make them read the entire essay. Do not use two quotations in a row without intervening text of your own.
General guidelines
Further in this article, we discuss each of these methods and give a few examples of quote introduction. Gallaudet University, chartered in 1864, is a private university for deaf and hard of hearing students. According to the author, children with ADD have a shorter attention span than children without ADD (author’s last name, year, p. ##). For years, local residents have been disputing the plans to build a new highway right through the center of town (author’s last name, year, p. ##). Despite criticism, Johnston agrees that smoking should be banned in all public places (author’s last name p.##). The article discusses the qualities of a good American housewife in the 1950s (author’s last name p.##).
This helps improve the flow of your ideas throughout the paper. Here are some examples of how to acknowledge the source of a quote using a proper citation style or format.
Paraphrases and Quotes
Write a short assertion that is no longer than one line or eight to ten words long. Do not use a comma if the lead-in ends with “that” or “as.” If you use “that” or “as” in your introductory phrase, you do not need to use a comma afterwards. And remember that a semicolon (;) never is used to introduce quotations. 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.
- Paraphrasing is the act of putting information from another source in your own words.
- Listed below are some advantages and disadvantages of opening an essay with a quote.
- If you aren’t sure whether you should use direct quotations in a specific course or paper, ask your instructor.
- All three quotes are examples of plagiarism in various degrees.
When inputting the long quotation in a paragraph, ensure that you do not add a space before or after the quotation. Double space the quotation, and indent the entire quotation 0.5 inches (0.5”) from the left margin. If there is more than one paragraph in the quotation, indent the first line of the second and subsequent paragraphs. If you include too many quotations in a research essay, readers may form the impression that you cannot think for yourself. Use direct quotations only when a source is particularly clear or expressive. There may be times when you need to quote long passages. However, you should use block quotations only when you fear that omitting any words will destroy the integrity of the passage.
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While the paraphrased passage does not use Tonkin’s exact words to express an opinion about literacy, it still draws its IDEAS from her book. 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. Remember always to check with your instructors about their requirements before beginning a paper. If you add any words to a quote, perhaps to make the quote work grammatically in your sentence structure, you must use square brackets around the added material.
When you include quotes in your essay, remember to follow a proper citation essay format. The quote you use should be relevant to your essay topic or thesis. Make sure to establish a connection between the quotation and the topic of your essay. Most importantly, explain how the quote supports your argument or opinion about a certain essay topic. When searching for a quote, give more importance to the quote that is easy for your readers to understand and relate to.
Signal Phrases in MLA Style
We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback. Place all other punctuation marks outside the quotation marks, except when they were part of the original quotation. Do not use quotation marks at the beginning or end of the block quote—the indentation is what indicates that it’s a quote. Write a sentence in which you make the point you want to support or illustrate with the quotation. End the sentence with a colon to introduce your sentence. According to can be followed by the name of a publication or a person. Put a comma after the name of the person or publication that introduces the quote.
On your own sheet of paper, correct the following sentences by adding semicolons or colons where needed. If the sentence does not need a semicolon or colon, write OK. A punctuation mark that is used to indicate a full stop. Colons can introduce lists, quotes, examples, and explanations.
Provide context for each quotation
When you use a quotation, help the reader make a smooth transition back into your own words. To do this, follow up the quotation with a sentence or two of your own that reinforces or expands upon it. You normally indent 4-5 spaces for the start of a paragraph. When setting up a block quotation, indent the entire paragraph once from the left-hand margin. Set up a block quotation with your own words followed by a colon. The colon announces that a quote will follow to provide evidence for the sentence’s claim. Used effectively, quotations can provide important pieces of evidence and lend fresh voices and perspectives to your narrative.
