Using Quotations

1
Using Quotations

• Select
• Incorporate
• Cite the Source

2
Before you use a quotation, ask yourself this
important question

• Why am I quoting rather than paraphrasing this
  passage?
• If your answer is one or more of the following,
  go ahead and use the quotation.

3
I am quoting this passage because

• the authors words are so effective that to
  paraphrase them would lessen the impact.
• the authors words are so precise that to
  paraphrase them would change the meaning.
• the authors words are so concise that to
  paraphrase them would take twice as many words.

4
How can I incorporate quotations effectively?

• Introduce the quote so that readers know whose
  words are being quoted or can understand why the
  quotation is important.
• Comment on the quote after you have included it,
  so that readers understand its connection to
  other points made in the paper.
• Insert ellipses (spaced periods . . . ) wherever
  you delete any words from the original quotation.
• Use brackets to add words or to substitute
  words for those in the original quote.

5
How do I decide what to comment on?

• It depends on your purpose and on your subject
  matter.
• Remember Your readers will not understand why a
  quote is included unless you tell them.
• There are many ways to comment. Four examples
  follow.

6
Four ways to comment on a quotation

• Expand on the quotation add details, facts, or
  ideas that reveal its point.
• Explain the connection between the quote and what
  has already been said.
• Refer to one important word or phrase in the
  quote and explain its significance.
• Explain whether you agree or disagree with the
  point made in the quotation.

7
How do I cite the source of my quotation?

• It depends on the type of paper you are writing.
  Different disciplines or professions use
  different styles of documentation.
• Some examples are MLA (humanities), APA (social
  sciences), CSE/CBE (science engineering), CMS
  (history some other arts sciences disciplines)

8
Use the style required by your teacher or
employer!

• Use the style that is required by the profession,
  agency, or publication for which you are writing.
• Be consistent! For example, never mix elements of
  APA and MLA.
• Refer to the style guide for examples of how to
  cite a particular type of source.

9
The in-text citations

• direct readers to the appropriate source on your
  works cited list at the end of your paper.
• have a one-to-one correspondence with the items
  listed on the works cited list.
• contain information that varies according to the
  style of documentation (e.g., APA requires year
  of publication MLA does not).
• are required for both paraphrases and direct
  quotations.

10
An in-text citation, MLA style

• What made me different from them was an attitude
  of mind, my imagination of myself (Rodriguez
  413).
• Notice that the citation is placed inside the
  sentence and that there is no punctuation between
  the authors last name and the page number.

11
The corresponding entry on the Works Cited list

• Rodriguez, Richard. Workers. The Macmillan
  Reader. Eds. Nadell, Langan, and McMenimen.
  Needham Heights, MA Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
  408-14.
• Notice that you use only the last two digits of
  the second number when the page numbers are in
  the same hundred.

12
When you use quotes from several selections in
the same anthology

• Include the anthology in your works cited list.
• Include entries for each of the selections from
  which you have taken quotations.
• Cross reference the selections to the anthology.

13
Example Include the anthology, alphabetized by
first authors last name, in your works cited
list.

• Nadell, Judith, John Langan, and Linda
  McMeniman, eds. The Macmillan Reader. Needham
  Heights, MA Allyn and Bacon, 1999.

14
Also include alphabetized entries for each of the
selections you use from that anthology

• Nadell, Judith, John Langan, and Linda
  McMeniman, eds. The Macmillan Reader. Needham
  Heights, MA Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
• Roberts, Paul. How to Say Nothing in 500
  Words. Nadell, Langan, and McMeniman, eds.
  358-71.
• Rodriguez, Richard. Workers. Nadell, Langan,
  and McMeniman, eds. 408-14.

15
Acknowledgements

• In preparing this PowerPoint presentation, I have
  used material from Easy Access, by Keene and
  Adams The Longman Handbook, by Anson and
  Schwegler and an excellent ESL writing and
  reading text whose name I cannot recall.