Quotation
Marks with Direct and Indirect Quotations
Quoting
Prose
Direct quotations are
another person's exact words--either spoken or in print--incorporated into your
own writing.
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Mr. and Mrs. Allen,
owners of a 300-acre farm, said, "We refuse to use that pesticide
because it might pollute the nearby wells." |
|
Mr. and Mrs. Allen
stated that they "refuse to use that pesticide" because of possible
water pollution. |
|
"He likes to talk
about football," she said, "especially when the Super Bowl is
coming up." |
Indirect quotations are
not exact words but rather rephrasings or summaries
of another person's words. Do not use quotation marks for indirect quotations.
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According to their
statement to the local papers, the Allens refuse to
use pesticide because of potential water pollution. |
Below are some further
explanations and examples of how to integrate quoted prose into your own writing.
Quotation within a
quotation
Use
single quotation marks for a quotation enclosed inside another quotation. For
example:
|
The agricultural
reporter for the newspaper explained, "When I talked to the Allens last week, they said, 'We refuse to use that pesticide.'
" |
Omitted words in a
quotation
If you leave words out of
a quotation, use an ellipsis mark to indicate the omitted words. If you need to
insert something within a quotation, use a pair of brackets to enclose the
addition. For example:
|
full quotation |
The welfare agency
representative said, "We are unable to help every family that we'd like
to help because we don't have the funds to do so." |
|
omitted material with
ellipsis |
The welfare agency
representative said, "We are unable to help every family . . . because
we don't have the funds to do so." |
|
added material with
brackets |
The welfare agency
representative explained that they are "unable to help every family that
[they would] like to help." |
Block quotations
A quotation that extends
more than four typed lines on a page should be indented one inch from the left
margin (the equivalent of two half-inch paragraph indentations). Maintain
double spacing as in the main text, and do not use quotation marks for the
block quotation.
Quoting
Poetry
Short quotations
When you quote a single line
of poetry, write it like any other short quotation. Two lines can be run into
your text with a slash mark to indicate the end of the first line. Use
quotation marks.
|
In his poem
"Mending Wall," Robert Frost writes: "Something there is that
doesn't love a wall, / That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it." |
Long quotations
If the quotation is three
lines or longer, set it off like a block quotation (see above). Some writers
prefer to set off two-line verse quotations also, for emphasis. Quote the poem
line by line as it appears on the original page, and do not use quotation
marks. Indent one inch from the left margin.
|
In his poem
"Mending Wall," Robert Frost questions the building of barriers and
walls: Before
I built a wall I'd ask to know |
Borrowed from L. Boyd, winter 1996.
Too many quotations, too many voices, can overpower your own. Quotations should fit into your argument, not appear out of thin air. They should be grammatically consistent with the rest of your essay. If punctuation, pronouns, and verb tenses don't flow with your own words, paraphrase and cite the needed material, or make minor changes within the quotation, surrounding them with brackets [ ]. All quotations should be unobtrusive.
Quote only sentences, passages, or words that are especially succinct, memorable, or powerful. Save direct quotations for brilliant comments, controversial statements, certain statistics, and personal testimony that you believe will strengthen your argument.
If a quotation is long, or if you can say it better or more concisely, paraphrase it (restate it in your own words). Remember, you must indicate a source even when paraphrasing. Keep paraphrasing to a minimum because it is your ideas, your argument that counts to convince your readers.
Always integrate quotations into your text. NEVER DROP A QUOTATION IN YOUR ESSAY! In other words, you must use your own words to introduce a quotation. The good old standby--So-and-so said, "blah blah blah"--is the very least you can do. Even better is when you can use some select words and phrases from a quotation and integrate them into a sentence of your own (always putting those words or phrases in quotation marks, though).
In order to make your own writing flow as smoothly as possible, it's usually best to use only an effective part of a quotation as part of one of your own sentences. So instead of boring your reader with this:
The narrator says, "Who can even imagine me looking a strange white man in the eye?" (232),
write something like this:
The narrator asks if anyone could imagine her "looking a stage white man in the eye" (232).
And this:
At one point the mother
says, "I used to think [
is not as good an integration as this:
At one point the mother
admits that she "used to think [
To integrate a quotation properly within a paragraph, a good writer usually writes one sentence to introduce the quotation, a second sentence that includes the quotation, and a third sentence to comment on the significance of the quotation. Here are some examples:
ORIGINAL: The shadow of a
cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees.
SMOOTHLY INTEGRATED QUOTATION: Hemingway uses the image of a momentary darkness
to suggest the woman's growing disillusionment. After her
quarrel with the man, "[t]he shadow of a cloud moved across the field of
grain . . ." (21). A similar shadow gradually develops over their
relationship.
ORIGINAL: That look of seeing into things, of seeing through a thing to
something else, was in the eyes of the sheriff's wife now.
SMOOTHLY INTEGRATED QUOTATION: Mrs. Peters sometimes appears to be almost
supernatural. For example, Glaspell describes her
"look of seeing into things, of seeing through a thing to something else .
. ." (333). However, this "look" really demonstrates a sense of
intuition rather than any magical powers.
Notice the ELLIPSES in the above quotations. Please notice that there ARE SPACES between each dot. Ellipses indicate, of course, that some unnecessary words have been left out of a quotation. Note that when you quote just a word or a short phrase, no ellipsis is necessary. Also, do not use an ellipsis to indicate that you have left out the beginning of a sentence; only missing words from the end or somewhere in the middle of a sentence need to be indicated with an ellipsis.
Use brackets to indicate
any changes you make to quotations while fitting them into your sentences (for
reasons of style, verb tense, or general understanding). Look again at the
above change of the original word "she" to "[
ORIGINAL: "You don't
have to call me by it if you don't want to," said Wangero.
SOMEWHAT SMOOTHLY INTEGRATED QUOTATION: The new and supposedly improved
This quotation is technically correct (notice also the correct use of single quotation marks for dialogue), but three changes within such a short quotation render it a bit awkward. In general, if you have to change more than two items in a short quotation, it's better to find another way to write it. One way is just to paraphrase it (to paraphrase is to restate someone else's words in your own words, without quotation marks):
The new and supposedly
improved
Back to The Literary Link
NOTE TO SELF!!
. Your own argument should normally be offered
first, and you then reinforce it with quotation from an authoritative source.
You are using this secondary evidence from acknowledged specialists to support
your own views. Do not offer the quotation first, otherwise what should be your
own argument will tend to be come more a 'commentary' upon it.
. The quotations you offer should be as brief
as possible to make their point. Don't be tempted to offer long quotations from
other people's work in the hope that this will act as a substitute for your own
argument. Nor should you stitch together a patchwork of quotations from a
variety of sources with a few words of your own. This creates the impression
that you are relying too heavily on other people's work.
12. Each main point of your argument should be
made and discussed in its own separate paragraph. This should not normally need
more than one quotation to support it. Too many quotations can create the impression
that you are relying too heavily on secondary sources.
|
U
SING
Q
UOTATIONS
Why Use Quotations?
Writers of
academic papers do a lot of reading, and it often seems as if there's nothing
like
quoting
the well-turned phrase of an expert to make your point. It takes practice and
experience,
however,
to know when it's appropriate and effective to quote or paraphrase another
writer, how
to
incorporate a quotation smoothly into your own prose, and, on a more mundane
level, how to
punctuate
quotations
correctly.
If you are
unsure when to use a quotation in your writing, remember that you should have a
compelling
reason to do so. Among the most common reasons for using quotations is to provide
support
for an argument. Details from historical, literary, critical, or other texts
can often supply
essential
evidence. You might also choose to quote rather than paraphrase if you want
your
readers
to be able to see, in full, what someone else said before you go on to analyze
the
statement.
This might be especially important if you are making an argument about an author's
style,
tone, or choice of words.
The sources
of all quoted and paraphrased material must be carefully documented. If you are
not
familiar
with how or when to document sources, see the
"Documenting Sources" and "When to Cite Sources."
Frequent
Mistakes
While using quotations can strengthen a
paper's argument substantially, students often think it is
sufficient
simply to set down a quotation–either from the text they are analyzing or from
a
secondary
source–without any discussion of the words quoted. They mistakenly assume their
readers
will understand the meaning of what they've quoted exactly as they do. Students
also
make the
mistake of plunking the quotation down at the end of a paragraph, like a giant
period
that
says, "that's all there is to say." Instead of assuming that a
quotation speaks for itself, or that
the words
of experts are as inviolable as facts, a writer's job is to explain what she
sees in a
quotation,
to interpret it, expand on what it says, and show why it is particularly
relevant to her
essay.
Students
also often have difficulty striking a balance between using too few quotations and too
many. A
few can be necessary if you are making an argument about another text because
you
need to
let your readers know what it says. If you find yourself using too many quotations, it
may be
that you have lost track of your own argument and have simply begun to restate
someone
else's
ideas. Keep in mind that you should use quotations to support your points, not replace
them. You
may also need to resist the temptation to enliven your own writing by importing
another
writer's more engaging ideas. Some writers rely too much on quotations because they
forget
that they can paraphrase, or restate an author's ideas in their own words.
Unless there is
something
significant or interesting about how an author said something, you are
generally better
off
putting the ideas into your own words. And remember that when you paraphrase
you must
cite the
author's work, just as you would if you had quoted from it.
Integrating
Quotations
Another
frequent problem with using
quotations is
figuring out how to insert them smoothly and
effectively
into your own writing. While you are learning to use quotations, observe how the
scholars
you are reading use material from sources. Notice how often they quote, how
they
integrate
quotations into
their own prose, and how they pause to interpret or explain quoted
material
after they present it.
Introductory
phrases with the proper punctuation are the most common signals to a reader
that
you are
presenting another author's ideas. For instance, instead of offering two
separate
sentences:
are in,"
it would
be better to connect them:
are in."
Integrating
quotations into your
own writing is often best because then the quoted material does
not interrupt
the flow of your argument:
This type
of quotation allows you to identify your source and summarize material
concisely
while
retaining some of its original language.
Quotations and Verb Tense
One
convention that often confuses students who are writing about other writers'
work,
particularly when they are writing about literature, is that they are expected to
use the present
tense to
discuss ideas and statements that were actually made in the past. If an author
is
discussing
Hamlet, for instance, she might say: Hamlet's main problem is just
how to "take arms
against a sea of troubles/ And by opposing, end them." And she might introduce quotations by
saying Shakespeare
writes instead of Shakespeare wrote. Scholars use this convention,
called the
"historical present," because readers, in effect, are
continuously reading Shakespeare and,
therefore,
Hamlet's story is always happening in the present tense.
Mechanical
Matters
Below you
will find a list of some of the basic rules that govern the use of quotations, but there
are many
situations that are not explained here. If you have questions that are not
answered by
this
handout, take a look at a writer's manual or visit the
appointment
to meet with a tutor to discuss using
quotations or you
can pick up a more detailed
handout
on the mechanics of using
quotations.
• Quote
Accurately and Indicate All the Changes You Make Carefully. As often as
possible,
you should present a quote exactly as the author wrote it, down to the
punctuation. On
occasion,
you will need to change a quotation in order to make it fit into the context of
your
prose,
and you can do so as long as your changes do not alter the meaning of the
quotation in any
way.
Typically, you might need to change a verb's ending so that its tense agrees
with your own
sentence.
You might also find it necessary to insert an explanatory reference, such as
replacing a
pronoun
with a proper name, in order to clarify the meaning of a quotation. You should
mark any
such
changes with editorial brackets [ ]. For example:
After
author
changed the person and tense to the perspective of the writer, not Lincoln.)
You might
also alter a quotation if you want to leave out parts of a quoted passage
because it is
long and
some of the material is not relevant to your work. All omissions (or
ellipsis) should be
marked
with ellipsis points. Use three ellipsis points for omissions of a few words,
but less than
a full
sentence. Use four points to indicate the omission of a full sentence or more,
or when the
elided
material concludes a sentence.
achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace."
• Present
short and long quotations
differently. Quotations
of less than four typed lines
should be
set in quotations
marks within a sentence. Longer passages should be set off from the
main text
by being indented and single spaced. You do not need to use quotation marks
with
indented,
single-spaced quotations.
• Punctuation.
Punctuating quotations
correctly can be tedious work, but that doesn't mean it's
unimportant.
Punctuation that conforms to the conventions outlined below is essential in
helping
scholars
to indicate exactly what is their own work and where they have used the
words of other
writers.
The rules
below are from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. You
should be
aware,
however, that these conventions change from time to time, and you should always
follow
the
conventions of the style manual your professor recommends.
Before
the Quotation
When you
join your introductory phrase or sentence with a direct quotation, use a comma
or
colon
between them. A comma is used more frequently after brief, grammatically
incomplete
introductions.
For
Hamlet, "to be or not to be, that is the question."
A colon
follows an introductory phrase that can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Hamlet
has to question everything, starting with death: "to be or not to be, that
is the
question."
If the
quote is fully integrated into the sentence and is not really
"introduced" by a phrase, you
may not
need any punctuation before it.
Though
"the world was all before them," Adam and Eve seem unfulfilled.
End
Marks
Periods and
commas belong inside the terminal quotation mark.
Though
"the World was all before them," Adam and Eve seem unfulfilled.
Adam and
Eve seem unfulfilled, although "the World was all before them."
Semi-colons,
colons, and dashes belong outside final quotation marks.
"The
World was all before them"; yet Adam and Eve seem unfulfilled.
"The
World was all before them": God has not deserted them entirely.
Question
marks and exclamation points go inside the quotation if they are part of the
quoted
material;
they go outside if they are your own.
What are
the political implications of "have you seen the ghost of John?"
Why do
we obsess over Hamlet's question whether "to be or not to be"?
Quotes
within Quotes
Punctuate a
quote within a quote with single quotation marks.
"'Curiouser and curiouser!' cried
• Quoting
Poetry. If you are quoting one line or less, punctuate as you would with
prose, using
quotation
marks within your sentence. When you quote 2-3 lines, you should also include
the
quotation
in your sentence, but you must indicate different lines of verse by separating
them with
a
vertical slash (/) and you must preserve the capitals from the original.
We will
probably never know exactly what Milton intended when his Adam and Eve
"hand in hand with wand'ring steps
and slow,/Through
Lost 12.648-9).
If you are
quoting more than four lines of poetry, they should be set off from the text,
indented,
and typed
to preserve the lines as they stand in the original. If the verse lines are
longer than
your own
margins, indent any continued lines five spaces more than your left margin.
• Quoting
Drama. Generally, you should quote drama that is written in prose as you
would
normal
prose, and drama written in verse as you would poetry. A slash (/) should
separate lines
of verse
drama. Include speech prefixes when you quote more than one speaker.
• Citing
Poetry and Drama. Long poems that exist in many editions, such as
Paradise
Lost, are often
cited parenthetically after the quotation: (Title book. line numbers).
For instance,
if you quoted lines 215-220 of book ten of Paradise Lost, you would
follow the
quotation
with the parenthetical reference (Paradise Lost 10.215-220). Drama,
particularly
Shakespeare,
whose plays also exist in many editions, is usually cited directly following
the
quotation:
(Title Act. scene. lines).
Related
Documenting
Sources
When to
Cite Sources
Plagiarism
© 1999
Princeton Writing Program
108 Notestein Hall
http://web.princeton.edu/writing
1. Use quotations only if they use particularly vivid language or those words are the most effective means to demonstrate your point; do not use them if they are no more special than your words.
2. Historians rarely use quotations from secondary sources (except when reviewing such works).
3. Quotations from primary sources should serve as relevant evidence for your argument.
LENGTH: Keep quotations as short as possible.
TRANSITION: Use an introduction to fit the quotation smoothly into your text and to explain why you are using it. A quotation cannot stand by itself.
METHODS OF TRANSITION/INTRODUCTION: Use various methods of fitting in and introducing quotations.
The president argued that his opponents were “idiots.”
According to the teacher, “the student was grade crazy.”
“He was a hated man,” his wife argued.
His horror at what he saw was overwhelming: “How could men do this to each other?”
The diplomatic note pointed out that “there was no difference . . .” in how the two countries were thinking.
“No matter what happens,” the general sighed, “the battle is lost.”
For introducing blocked (indented, single-spaced longer) quotations:
The following steps were detailed in the treaty:
The general explained his thoughts about the battle.
The new statute provided that
LOCATION: While it is not an absolute rule, try not to end paragraphs with quotations. Most of the time readers need a post-quotation explanation to understand fully what they are supposed to get out of a quotation.
GRAMMAR/PUNCTUATION: Make sure that verb tense in quotations is compatible with your text. Use ellipses and brackets to make necessary changes.
Try some of the following verbs in these sentences. See how the verbs can both subtly and dramatically change the meaning of each sentence.
The king ______, “This is war.”
She _______, “I am innocent.”
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acknowledged |
implored |
recognized |
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admitted |
insisted |
reiterated |
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announced |
insinuated |
remarked |
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argued |
interjected |
repeated |
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claimed |
lamented |
reported |
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commented |
lied
|
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ruled |
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conceded |
maintained |
screamed |
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concluded |
observed |
stated |
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confessed |
ordered |
supplicated |
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decided |
pointed out |
swore |
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declared |
proclaimed |
testified |
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decreed |
proposed |
thought |
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denied |
quibbled |
translated |
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dictated |
quipped |
urged |
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disclosed |
ranted |
uttered |
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exclaimed |
read |
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vowed |
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held |
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reasoned |
warned |
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hinted |
rebutted |
whined |
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