How to Put a Quote in an Essay with Pictures

The author states that “More than fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce” (p. ##). After the war is over, the General reports that “It seemed a useless battle to fight even from the start” (p.##). Dr. Patelobservesthat “most people tend to respond well to hypnotherapy” (p. ##). As the authornotes, “In an ideal classroom, both gifted children and learning disabled children should feel challenged” (p.##).

• It’s a great way to incorporate evidence into your paper without using a direct quote every time.
• Don’t abuse direct quotations and insert them sparingly.
• Remember that most of your paper should be in your own words and in your own voice.
• Remember to consult your style guide to determine how to properly cite a quote within a quote.

You can keep the rules straight with a few tips and examples — and you can quote us on that. 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. There is no firm rule on when to use an indented block quote. The Chicago Manual of Style recommends using block quotes for 100 words or more of text. However, a common rule-of-thumb for short undergraduate papers is to use a block quote for more than four lines of text.

Writing Center: Introducing Quotations

A common error in many papers is the overuse of quotations. When a paper contains too many quotations the reader may become bored or conclude that you have no ideas of your own. Keep quotations short and only use them when a paraphrase would not capture the meaning or reflect the author’s specific choice of words. Usually, you’ll only need block quotes for passages with more than 40 words . The exact rules depend on the reference system you’re using, though, so be sure to check your style guide. And, when in doubt, you can always submit a document for proofreading.

After delivering and citing the quote, reconnect that information to your own topic and point. In this sentence, In 1910, GK Chesterton wrote about the issue in Alarms and Discursions is an independent clause. words to introduce a quote Try it risk-free It only takes a few minutes to setup and you can cancel any time. As a member, you’ll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more.

How to Format an Argumentative Essay

One of the most effective ways to start a speech is using a relatable quotation from a famous leader. This can get the audience’s attention instantly and give direction to the rest of the speech.

The article discusses the qualities of a good American housewife in the 1950s (author’s last name p.##). Godfried remarks, “Ignorance is a skill learned by many of the greatest fools” (author’s last name p.##). Goeff then relatesthat his childhood was “the time he learned to live on less than bread alone” (p. ##). We see this self doubt again in the second scene, when Agatha comments, “Oh, times like this I just don’t know whether I am right or wrong, good or bad” (p. ##). Burdowbelievesthat being able to write using proper English grammar is an important skill (author’s last name p.##).

Can You Use Quotation Marks for Emphasis?

When a sentence begins with a quote, place the punctuation inside the quotation marks before continuing the sentence. You can introduce a quote with your own words or even interrupt the quote with your own words, as long as the quotation marks are around any words you didn’t write yourself. There are definitely some times when quotation marks are necessary for a reader’s understanding.

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. By introducing a quotation or paraphrase with a signal phrase, you provide an effective transition between your own ideas and the evidence used to explore your ideas. One of the best ways to let readers know more about your source is to use a signal phrase. While introducing a quotation, use a full sentence followed by a colon.

Including supplemental information that your reader needs in order to understand the quotation

Signal phrases help readers “move from your own words to the words of a source without feeling a jolt” . A writer uses signal phrases to avoid dropped quotations, smoothly leading the reader into the source’s ideas. Don’t abuse direct quotations and insert them sparingly. Essays are always about showing your point of view. A maximum of one quote per paragraph is the unspoken rule you must remember here.

• With that message of hope and confidence, the new president set the stage for his next one-hundred days in office and helped restore the faith of the American people in their government.
• In this sentence, In 1910, GK Chesterton wrote about the issue in Alarms and Discursions is an independent clause.
• Capitalize the first letter of a direct quote when the quoted material is a complete sentence.
• Use one to two different ways to introduce quotes and stick to them so the reader can follow your train of thought.

Put brackets around words you need to add to a quote for clarification. Sometimes you need to add a word or words to a quote in order for your reader to understand it. This can help you explain pronouns used in the direct quote or further explain what a quote is referencing. Brackets allow you to add or replace words, as long as you don’t change the meaning of the text.

How do you introduce a price quote?

Remember that most of your paper should be in your own words and in your own voice. It’s also a good rule of thumb to avoid using unnecessarily long quotes. If a quote is longer than a sentence or two, it is a good idea to examine whether the full quote is needed or if a summary, paraphrase, or just part of the quote would do the job you need done. Choices A and C both begin with dependent clauses. A clause that ends in a speaking verb such as asks and says cannot function as a standalone sentence, and should be followed by a comma.

The quotation will seem disconnected from your own thoughts and from the flow of your sentences. Ways to integrate quotations properly into your own sentences, with correct use of punctuation, are explained below. If you are quoting for more than four lines , you need to set the quote off from the text. Indent the quote one inch from the left margin, and do not surround the quote with quotation marks. The quote should be double spaced as with the rest of the paper.

Introducing a Quote

Choice B begins with an independent clause, which could function as a complete sentence. This makes a colon the appropriate choice for Choice B. If you quote words that are in quotation marks in the original, such as character dialogue in a novel, then use double quote marks enclosing single quote marks. But those against quotation marks for emphasis say that it’s too easy to misuse them in this way, especially because quotation marks can also show sarcasm or non-literal meaning. Just imagine someone saying these statements with air quotes, and determine whether they seem genuine or not. If you have a sentence where another type of punctuation mark follows a quote, it goes outside the quotation mark.

• Also known as inverted commas, speech marks, quote marks, or just quotes, quotation marks always appear in pairs.
• After the quote, write 1-3 sentences explaining what the quote means, why it supports your topic sentence, and how it supports your argument overall.
• Make the quotation a part of your own sentence without any punctuation between your own words and the words you are quoting.

Paraphrase the quote to condense it to 1 or 2 sentences, if you can. Paraphrasing is a great way to avoid using a long quote in your paper. Unless the author’s original words are necessary to make your point, rewrite the passage in your own words. Try to condense the original author’s ideas into 1 or 2 sentences that support your argument. Then, incorporate your paraphrase into your paragraph, without using quotation marks. However, do include a citation to let your reader know where you found those ideas. Use quotation marks anytime you include someone else’s words in your own paper.

Length of Quotes:

An independent clause contains a subject and a predicate. It could function as a complete sentence if removed from its place in the paragraph. Page six illustrates great examples of how to cite an article in an essay introducing Bible quotes into your paper. If your quoted text is a complete sentence , capitalize the first letter, regardless of where you put the quote within the larger sentence.

Do not use ellipses at the beginning or ending of quotations, unless it’s important for the reader to know that the quotation was truncated. Twenty times, in the course of my late reading, have I been on the point of breaking out, ‘this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!!!! ’ But in this exclamation, I should have been as fanatical as Bryant or Cleverly. Without religion, this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in public company—I mean hell. Note that when you use “that” after the verb that introduces the quote, you no longer need a comma. Interrupt the quote with an attribution to the speaker.