34
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Directly quote from sources. (GEO 2; SLO 2)
Short Quotes
Short direct quotations include prose (aka everyday language) that is no more than four lines. Save yourself a lot of headaches by sticking to short quotes (more to come on long quotes).
- Enclose what you are borrowing, word for word, from the source in quotation marks. “A blizzard occurs when you can’t see for 1/4 mile. The winds are always 35 miles an hour or more. The storm must last at least 3 hours to be classed as a blizzard” (SnowBrains).
- Include the in-text citation (aka parenthetical reference).
- Place questions marks or exclamation points that are part of the quote inside the quotation marks; place them outside of the quotation marks if they are not part of the author’s original words. Example: Andrews asked, “What was the principal aim of the revolution?” vs. Can you believe she called them “filthy traitors”?
- Include the complete citation for the source on the Works Cited page.
Long Quotes
For quotations that are more than four lines of prose, create a blockquote:
- Introduce the long quotes with a signal phrase and end it with a colon, unless the beginning of the long quote is a continuation of the sentence.
- Start the quotation on a new line.
- Capitalize the first word of the quotation, unless the quotation does not start with a complete sentence.
- Indent the entire quote one inch from the left margin (press tab twice).
- Do not use quotation marks around the quote (Yes, I know, this goes against everything you’ve learned about plagiarizing).
- Maintain double-spacing.
- The parenthetical reference should come after the closing punctuation mark.
Example
At the conclusion of Lord of the Flies, Ralph realizes the horror of his actions:
He is overcome by great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)
Technical Aspects
1. Commas:
Use a comma when you introduce a quote with a word like “said” (e.g. claims, observed, argues, etc.). You do not need to add a comma before or after a quote unless the sentence requires it.
Example
2. Brackets:
If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text. Use brackets to make grammatical sense of your words blended with the quote or use brackets to clarify something to the reader.
Example
3. Ellipses:
If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using an ellipsis, which is three periods (. . . ) which are each preceded and followed by a space. What is left should make grammatical sense. Ellipsis marks are extremely useful in helping you to avoid long quotes.
Example
4. Single Quotation Marks:
Use single quotation marks only to mark quotes within quotes. A quote within a quote occurs when the material being quoted is already in quotation marks in the original source. Dialogue is not considered a quotation within a quotation.
Example
5. Capitalization:
Capitalize the first word of the direct quote if 1) it is a proper noun or 2) what you are quoting is a complete sentence.
6. Mistakes:
When quoting a grammatical error or misspelling, leave it be— YES, seriously. Instead insert the word sic in italics directly after the mistake. Enclose it in brackets.
Example
7. Quoted In:
Sometimes you may have to quote something that has already been quoted in the source you are using. In this case, use “qtd. in” to indicate the source you consulted.
Example
8. Common Knowledge:
Common knowledge is a fact that is so well known that it can be found in numerous sources (at least 5 credible sources) and therefore, does not need to be cited. For example:
- Generally accepted facts: Pollution is bad for the environment.
- Facts that can be easily verified: President Obama was the 44th U.S. President.
- Common sayings or clichés: The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Note that not all facts are common knowledge and would still need cited, such as facts that include statistics or other numbers.
Example
Still cite information if you use the exact words of another writer, even if the content within could be considered common knowledge.
Example
Chop, Blend, and Digest Quotes
1. Chop:
Quote as concisely as possible. Reduce the quotation to just those bits you need to prove the point you’re making. You can quote as little as a single word!
Whatever you do quote needs to be exactly the same as the original. Misquoting is considered plagiarism. Yikes!
Only directly quote when it is the beauty of the language you are trying to capture or it is something that cannot be reworded; paraphrase if it is not.
2. Blend:
Introduce the quote with details that help the reader understand the quote’s context and significance (who said it, specifically? when? from what source? in what context?). You can also use signal phrases to blend quotes (see the left sidebar).
No direct quote can stand alone. Free-standing quotes are often called “Floating Quotes” or “Dropped Quotes”.
Examples
Example (incorrect): “Holden gets frustrated and decides to leave. “People are always ruining things for you” (Salinger 88).
Example (correct): Holden gets frustrated and decides to leave, claiming that “people are always ruining things for you” (Salinger 88).
3. Digest:
Make sure to prove how your quote proves your claim before moving on.
Example
Augustus and Hazel begin to spend more time together, and Gus makes an effort to get to know Hazel better by asking her what her story is. Disappointed with her answer, he responds, “Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who becomes their disease” (Green 70). Unfortunately, Hazel is one of those people but for a selfless reason; she fears that she will only hurt others with her imminent death.
Notice that in the above example, the writer left out Hazel’s response; what is important is Gus’s statement.
A group of words taken from a text or speech and repeated by someone other than the original author or speaker, noted with quotation marks.
The brief form of a source reference that included the text of an essay.
A citation style in which partial citations that reference a bibliographical citation are enclosed within parentheses and embedded in the text, either within or after a sentence.
In MLA Style, the bibliography (list of sources used) is referred to as the Works Cited page.
In MLA Style, a method of formatting long quotations of three lines or more.
Information that is widely known, easily verified, and not attributed to a person or entity. Common Knowledge does not need to be cited.
