How to use quotes in writing

And use them WELL

Why use quotes?• This is your EVIDENCE, your proof• They are stronger than just your own ideas and words because you are just a high school student•Use them to prove ideas that aren’t common knowledge or aren’t widely accepted

How to decide what to use a quote to prove•Would someone argue against what you say?•Would someone not believe what you say?•Would someone be confused about what you say?•Would someone believe you more if you had back-up?•Would someone have overlooked this detail in their reading or not made a connection with it?

Are these statements that need quotes to prove them?1. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is a main character2. Romeo only thinks he is in love with Juliet.3. Romeo is really in love with Juliet.4. In the end, both Romeo and Juliet die.5. Romeo acts selfishly when he commits suicide.6. Juliet acts out of love when she commits suicide.7. Fear cause Juliet to commit suicide.8. It’s Father Lawrence’s fault that Romeo and Juliet die.9. Romeo is a young man who has a crush on Juliet.

NoYes

YesNo

YesYes

YesYes

No

How to insert a quote• Don’t just PLOP it into your essay• Use an attributive tag or introductory phrase

Tells the author or title of the source Introduces the quote

using a phrase or sentence

Examples of introductory phrases

• According to ____article or author name______, “quote here”

• In ___article name____, __author_ writes (argues, says, etc), “ quote”

• This is how ____article or author name______ explains this idea: “quote”

Introductory phrases and punctuation• If the introductory phrase is not a complete sentence,

put a comma after it, before your quote• If the introductory phrase is a complete sentence, put a

colon after it• If the last word of the introductory phrase is “that,”

don’t put a comma or colon

Examples of punctuation• Seymour Reit, author of Sibling Rivalry: Sound Reassuring Advice for Getting Along as a Family, explains this personality trend in this way: “Since firstborns have only adults to imitate in the early years, they tend to be more mature, responsible, and rule-abiding” (36).

Examples of punctuation• Reit comments that “child number two also tends to be somewhat more free, more adventurous, less rigid about ‘the rules’” (25).

• According to Kluger and Cray, “Younger siblings see things differently and struggle early on to shake up the existing order” (46).

About introductory phrases…• Always refer to authors by their last names; you are not

their friends

Citations (This thing 1). • All your quotes should have an in-text citation at the end that corresponds to something on your Works Cited page• If you’re writing a literary analysis and only using the book as a source, this is not necessary•WHY? To show what source you got this quote from

What goes in the parentheses ( )? • The first few words of the works cited entry• That’s the author, if the source has an author listed• If the author isn’t listed, it’s the article title• If you already put this info in the introductory phrase, don’t worry about it

•And the page number (if there are page numbers to the source)

Examples of in-text citations for Web sources• The Purdue OWL is accessed by millions of users every

year. Its "MLA Formatting and Style Guide" is one of the most popular resources (Stolley et al.).

• Works cited entry: Stolley, Karl, et al. "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The OWL at Purdue. 10 May 2006. Purdue University Writing Lab. 12 May 2006.

• He rejects reason’s authority in religious matters. Dryden speaks against Deists particularly because they deny God’s Word and rely on reason alone (“Overview: Religio Laici”).

• Works cited entry: “Overview: Religio Laici, Or, A Layman's Faith.” Gale Online Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.

Examples of in-text citations for Web sources

What goes outside the parentheses.