A lecture about how to use quotation marks and how to integrate quoted material from a source into an essay. This lecture focuses on signal phrases and in-text citation.
2. Quotation Marks
• Use quotation marks to set off the EXACT words of a
speaker.
“Let nature be your teacher,” advised the poet William
Wordsworth.
“If I go with you to the dinner party,” my friend said, “you
must promise not to discuss politics.”
3. Direct Quotation Rules
“If I go with you to the dinner party,” my friend said, “you
must promise not to discuss politics.”
1. Always begin the quotation with a capital letter.
2. When the quote is split, DO NOT capitalize the second part of
the quotation.
3. Use commas to separate the quotation from the rest of the
sentence.
4. Any comma or period that ends a quotation goes inside the
quotation marks.
4. Indirect Quotations
•An indirect quotation is a rewording of someone else’s
words.
•Do not use quotation marks when indirectly quoting
someone.
DQ: Vicky’s note to Dan read, “I’ll be home by 7:30.”
IQ: Vicky left a note saying when she would be home.
5. Punctuating Titles
•Use quotation marks to indicate the title of a short work.
•Underline or italicize the title of a long work.
Whenever Gina sees the movie The Sound of Music, the
song near the end, Climb Every Mountain, makes her cry.
7. Quoted Text in Essays
Using information from a text is a good source of support for
a thesis statement or topic sentence.
• Use a direct quotation from the text to convey the
author’s exact words;
• Use an indirect quotation to summarize the author’s
ideas (paraphrase).
You must acknowledge all words, phrases, or ideas that you
borrow from another source.
8. Using Direct Quotations
1. Use the text’s exact words in the quotation;
2. Punctuate the quotation properly;
3. Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that identifies the
speaker. Then explain how the quote fits into your discussion.
• According to X, “__________.” This means that _________.
4. Include a citation after the quote to identify where you found the
material.
• Put the author’s last name and the page number of the
quote in parentheses AFTER the close quotes. The period
goes after the citation (Jones 93).
9. Example Quotations
• Robin rationalizes his rescue of Eber by saying, “Had not
Jesus said, Blessed are those who help those who cannot
help themselves, but are too mental, doddering, or have a
disability?” (Saunders 268).
• The King of Salem explains that a Personal Legend is “what
you have always wanted to accomplish” (Coelho 21).
Santiago, although he does not fully understand the King,
wants to use this information to impress the merchant’s
daughter (22).
10. Activity
Choose a short quotation from “The Amazing Adventures of
Phoenix Jones” or your own article.Write a properly cited
and integrated sentence using that quotation.
• Signal phrase, “Quoted material,” (Author’s Name #).
