By Hilary Dreyer

The Pull-Hair-Out-of-My-Head-it-is-So-Complicated

Way to QuoteHow to Introduce and Warrant Quotes

Introducing a Quote

Colons

Comas

Neutral Verbs

Stronger Verbs

Inference Verbs

Colons

If you use a complete sentence to introduce the quote, use a COLON

Ex: Robert Ross, in Timothy Findley's The Wars, is often unsure of how to interpret his wounded

companion's words: "Harris said the strangest things--lying on his pillows staring at the ceiling.”

•DO NOT USE A SEMI-COLON•

Commas

If you use a sentence fragment to introduce the quote, use a COMMA

Ex: For Robert, "Harris said the strangest things--lying on his pillows staring at the ceiling.”

Neutral Verbs

If you use a neutral verb to introduce the quote, it basically means “says”

Ex: As the author notes, “In an ideal classroom, both gifted children and learning disabled children should

feel challenged.”•USE WITH OR WITHOUT PUNCTUATION DEPENDING ON

CONTEXT•

Stronger VerbsIf you use a stronger verb to introduce the quote, it shows that there is an argument and the quote either supports or disagrees

with it

Ex: The author argues that “subjecting non-smokers to toxic second-hand smoke is not only unfair, but a

violation of their right to a safe environment.”•USE WITH OR WITHOUT PUNCTUATION DEPENDING ON

CONTEXT•

Inference Verbs

If you use a inference verb to introduce the quote, it is used to analyze the quote

Ex: By calling them ignorant, the author implies that “they were unschooled and narrow minded.”

•USE WITH OR WITHOUT PUNCTUATION DEPENDING ON CONTEXT•

Warranting a Quote

Why is it there?

What does it mean?

What is the significance?

Warranting a quote explains why the quote was used

Why Warrant

If you don’t warrant the quote, the reader will be confused as to:

Why it is thereWhat it means

What its significance is

If you do warrant the quote, the reader will not be confused and will understand WHAT

YOU ARE TRYING TO SAY

Why is it there?

If you warrant the quote, the reader will understand WHY IT IS THERE

Ex: (After the quote) 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.

•The above quote was taken from http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/quotations.html•

What does it mean?

If you warrant the quote, the reader will understand WHAT THE QUOTE MEANS

Ex: (After the quote) The rock shows that there was a connection between the wife and the old

man.

What is the significance?

If you warrant the quote, the reader will understand WHAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF

THE QUOTE IS

Ex: This would show both why this particular quote was used, and the meaning that it holds.