Unit 6: Quoting

Quoting: A review

Quoting involves using the same exact words as the original source. These words are placed in quotation marks or marked off by indenting with a citation and page number required. Although quoting is sometimes necessary or desirable, it is very easy to "go overboard," by using too many quotes, and thus they should be used sparingly. There are a number of rules regarding the proper use and citation of direct quotes, so let's begin by looking at when it may be a good idea to use a direct quote.

Why Should I Quote? (Harris 47)

Quoting allows you to convey information that may lose some of its meaning or emphasis if it is paraphrased. However, using too many quotes makes a paper difficult to read (because of all the different writing styles), and does not demonstrate that you have a thorough understanding of the subject matter. Following are some reasons you might choose to use a direct quote.

1) Provides authoritative support. Oftentimes, the impact of using a direct quote by an expert in the field is greater than if you paraphrase the source. Harris states, "when readers can see precisely what an expert says, they can analyze, dwell on, or react to those words without any concern that some meaning has been lost through a paraphrase or summary" (47). In addition, when using an expert source to support your argument, a reader may be more likely to trust or put faith in a direct quote for the same reasons.

2) Presents an unbiased statement to critique or interpret. A direct quote presents an argument or idea just as the original author stated it. For example, if you wanted to critically analyze Emily Dickinson’s views on death through her poems, it may be wise to quote her verses in her exact words so as to provide the reader with the unaltered version of her writing.

3) Allows the use of historical language. Using a quote from a historical source can have an impact due to the different dialect used. For example, Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address began "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Obviously this has a bit more impact than would the paraphrase: Eighty-seven years ago, a free nation, where all people were to have equal rights, was created by our founding fathers.

4) Allows the use of a definition or idea that is stated "almost perfectly" by a source. Sometimes, an author has such style or eloquence in presenting an idea that you believe that it simply cannot be stated any better. If this is the case, feel free to use the quote! Not only does quoting preserve all of the original meaning the author intended, but it also keeps the readers' interest piqued.

5) Allows you to use a particular example . Again, some authors have a knack for coming up with very good examples or analogies. For example, if an author likened downhill skiing to "blissfully careening down the long white hair of Father Time," and you believe that you could not come up with a better analogy (or that this analogy says everything you wanted to), go ahead and quote it. However, it is important not to underestimate your ability to come up with your own examples or analogies!

6) Removes you from a controversial or unpopular idea . Using direct quotes in this situation not only removes you from the statement (i.e., suggests that you are not the one who said it), but it also shows that the original author's meaning did not get altered due to paraphrasing. For example, if you are writing a paper comparing the traditional view versus the revisionist view on the Holocaust, you may want to quote specific viewpoints in order to separate yourself from either side.

So, all I need are some quotation marks and parentheses? (MLA 122-36; Harris 47-49)

If only it were that easy! There are specific rules concerning the use of direct quotes; some are grammatical and some relate to format (note that other writing styles may have different guidelines). This section will outline these rules.

How to quote in MLA style . The following information will help you correctly quote and cite in MLA style writing. The best source of additional information is the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (third edition), and the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (seventh edition).

1. Quote shorter than five lines. Direct quotations need to be set apart from the other text by using quotation marks. In addition, the author's name and the page number on which the quote appeared (if available/appropriate) need to be provided. When quoting, make sure that you introduce the quote by using lines such as "Doe writes... (26)," "According to Jane ... (24-25),” or "In their argument, Smith and Green state... (224)." This indicates to the reader that they are about to read somebody else's words.

Example 1. Blue, in a controversial new book, suggests, "the continuing advances in technology will one day result in a machine capable of traveling through time" (45).

Example 2. The author claimed "plagiarism is one of the most important issues in higher education today" (Doe 23).

2. Quote five lines or longer. Direct quotes of 40 or more words are set apart from the other text by blocking. A block quote should begin on a new line and be indented on the left and right the same amount of spaces as a new paragraph (usually 5 spaces or ½ inch); if there are paragraphs within the block, they are indented an additional 1/4th inch. Block quotations do NOT use quotation marks, but still must include the author and page number. Parenthetical documentation should be placed after the final punctuation in the block quote. For example:

Alexander describes the halls of her high school and her freshman year anxieties in greater detail:

Walking through the senior hallway was a dizzying experience. Painted colored bricks, ghosts of seniors past, loomed over the long rows of fat, blue lockers. Scribbled quotes, sayings, and names taunted every freshman who hurried to class; these celebratory messages were a constant reminder that we had to survive four more years of high school before we could leave our mark for the next generation of Westside Wildcats. (12)

3. Accuracy of quotation. In general, the quote must appear EXACTLY as it appears in the original source. This includes spelling and grammatical errors. However, these errors should be denoted by placing the word (sic) after it (in parenthesis). For example:

Johnson (2002) stated "the potatoe (sic) famine lead to thousands of deaths" (p. 540).

You may also choose to add additional information to a quotation, such as emphasis on a particular word or an explanation of a quote. When adding an explanatory word or phrase, these notes should be in square brackets and placed right after the section of the quote that needs an explanation. For example:

Johnson shares his true feelings at the beginning of the story, saying, “I knew that he [James] was an evil man before I heard him utter a word” (2).

When adding emphasis to a quotation, insert a note in suare brackets at the end of a quotation. For example:

She specifically wrote that she supported a student government that works, “for the student body” [emphasis added] (Manuel 3).

Things to watch out for (Harris 47-8)

1) Quoting too much. This cannot be emphasized enough! In fact, instructors may even limit the number of quotes that you can have in your paper. The purpose of writing a research paper is not to see how well you can copy words from other sources, but to give you an opportunity to utilize and build upon the writing and critical thinking skills you already have (and of course to show off your skills at paraphrasing and summarizing)!

2) Relying on a single source for quotes . Quoting one source many times throughout a paper suggests that you are either relying much too heavily on one perspective, that you did not adequately research the topic in order to find multiple sources, or that you cannot successfully integrate multiple sources. Remember, it is always important to find, read, and understand different perspectives on a topic because even if the sources ostensibly agree, some of the details, definitions, or interpretations may differ!

3) Forgetting to cite the original source or the page number. When you quote from a source, you MUST cite the author AND the page number on which the quote appeared! The examples in this section can serve as a guideline on how to do this.

4) Forgetting to mark a quote with quotation marks or indenting . Simply citing a source without explicitly marking direct quotes is still plagiarism.

5) Using long quotations . How do you think an instructor would react if somebody handed in a 5-page paper, and all it consisted of was three pages of long block quotes, with small transitional paragraphs connecting them? Surely, this does not convey that the student put a lot of time or effort into the paper, or that they even understand the material being quoted. In general, it is advisable to avoid long quotes unless they are truly necessary to make a point, to clarify an argument, or to define a concept. For the most part, however, a paraphrase or summary would be just as effective. Remember, do not underestimate your ability to process information and convey it just as well using your own words!

Can I change the quote? (MLA 122-36; Harris 47-9)

In general, remember that a quote should remain exactly the same as it appeared in the original source. However, there are times when additional interpretation or clarification is needed, when some of the original information can be omitted to save space, or when the original punctuation does not "fit" in your paper.

1) Changes requiring no indication . MLA guidelines state that quotes can be modified in the following ways without indicating that you did so:

1. The punctuation at the end of a quote can be changed to fit the context (e.g., replacing a period with a comma).

2. Single quotation marks can be changed to double, and vice versa.

2) Changes that require indication.

1. The omission of material. To indicate that information has been left out, you must use ellipses, which are three evenly spaced periods (four if the information omitted was at the end of a sentence; the fourth ellipse

is a period). Remember, the original meaning of the quote should remain UNCHANGED after the information is deleted. For example, if the original quote read:

"The vast majority of college freshman do not take illicit drugs, however there is a small minority who are addicted to illegal substances."

An example of a completely inappropriate use of ellipses would be:

"The vast majority of college freshman...are addicted to illegal substances."

Note how the original meaning of the quote was completely lost in the short version.

2. The addition of material. Sometimes it may be necessary to add an explanation or clarification. If this is the case, this information should be placed in brackets. In the following example, the author added the information in brackets:

Smith said "Neutral Milk Hotel [an indie rock band from the 1990s] was one of the best live performances she had seen in the past 15 years" (43).

So, where do I put what? (MLA 122-36)

The following information will help you use the correct punctuation when using quotes.

Quotations within a quotation. In some instances, a quote you would like to use has a quotation already embedded in it. In this case, the inner quote should have single quotation marks surrounding it (i.e., ' '). For example:

Poppe utilizes an eclectic combination of outdated slang terms in his characters conversations: “‘I’m sure the dance will be totally groovy,’ Judy said, ‘but my dad is being such a squeeze crab- he grounded me because he caught me necking Trent!’” (87).

If the quoted text is separated from the rest of your writing, like the indented text of a block quote, do not use double quotations and single quotations. Reproduce the quotations that are in the original quoted text.

There are additional rules regarding punctuation (colons, semicolons, commas, periods, exclamation marks, etc.) that should be carefully followed. See the 2008 MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing and the 2011 MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers for more information.

Works Cited

Harris, Robert A. Using Sources Effectively. Los Angeles: Pryczak Pub., 2002. Print.

The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “How to Quote a Source.” The Writer’s Handbook: Avoiding Plagiarism. The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. 2 July 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

The Modern Language Association of America. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. New York: MLA, 2008. Print.