Stitching and Weaving Quotes in an Essay
Learning Target: I can use stitching and weaving to seamlessly integrate quotations in my sentences.
What is stitching and weaving? It is the process of integrating quotations into a writer’s own sentences.
The benefits…
The essay flows smoothly.
The writing transitions well before and after the quotation.
3 Levels of Stitching & Weaving:
1. The Says + Comma = Very Basic
Original Passage: “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public street” (Lee 46).
Stitching and Weaving: Miss Maudie describes Atticus’s irreproachable character perfectly when she says,
“Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets“(Lee 46).
2. The Sentence + Colon = A Little More Advanced
OP: “Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home?“(Lee
247).
S&W: Scout voices her confusion with the hypocrisy of her society by asking a question: “how can you hate
Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home?“ (Lee247).
3. Truly Combining Words = Most Advanced
OP : “There was no doubt about it, I must soon enter this world, where on its surface fragrant ladies rocked
slowly, fanned gently, and drank cool water” (Lee 233).
S&W: Although Scout shows apprehension that she “must soon enter” the world of the Southern Lady, she
describes it rather beautifully as a place where “ladies rocked slowly, fanned gently, and drank cool water”
(Lee 233).
For your To Kill a Mockingbird essay, you must stitch and weave ALL quotes using any of the above strategies. You
must not let a quote stand alone in the essay.
Also, you must cite each quote using the format above (MLA) which is the author’s last name followed by the page
that the quote is from: (Lee #).