A primer
 Quotes
are any portion of a text you want to
use to defend a claim or provide information.
 Quotes may be full sentences, a few words or
even an entire paragraph.
 Quotes may be something the narrator says,
a description, a comment by the characters
( dialogue) or even the margin notes in a
text.
ANY WRITTEN WORD IN A TEXT THAT YOU
PLACE IN YOUR PAPER IS A QUOTE!
 Coach
Hicks stated, “The key to our success
this year has been our inside presence. We
have focused on getting the ball to the big
man and scoring points in the paint.”
 NOTE****
Limit the size of a full sentence
quote to only the most significant material!
 AN ESSAY SHOULD BE 2/3 YOUR BACKGOUND
AND INSIGHT AND 1/3 QUOTED MATERIAL AT
MOST!
 It
is not always necessary to provide the
entire sentence to make a point. A few well
chosen words may do. The following passage
is paraphrased but the small quote lends
credibility to the essay’s claims and are
essential to defend an argument.
 The
Time Traveller defends his research, but
the Psychologist rebuts his point saying that
while it is possible to move around in space
it is not possible to “move about in Time.”
(Wells 5) *********Note this citation
If you want to leave out part of the quotation,
use an ellipsis to signify the omission. An ellipsis
( . . . ) is three periods with a space before and
after each one.

Note******* Anything you take out of a quotation
should not change the author’s original meaning.

The narrator states, “I soon found a dislike
to it arising within me . . . I avoided the
creature . . . Very gradually I came to look upon
it with unutterable loathing . . . ” (Poe 140).
( shs quotation guide, 3)
 Use
brackets [like this] to signify any
material you add within a quotation to help
its meaning.

“He had put on his best black Sunday
clothes and, as though he could never quite
escape the smear of his profession [he was a
baker], he had a dab of dried talcum on his
cheek . . .” (Greene 252).
(
shs quotation guide 3)

These must be used sparingly! The quote must
be such that the entire text is the only and best
way to represent the idea.

These quotes are set apart from the standard
text and boxed into smaller margins. They
usually consist of 5 or more lines of text.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed…

Jerry is considerate. In the short story we see this when Jerry
takes extra-special care to find a place inside the cabin to store
dry wood so that the narrator will always have dry materials with
which to start a fire. The narrator says, “he did for me the
unnecessary thing, the gracious thing, that we find done only by
the great of heart. . .He found a cubbyhole beside the fireplace.
. .so that I might always have dry fire material.” Jerry does
something “unnecessary,” which means he does it of his own free
will. He cares for someone else’s needs, even when he will not
get anything out of it. He is “gracious,” almost thankful or joyful
to serve someone else. He is one of the “great of heart.” In
other words, he is caring, loving, willing to put others’ needs
before his own selfish concerns. Furthermore, when the
orphanage attendant says, “It’s not like him; he’s usually
reliable,” after Jerry fails to fire the boiler, this also shows that
most of the time Jerry does his duties. Although Jerry is not
perfect, he does seem to possess an attitude of taking care of
and thinking about others first. From these events we see that
Jerry is considerate.
 Signal
phrases (also known as "lead ins") are
words or phrases, in the text of the paper,
that indicate to the reader that someone
else’s work is going to be used.
 The signal phrase provides a smooth lead-in
or introduction to the quotation of an
author’s work.
 The
narrator in “Cathedral” was an
insensitive person. When he learns that
Robert, his wife’s blind friend, is coming for
an overnight visit, he sarcastically declares,
“Maybe I could take him bowling.” His lack
of sensitivity towards Robert is apparent
since bowling is not likely an activity that a
blind person engages in.
 ***
NOTE THAT CONTEXT IS USED TO SET UP
THE QUOTE. The verb “declared” is better
than “said.”
 acknowledges,
adds, admits, agrees,
announces, argues, asserts, believes,
claims, comments, compares, complains,
confirms, contends, criticizes, declares,
defines, denies, disputes, emphasizes,
estimates, exclaims, expresses, explains,
endorses, grants, illustrates, implies,
insists, notes, observes, opines. opposes,
perceives, points out, predicts, proclaims,
proposes, questions, reasons, recounts,
refutes, rejects, remarks, replies, reports,
responds, retorts, sees, states, suggests,
thinks, writes.
 The
narrator’s wife in “Cathedral” dealt with
a sarcastic husband. “Maybe I could take
him bowling” This quote is from page 457 in
Carver’s story. This shows that the narrator’s
wife in “Cathedral” had to deal with a
sarcastic husband.
***** Note, there is no context for this quote so
the point of the quote is obscured!
 Quotes
may be drawn from a single source
such as a novel or several sources. Every
quote in an essay or paper must be
attributed to the source. This is
accomplished with IN TEXT CITATION!
 This
means that you will give the source of
the material you are using so you will not be
accused of plagiarism. You may borrow
words but you must give credit for thoughts
that are not yours! This is tricky! When in
doubt- CITE!
Today, Americans are too self centered. Even our families
don't matter as much anymore as they once did. Other
people and activities take precedence. In fact, the
evidence shows that most American families no longer eat
together, preferring instead to eat on the go while rushing
to the next appointment (Gleick 148). Sit-down meals are
a time to share and connect with others; however, that
connection has become less valued, as families begin to
prize individual activities over shared time…
(Writing 1)
NOTE***** The source of the research is identified by the
author’s name and the page number of the work which is
listed in the bibliography. This clears the essay, speech or
article writer from accusations of plagiarism.
Today, Americans are too self-centered.
Even our families don't matter as much
anymore as they once did. Other people
and activities take precedence, as
James Gleick says in his book, Faster.
“We are consumers-on-the-run . . . the
very notion of the family meal as a
sit-down occasion is vanishing. Adults
and children alike eat . . . on the way
to their next activity” (148). Sit-down
meals are a time to share and connect
with others…”
DO NOT…
 use “I think” “I believe” [No “I” statements] /If
it’s a persuasive essay, we know it’s your
opinion. If it is informative, we know you
researched it!
 use YOU…never address the reader
 use the words get, gotten, things, something,
kinda, whatever, stuff, very
 use casual language and/or slang
 use trite expressions (ex: won the battle & lost
the war, better safe than sorry)
 use “this quote shows”

(shs quotation guide 4)