How to use
quotes
effectively and
properly.
Quotation marks
are like the road
signs you see when
you enter and leave
the city.
“Just as the signs
define the city
limits, quotation
marks show where
speech begins
and ends”
(O’Conner 119).
4-Steps:
Introduce it.
Quote it.
Cite it.
Punctuate it.
#1
Introduce it.
Quote it.
Cite it.
Punctuate it.
Introduce it.
EXAMPLES:
In the words of researchers
Redelmeier and Tibshirani,
“…”
As Matt Sundeen has noted,
“…”
Patti Pena, mother of a child
killed by a driver distracted
by a cell phone, points out
that “…”
Introduce it.
MORE EXAMPLES:
“…,” writes Christine
Haughney, “…”
“…,” claims wireless
spokesperson Annette Jacobs.
Radio hosts Tom and Ray
Magliozzi offer a persuasive
counterargument: “…”
Introduce it.
Quotes can be
written with an
introduction before
the quote…
According to a survey
conducted by the National
Constitution Center (NCC) in
1998, “52 percent of teenagers
have a television in their
bedrooms.”
Introduction + Quote
Introduce it.
Quotes can be
written with the
introduction after the
quote…
“52 percent of teenagers have
a television in their
bedrooms,” according to a
survey conducted by the
National Constitution Center
(NCC) in 1998.
Quote
+
Introduction
Introduce it.
Quotes can be
written with the
introduction
between the quote…
Many teenagers “have a
television in their bedrooms,”
according to a survey
conducted by the National
Constitution Center (NCC) in
1998, which accounts for “52
percent.”
Quote + Introduction + Quote
Introduce it.
Quotes can be placed
between text.
According to a survey
conducted by the National
Constitution Center (NCC) in
1998, “52 percent of teenagers
have a television in their
bedrooms” which is why there
is a huge obesity problem.
Introduction + Quote
+
text
Here is a list of
verbs to help you
out…
• acknowledges
• adds
• admits
• agrees
• argues
• asserts
• believes
• claims
• concludes
• confirms
• counters
• declares
• demonstrates
• denies
• disputes
• emphasizes
• endorses
• explains
• grants
• illustrates
• implies
• insists
• notes
• observes
• points out
• reasons
• refutes
• rejects
• reports
• responds
• reveals
• says
• states
• suggests
• thinks
• writes
#2
Introduce it.
Quote it.
Cite it.
Punctuate it.
Quote it.
Any time you use
any word from
someone else’s words,
you must quote
him or her.
Quote it.
It also helps
prove
your claim
because it
provides
evidence.
Quote it.
When quoting, you
must be careful to do
it properly or it is
plagiarism…
1. Do not copy word-for-word
without using quotation marks,
even if you give a source citation at
the end of your sentence
Quote it.
2. Do not replace a few words with
synonyms, keeping the basic
sentence structure; you are still
stealing the sentence structure
3. Do not paraphrase without the
parenthetical citation to indicate its
original source
#3
Introduce it.
Quote it.
Cite it.
Punctuate it.
Cite it.
How to cite
your sources
and create a
bibliography.
Smith 101
Cite it.
When you quote, you
must show
the
reader where to
look in the
bibliography.
Cite it.
“Just as the signs
define the city
limits, quotation
marks show where
speech begins and
ends” (O’Conner
119).
Did you notice
that on my earlier
slide?
Cite it.
“Just as the signs define the city
limits, quotation marks show
where speech begins and ends”
(O’Conner 119).
When you quote, you
must show
the
reader where to
look in the
bibliography.
O, Conner, Patricia T. Woe is I Jr. New York: Scholastic, 2007.
Cite it.
QUOTED
According to California State
Senator Brad Nichols, selling
soda “undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill” (Thompson 24).
Author’s last name
Cite it.
QUOTED
According to California State
Senator Brad Nichols, selling
soda “undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill” (Thompson 24).
Page the quote
was found on
Cite it.
There are many ways to
cite your source depending
type or
location of the info…
on the
Cite it.
There are many ways to
cite your source depending
type or
location of the info…
on the
RULE OF THUMB: Check the
bibliography citation to see what
information you have listed first.
This will determine how you cite
your sources.
Always start
with the item
listed first…
It could be the
author’s last
name
…or, it could be
the publication.
Cite it.
So, your paper would look
like this if you have the
author’s name…
According to the author of
30 Great Sci-Fi Stories,
nearly 80 percent of all Star
Trek fans are male (Adams
132).
The last name of
the author and the
page that fact was
listed on.
Cite it.
…or, like this if you don’t.
Science Fiction based on
“imagined science” that
pertains to society or
individuals (The
Encyclopedia Galactica
391).
The publication
name and the page
that fact was listed
on.
Cite it.
If the author was already
introduced in your text, you
only need the page number.
ESSAY
Matt Sundeen notes that
drivers with cell phones
place an estimated
98,000 emergency calls
each day” (25).
WORKS CITED ENTRY
Sundeen, Matt. “Cell Phones and
Highway Safety: 2000 State
Legislative Update.” National
Conference of State Legislatures.
Dec. 2000.
Cite it.
RULE OF THUMB:
Citations in the parentheses
must use the name that is
listed first in the
bibliography.
This way, if the reader
wants to research more,
they know what to look for
when they flip back to your
bibliography.
Science Fiction based on
“imagined science” that
pertains to society or
individuals (The
Encyclopedia Galactica
391).
Cite it.
Page numbers may also not
be available. In this case,
you would simply cite the
source without a page
number.
Science Fiction based on
“imagined science” that
pertains to society or
individuals (The
Encyclopedia Galactica).
#4
Introduce it.
Quote it.
Cite it.
Punctuate it.
QUOTED
When you quote, you
must show
the
reader where to
According to California State
Senator Brad Nichols, selling
soda “undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill” (Thompson 24).
look in the
bibliography.
Did you notice
there is NO
comma?
QUOTED
When you quote, you
must show
the
reader where to
According to California State
Senator Brad Nichols, selling
soda “undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill” (Thompson 24).
look in the
bibliography.
Did you notice
the parentheses?
QUOTED
When you quote, you
must show
the
reader where to
According to California State
Senator Brad Nichols, selling
soda “undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill” (Thompson 24).
look in the
bibliography.
How about the
period after the
citation?
QUOTED
When you quote, you
must show
the
reader where to
According to California State
Senator Brad Nichols, selling
soda “undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill” (Thompson 24).
look in the
bibliography.
And, the quotes
end before the
citation.
Punctuate it.
The final step is to
make sure your
punctuation
symbolizes
your intentions.
Punctuate it.
#1. Show that you
took out words from a
quote by using
ellipses.
Punctuate it.
Show that you took
out words from a
quote by using
ellipses.
ORIGINAL PASSAGE
Brad Nichols added, “When
you have this marketplace of
junk and soda everywhere
else, it undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill.”
QUOTED
According to California State
Senator Brad Nichols, selling
soda “undermines the good
habits that parents…instill” in
their children (Nichols 32).
Punctuate it.
#2. Show that you
changed one word or
the tense of a word by
using brackets.
ORIGINAL PASSAGE
Brad Nichols added, “When
you have this marketplace of
junk and soda everywhere
else, it undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill.”
QUOTED
Brad Nichols told Californians
that those who sold soda
“[undermined] the good habits
that parents [have tried] to
instill” (Nichols 32).
Punctuate it.
#3. Place a comma
before and after a
quote if it needs it…
RULE OF THUMB: Read your
writing and listen for drops in your
voice, pauses, and a change in
voice. Each drop, pause, or voice
change represents a possible
comma.
ORIGINAL PASSAGE
Brad Nichols added, “When
you have this marketplace of
junk and soda everywhere
else, it undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill.”
QUOTED
Brad Nichols told Californians
that those who sold soda
“[undermined] the good habits
that parents [have tried] to
instill” (Nichols 32).
Punctuate it.
Place a comma before
and after a quote if it
needs it…
RULE OF THUMB: Read your
writing and listen for drops in your
voice and pauses. Each drop or
pause represents a possible
comma.
ORIGINAL PASSAGE
Brad Nichols added, “When
you have this marketplace of
junk and soda everywhere
else, it undermines the good
habits that parents are trying to
instill.”
QUOTED
Brad Nichols told Californians
that those who sold soda
“[undermined] the good habits
that parents [have tried] to
instill” (Nichols 32).
Punctuate it.
#4. Punctuation
always goes inside
the last quotes.
1. Periods
2. Commas
3. Exclamation Points
4. Question Marks
Mrs. Hurd said, “Take notes
or it will affect your grade.”
Punctuate it.
#4. Punctuation
always goes inside
the last quotes.
1. Periods
2. Commas
3. Exclamation Points
4. Question Marks
“Take notes,” said Mrs.
Hurd, “or it will affect your
grade.”
Punctuate it.
#4. Punctuation
always goes inside
the last quotes.
1. Periods
2. Commas
3. Exclamation Points
4. Question Marks
Mrs. Hurd said, “Take notes
or it will affect your grade!”
Punctuate it.
#4. Punctuation
always goes inside
the last quotes.
1. Periods
2. Commas
3. Exclamation Points
4. Question Marks
Mrs. Hurd asked, “Did you
take notes?”
Punctuate it.
#5. Punctuation that
goes outside the
final quotes
include:
ORIGINAL QUOTE:
“Take notes or you will lose
points.”
1. Colons
2. Semicolons
3. Question Mark &
Exclamation Points that
fall outside of the
original quote
STUDENT QUOTING MRS. HURD:
Did Mrs. Hurd say, “take
notes or [we’ll] lose
points”?
Punctuate it.
#5. Punctuation that
goes outside the
final quotes
include:
1. Colons
2. Semicolons
3. Question Mark &
Exclamation Points that
fall outside of the
original quote
Uncle Jesse has two
recordings of “Blue Suede
Shoes”: one by Elvis and
one by Carl Perkins.
Punctuate it.
#5. Punctuation that
goes outside the
final quotes
include:
1. Colons
2. Semicolons
3. Question Mark &
Exclamation Points that
fall outside of the
original quote
His favorite songs are “Love
Me Tender,” “Heartbreak
Hotel,” and “Hound Dog”;
he’s heard them thousands
of times.
Punctuate it.
#5. Punctuation that
goes outside the
final quotes
include:
ORIGINAL QUOTE:
“Take notes or you will lose
points.”
1. Colons
2. Semicolons
3. Question Mark &
Exclamation Points that
fall outside of the
original quote
STUDENT QUOTING MRS. HURD:
Did Mrs. Hurd say, “take
notes or [we’ll] lose
points”?