University:
California State University, Northridge
Course:
ENGL 113A | Approaches to University Writing A
Academic year:

2023
Views:

463

Pages:

2
Author:

Terence H.

KINDS OF QUOTATIONS  Direct quotations: The use and documentation of a person’s exact words. o The motorist said, “I hate all pedestrians.”  Indirect quotations: The reporting of what was said rather than the quoting of the exact statement. Words from the original will be changed and/or omitted. o The motorist told me that he hated all pedestrians.  Integrated Quotations: Quoted material forms a grammatical part of the sentence in which it occurs. Consider the quoted matter to be the direct object of the verb in the following example. o St. Paul declared that “it is better to marry than to burn.” PUNCTUATION TIPS WITH QUOTATIONS Periods, commas, etc.:  Place periods and commas inside quotation marks. o The hostess said, “I’ll show you to your table now.” o The hostess said, “I’ll show you to your table now,” as she turned toward the dining room. Ellipses:  Use these when you want to omit a word or words that would otherwise complete the total construction of a sentence. Brackets:  Use these when you find it necessary to clarify or to insert personal comments into a quotation. o One critic indicated that “we must avoid the temptation to read [The Scarlet Letter] heretically.” (to clarify) o “John F. Kennedy [was] an immortal figure of courage to most Americans.” (to correct grammatical structure) o Jackson believed that “all men and women [emphasis mine] were created equal in the eyes of God.” (to note the addition of emphasis) o “John F. Kennedy, assassinated in November 1964 [sic], became an immortal figure in American history.” (to indicate that you are aware of an error in the original) INTRODUCTORY VERBS Too often writers rely on verbs such as “said, “ “says,” “writes,” “thinks,” and “feels” when citing the author of a quotation. Avoid these overused verbs— instead try some of the following : insists, argues, suggests, declares, adds, proposes, concludes, explains, finds, states, agrees, claims, believes, implies, continues, establishes, compares, notes, maintains, observes, admonishes, contends, warns, advises, asserts           TEMPLATES FOR INTRODUCING QUOTATIONS X states, “_____.” As the prominent philosopher X puts it, “_____.” According to X, “_____.” X himself writes, “_____.” In her book, _____, X maintains that “_____.” Writing in the journal Commentary, X complains that “_____.” In X’s view, “_____.” A agrees when she writes, “_____.” X disagrees when he writes, “_____.” X complicates matters further when she writes, “_____.” Adapted from They Say, I Say (Graff and Birkenstein 166-67) TEMPLATES FOR EXPLAINING QUOTATIONS  Basically, X is saying ______.  In other words, X believes _____.  In making this comment, X argues that _____.  X is insisting that _____.  X’s point is that ______. The essence of X’s argument is that _____. Adapted from They Say, I Say (Graff and Adapted from They Say, I Say (Graff and Birkenstein 166-67)