{"id":5241,"date":"2017-10-02T17:00:56","date_gmt":"2017-10-03T00:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?post_type=essay-writing-blog&p=5241"},"modified":"2019-01-24T11:23:11","modified_gmt":"2019-01-24T19:23:11","slug":"put-quote-essay-like-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/put-quote-essay-like-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Put a Quote in Your Essay Like a Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years your teachers have told you that if you borrow someone else\u2019s exact words, you need to put quotations marks around those words. They also told you that you need to use quotations (as well as paraphrases and summaries) to support your research essay.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all well and good. And it doesn\u2019t seem too terribly hard to put quotation marks around a sentence or two and paste the quote into your paper, but it actually takes some skill to effectively use quotations.<\/p>\n

But that’s why you’re here, right? To learn how to put a quote in your essay like a pro.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a few useful tips, here\u2019s what you should<\/i> and shouldn\u2019t<\/i> do when quoting.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Quote Just for the Sake of Quoting<\/h2>\n

We all know you should use at least a few quotes to support<\/a> your research essay<\/a>, but you shouldn\u2019t just throw them in because a research paper needs quotes.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t<\/b> pick a few random quotes from one of those quote websites (you know which sites I\u2019m talking about).<\/p>\n

Those random quotes from famous people\u2014such as, \u201cPeople who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do,\u201d by Isaac Asimov\u2014sound cool, but unless you use them in the perfect context, they\u2019re just filler<\/a>. They aren\u2019t credible research sources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FYI: Even though beginning your introduction<\/a> with a quotation can be an excellent strategy, random celebrity quotes aren\u2019t the best choice for the opening lines of your paper.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t<\/b> pick random sentences from your sources, either. It can be tempting to quickly paste them in your paper and hope they (sort of) make sense.<\/p>\n

Sure, there are times when you\u2019ll get lucky and the quotes will pretty much work, but most times, they\u2019ll be awkward quotes that don\u2019t support your arguments.<\/p>\n

How to Put a Quote in Your Essay Like a Pro<\/h2>\n

Now that you know what you absolutely should not <\/i>do when quoting, you need to know what you should <\/i>do. Ready to learn how to put a quote in your essay like a pro? Here are four tips to help you move from amateur to pro status.<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Choose quotes wisely<\/h3>\n

Sure, it\u2019s a heck of a lot quicker to pull any random quote and put it in your paper, but that doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019ve chosen wisely. Quotes should support your arguments, so you need to find information from sources that actually do that.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at an example. Say you\u2019re writing an argument essay<\/a> and are arguing that teens develop eating disorders because of societal and peer pressure.<\/p>\n

To support this argument, you use the following quote: \u201c10-15% of all Americans suffer from some type of serious eating disorder\u201d (www.mirasol.net<\/a>).<\/p>\n

There are two reasons this quote doesn\u2019t work.<\/b><\/p>\n

Reason #1: The source isn\u2019t the best choice for an academic research paper. <\/b>This quote is taken from an eating disorder recovery center\u2019s website. I\u2019m not saying that the source isn\u2019t accurate or credible. This may be a very well-respected and reputable center.<\/p>\n

What I am <\/i>saying is that this source isn\u2019t the best choice for a research paper. When writing a research paper, you should use scholarly resources and look for quotes and statistics from research studies (rather than random websites).<\/p>\n

Read 5 Best Resources to Help With Writing a Research Paper<\/a> to learn more about selecting appropriate resources.<\/p>\n

Reason #2: The quote doesn\u2019t actually provide evidence to support the argument. <\/b>In this example, the argument is that teens develop eating disorders due to societal and peer pressure. Thus, the quote should provide evidence of that.<\/p>\n

Using a statistic to illustrate how many people suffer from eating disorders might be appropriate for general background information, but it doesn\u2019t help explain why <\/i>teens develop eating disorders.<\/p>\n

Tip #2: Use signal phrases<\/h3>\n

One strategy you might consider when adding quotes in your paper is to use signal phrases. Signal phrases<\/a> let readers know to expect a quote. They introduce the quote and provide context.<\/p>\n

Think of them like traffic signals. Traffic lights signal drivers to stop, go, or slow down. They keep traffic moving.<\/p>\n

Signal phrases in writing do the same thing. They tell readers to slow down and pay attention to the information that is to follow and keep the writing cohesive.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
Using a quote? Signal phrases tell readers to slow down and pay attention.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Here\u2019s an example from a paper about distracted driving<\/a> to help clarify. This writer uses \u201caccording to\u201d as the signal phrase to introduce the quote:<\/p>\n

Texting messaging has been around for dozen of years, but there was never a point where it was considered to physically provide harm to someone. However, as of today it has exceeded to a point where it is considered to be more dangerous than drinking and driving. According to <\/b>the Department of Transportation, \u201capproximately 3,092 people were killed in an additional 416,000 were injured due to distracted drivers in the year of 2010 alone\u201d (Copeland, 2012).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In this example, the signal phrase lets readers know to expect a quote and provides context by stating that the information is taken from the Department of Transportation.<\/p>\n

Tip #3: Seamlessly integrate quotes<\/h3>\n

Another strategy you might consider when adding quotes in your paper is to seamlessly integrate them in the middle of a sentence, much like you would a paraphrase.<\/p>\n

In this case, the quote isn\u2019t introduced by a signal phrase but is part of the sentence. Here\u2019s an example from a paper about mandatory physical education in schools<\/a>:<\/p>\n

If a child spends at least five hours at school most of the week, isn\u2019t P.E. the perfect time for students to get time for physical activity? However, when P.E. is given as an optional course or elective and not a required class, most students choose not to do it to avoid physical activity. Very few people know that<\/b> “only six states\u2014Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Illinois and Iowa\u2014adhere to standards from the National Association of Sports and Physical Education that schoolchildren participate in 150 minutes a week of physical education. And just three states Delaware, Virginia and Nebraska have 20 minutes of mandatory elementary-school recess a day\u201d (TIME.com).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In this example, the writer uses the phrase \u201cvery few people know that\u201d to begin the sentence. The quote simply becomes part of the writer\u2019s sentence.<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
Stuck on Your Essay?<\/div>\n\t\t\t
Check out thousands of example essays.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYes! Show me examples.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

Tip #4: Cite appropriately<\/h3>\n

Whenever you use information from a source, you need to cite it appropriately in order to avoid plagiarism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In other words, all paraphrases, summaries, and quotes from your research need both an in-text citation and a Works Cited (if you\u2019re citing in MLA format) or a References page (if you\u2019re citing in APA format).<\/p>\n

Remember, in-text citations have different requirements depending on citation style, so make sure you\u2019re using the correct format.<\/p>\n

Here are two quick examples:<\/b><\/p>\n

MLA citation: <\/b>In-text citations should contain the author\u2019s last name and page number where quote or information appears. Example: (Smith 450).<\/p>\n

APA citation: <\/b>In-text citations should contain the author\u2019s last name and year of publication, with a comma between the two, and page number if a direct quote. Example: (Smith, 2016, p. 450). Not a direct quote? Use (Smith, 2016).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you need a little more help with citation styles, check out these resources:<\/p>\n