Checklist: Using Quotations Effectively

Before you include a quotation in your essay, ask yourself:

Which point of mine does the quotation support?
Why should the passage be quoted rather than paraphrased or summarized?
What do my readers need to know about the quotation’s author?

As you integrate quotations into your draft, ask yourself:

Ο  Have I sufficiently introduced the quotation with a phrase or sentence?
Ο  Will my readers know whom I am quoting and why?
Ο  Does the quotation fit smoothly into my own sentence?

As you revise your work, ask yourself:

Ο  Have I strung together too many quotations?
Ο  Have I used long quotations sparingly?
Ο  Have I used quotation marks properly and documented each quote?