What are Direct Quotes?
Direct quotes are portions of a text taken word for word and placed inside of a work. Readers know when an author is using a direct quote because it is denoted by the use of quotation marks and an in-text citation.
The Basics of Directly Quoting
- All quoted material should be enclosed in quotations marks to set it off from the rest of the text. The exception to this is block quotes, which require different formatting.
- Quoted material should be an accurate word-for-word reproduction from the author’s original text. You cannot alter any wording or any spelling. If you must do so, you must use a bracket or an ellipsis (see number 2 in the section below).
- A clear signal phrase/attribution tag should precede each quotation.
- A parenthetical citation should follow each quotation.
The Hard Part of of Directly Quoting: Integrating Quotes into Your Writing
- Use signal phrases to introduce quoted material.
Sample signal phrases to introduce a quote:
Dr. Sarah Doe declares,“Humans have always looked to the stars to find their futures” (103).
Dr. Sarah Doe argues that . . .
Dr. Sarah Doe believes that . . .
The work of Dr. Sarah Doe shows that . . .
As Dr. Sarah Doe indicates. . .
As Dr. Sarah Doe implies. . .
As Dr. Sarah Doe suggests. . .
Dr. Sarah Doe thinks that . . .
Dr. Sarah Doe addresses. . .
2. Next explain what you have just quoted, without merely restating what the quote says. You, as the author of your essay, should explain the significance of each quotation to your reader. This goes far beyond simply including a signal phrase. Explaining the significance means indicating how the quoted material supports the point you are making in that paragraph. Remember: just because you add a quote does not mean that you have made your point. Quotes never speak for themselves. How and why does that quoted material make the point you think it does?
- According to Dr. X, “Humans are searching for a new home, which Mars may provide ” (95). What Dr. X’s point demonstrates is that . . .
- Dr. X argues that “[h]umans are searching for a new home, which Mars may provide ” (95). Here, X is not simply stating _______, she is also demonstrating __________.
- One scientist who thinks about the future, Dr. X, says this, “Humans are searching for a new home, which Mars may provide ” (95) This is an example of _____ because _______.
- Dr. X argues that “[h]umans are searching for a new home, which Mars may provide ” (95). This statement clearly shows ______ because _______.
Sometimes, in order to smoothly integrate quoted material into your paper, you may need to remove a word or add a word to make the quote make sense. If you make any change to quoted material, it must be formatted correctly using an ellipsis or brackets
Use brackets [these are brackets] to change a word. This article from Writing Commons explains what brackets are and how to use them
Use an ellipsis (this is an ellipsis…) to indicate omissions. This article from Writing Commons explains what brackets are and how to use them
When in doubt, strive to allow your voice – not a quote from a source – to begin each paragraph, precede each quote, follow each quote, and end each paragraph. Quotes that are integrated well into a paper allow you to control the paper. That is what a reader wants to see: your ideas and the way that you engage sources to shape and discuss your ideas.
[1] Attributions
This chapter contains material from “About Writing: A Guide” by Robin Jeffrey, OpenOregon Educational Resources, Higher Education Coordination Commission: Office of Community Colleges and Workforce Development is licensed under CC BY 4.0
It also contains an excerpt from David Bartholomae’s “Inventing the University.”
9.2 Quoting by Melanie Gagich is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
