How to Use Lead-ins

Most Important Rule Never drop a quotation into a sentence or paragraph without a proper lead-in!

3 Types of Lead-Ins Somebody says, Sentence: Blended

Somebody says, Punctuate as dialogue Use synonyms of “to say” – comment, add, declare, remark, respond, state, assert, suggest, etc. Use a complete sentence Use a comma

Somebody says, Example: Jane Agee comments, “Many students who would not have attempted college seven years ago are now coming into state universities through junior colleges” (12).

Sentence: Lead-in and quotation are complete sentences. Quotation begins with a CAPITAL letter. Use a colon  :

Sentence: Studies show that English instruction on the college level will not improve until educators become realistic: “Public school teachers need to sit down and evaluate the situation” (Agee 46).

Blended Quotation is a grammatical part of sentence. There is no punctuation between lead-in and quote.

Blended State universities are now providing “special remedial programs” in which students who do not meet the “entrance requirements are admitted on probation” (Agee 13).

Let’s talk about what goes in ( ) Author’s last name and page number (Collins 24) If author’s name is used in lead-in, then you only need the page number in ( ). Collins states, “.......................” (24). If multiple pages, use a comma (24,25)

Lead-in Punctuation Use the appropriate punctuation between lead-ins and quoted material. Place a period after parentheses, not before. (Collins 24).

Block Quotes Use to set off a large portion of quoted material. You must have ONE block quote in your research paper.

Block Quotation Rules Use when there are more than 4 lines of typed lines of prose, 3 lines of poetry, or 3 lines of verse drama. Indent 10 spaces from the left (2 tabs). Do not add quotation marks unless they appear in the original text. Place the end punctuation BEFORE the parenthetical documentation.

Educators express great concern regarding the academic quality of students who are graduating from America’s high school: Perhaps the first reality that should be examined is the decline of literacy. Are college-bound students less literate today? If one accepts declining SAT scores as valid indicators, the answer seems to be “yes.” In 2000 the average national verbal score on the SAT was 575. In 2005 it was 560. (Smith 127)