Embedding Quotes in a Paragraph Take Notes!

Using Direct Quotes Use a minimum of 1-2 quotes These quotes must relate to your thesis and topic sentence - ALWAYS ask yourself, How does this quote prove my thesis? If it doesn’t, then leave it out! Never “float” your quotes!! Always “embed” quotes so the reader cannot tell (when read aloud) where your words start/stop and the quote start/stop.

Examples of Quotes Not Embedded When Odysseus gets to the island of the Cyclops, he gets stuck in a cave. “He left his rams and goats in the yard outside, and swung high overhead a slab of solid rock” (493). This quote shows he was trapped.

Examples of properly embedded quotes: When Odysseus lands on the island of the Cyclops, he can’t help but explore this fabled land. Yet his curiosity causes a problem when the Cyclops returns to his cave and, “swung high overhead a slab of solid rock,” effectively trapping Odysseus and his men in the cave (493).

Examples of Quotes Not Embedded Later when Odysseus is back at his island, he hatches a plan with his son to beat the suitors. “Round up all the armor, lances, gear of war left in our hall, and stow the lot away back in the vaulted storeroom” (524).

Examples of properly embedded quotes: Later when Odysseus is back at his island, he hatches a plan with his son to beat the suitors. He instructs Telemachus to gather the “armor, lances, gear of war left in our hall,” and “stow the lot away” (524).

Punctuation & Formatting All page numbers/line numbers go at the end of the sentence regardless of where quote ends

Punctuation & Formatting - Page number only in lit. response essays; no need to cite author other than in thesis/introductory paragraph.

Punctuation & Formatting -Period goes AFTER the parenthetical reference/page number, NOT BEFORE IT.

Quote Punctuated and Embedded Next, Antinous is killed when “Odysseus’ arrow hit him under the chin and punched up to the feathers in his throat” (536). With Odysseus beginning his revenge and Antinous now killed, the other suitors panic.

Sentence Edits Embed this quote: Next, Odysseus and his son kill Antinous. “Odysseus’ arrow hits him under the chin and punched up to the feathers in his throat” (536). This shows they killed him. Fix the Formatting: As part of their elaborate ruse to eliminate the suitors, Odysseus disguises himself as, “a beggar, by my looks” (page 524) and instructs Telemachus to gather all the armor and hide it. (page 524)