Integrating Quotes in a Seamless Manner Station E: Integrating Quotes in a Seamless Manner

How To Integrate Quotations When you are using brief quotations, you must integrate them-- work them seamlessly into your sentences and show their relevance to your ideas.

Not Integrated (aka a “naked quote”) After Alexander Hamilton shared his plan, Thomas Jefferson disagrees. “The government should not be that involved with the economy.”

Integrated After Alexander Hamilton shared his plan, Thomas Jefferson disagrees by declaring that, “The government should not be that involved with the economy.”

Methods For Integrating Quotes in a Seamless Manner Option 1: To avoid naked quotes, use signal phrases (see Word Wall for examples). These are phrases which precede the quotation. They may include the author’s name and a verb. Example: signal phrase Thomas Jefferson believes that, “The government should not be that involved with the economy.”

Methods For Integrating Quotes in a Seamless Manner Option 2: Place a quotation (a fragment) in the middle of your own sentence. Example: Thomas Jefferson hoped that the government would “adopt a laissez-faire approach” to the economy.

Methods For Inserting Brief Quotations Option 3: Place more than one quotation (fragment) in your sentence. Example: Thomas Jefferson hoped that the government would not only “adopt a laissez-faire approach,” but also leave “economic decision to the states.” "I didn't see an actual plan,” Washington said, "but I sure wish I had."

What about PUNCUATION? RULE #1: If quotation is a complete sentence, there needs to be a comma before the quote, and the quote needs to start with a capital letter. Example: Thomas Jefferson believes that, “The government should not be that involved with the economy.” comma capital letter

What about PUNCUATION? RULE #2: If quotation is not a complete sentence (a fragment), there does not need to be a comma before the quote, and the quote does not need to start with a capital letter. Example: Thomas Jefferson hoped that the government would “adopt a laissez-faire approach” to the economy.

What about PUNCUATION? Use brackets ([ ]) and ellipses (. . .) to change verbs or other parts of the original quote when necessary so it fits into your sentence. Example using brackets: Original direct quote: “I do not want my wife to worry.” (Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave) Your sentence using this quote: Solomon did not “want [his] wife to worry.” The word “my” would not work here because then it would sound like you are talking about your wife and not Solomon’s.

What about PUNCUATION? Example using ellipses and brackets: Original direct quote: “Now had I approached within the shadow of the cloud, into thick darkness whereof I was soon to disappear, thenceforward to be hidden from the eyes of all my kindred and shut out from the sweet light of liberty, for many a weary year.” (Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave) Your sentence using this quote: Kidnapped and sold into slavery, Solomon was now “hidden from the eyes of all [his] kindred…for many a weary year.”

Now it’s your turn to practice!!!