 Your guide to using someone else’s information in a paper

 When you use someone else’s information in a paper, you must cite it.  Three main ways to use their information: 1. Summarizing 2. Paraphrasing 3. Quoting

 When citing an author in MLA format, you must mention the author’s name AND page number. 1. Debra Winthrop suggests that “we’re all potential winners in this game” (365). 2. Some people feel that “we’re all potential winners in this game” (Winthrop 365).

 Summarizing is taking the source’s most important information and rewriting it IN YOUR OWN WORDS.  Summaries are much shorter than the original.

 Paraphrasing is taking the source’s ideas and rewriting them IN YOUR OWN WORDS.  Paraphrasing is like summarizing but is usually done for a single idea or short passage.

 Quoting is using the author’s exact words and punctuation.  Quotes should be vivid or memorable.  There are three major ways to use quotes: 1. As an extension of your own words 2. He says – She says 3. Full sentence + colon

1. As an extension of your own words. Make the quotation a part of your sentence.  Steinbeck shows Curley’s wife’s sexuality when “she smiled archly and twitched her body” (35).

2. He says / She says  Lennie shows his innocence and fear when he says, “I don’t like this place, George. This ain’t no good place. I wanna get outa here” (Steinbeck 36).

3. Full sentence + colon  Curley repeatedly proves to be aggressive and ready for a fight: “He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious” (Steinbeck 28).

 You can leave out unimportant details by using ellipses but you MUST keep the author’s meaning the same. Original: “The movie was, I have to confess, the greatest waste of time and money I have ever encountered.” (From a movie review by Joe Schmoe on page 21).  According to Joe Schmoe, “The movie was... the greatest... I have ever encountered” (21).  According to Joe Schmoe, “The movie was... the greatest waste of time and money...” (21).

 Quotes can be slightly altered by the use of brackets. Original: “Every night, I creep down the stairs past my parents’ bedroom door and sneak out the window” (Smith 4).  Smith describes how she “creep[s] down the stairs” each night and “sneak[s] out the window” (4).  Smith describes how she would “creep down the stairs past [her] parents’ bedroom door and sneak out the window” (4).

 If a quotation ends in an “!” or “?” it MUST be included before the citation. If not, no punctuation is needed.  “Where are you going, Katniss?” (Collins 92).  Katniss demonstrated her skill with this shot, “The arrow skewers the apple in the pig’s mouth and pins it to the wall behind it” (Collins 197).  Katniss shows her devotion to her sister when she offers to take her sister’s place: “I volunteer as tribute!” (Collins 23).

 Avoid floating quotations.  Evan Smith disagrees. “New teachers are burning out faster” (32).  Evan Smith writes that “new teachers are burning out faster (32).  Some writers argue that “new teachers are burning out faster (Smith 32). What’s the difference?

 Introduce authors’ ideas with signal words. acknowledges adds admits argues asserts believes claims comments confirms denies discovers emphasizes explains illustrates implies points out reasons refutes suggests writes rejects

 Smith acknowledges writes admits confirms points out comments claims that “new teachers are burning out faster (32).

Author:Ginger Vitus Quote:“If you want bad breath that will kill an elephant, don’t brush your teeth.” Book:Dental Hygiene Page:22 Ex. 1: I brush my teeth regularly because I don’t want “bad breath that will kill an elephant” (Vitus 22). Ex. 2: In Dental Hygiene, Ginger Vitus claims, “If you want bad breath... don’t brush your teeth” (22). Ex. 3: Brushing one’s teeth is extremely important for dental hygiene: “If you want bad breath that will kill an elephant, don’t brush your teeth” (Vitus 22).

Author:Judge Mental Quote: “The only difference between monkeys and teenagers is that monkeys have brains.” Book:Monkey Matters Page:104 Author:Rusty Steele Quote:“Making a bunch of noise, not melodies, is the new music.” Book:Heavy Metal Noise Page:5 Write three examples of quote integration for each set of information below. Use all three methods: 1.) extension 2.) he says/she says 3.) full sentence + colon

Author:Judge Mental Quote: “The only difference between monkeys and teenagers is that monkeys have brains.” Book:Monkey Matters Page:104 Ex 1: Apparently, I am not as smart as a monkey because “monkeys have brains” (Mental 104). Ex. 2: In Monkey Matters, Mental asserts, “the only difference... is that monkeys have brains” (104). Ex. 3: The connection between simians and young people is strong: “The only difference between monkeys and teenagers is that monkeys have brains” (Mental 104).

Author:Rusty Steele Quote:“Making a bunch of noise, not melodies, is the new music.” Book:Heavy Metal Noise Page:5 Ex 1: Steele believes that today’s music is just “a bunch of noise” (5). Ex. 2: In Heavy Metal Noise, Steele comments, “a bunch of noise... is the new music” (5). Ex. 3: Popular tunes are not as good as they used to be: “Making a bunch of noise, not melodies, is the new music” (Steele 5).