1. What they are, Why they are a problem, How to fix them
Dropped Quotes
What they are, Why they are a problem, How to fix them

2. What the sources do for you
Your essays must be your own words with your own thoughts and your own voice. However, quoting sources in your essays:
adds authority to your essays by illustrating that you are presenting informed opinions
and/or shows your reader exactly how you arrived at a particular thought of your own.

3. In fact, college essays are usually comprised of three components:
your own thoughts about something you have read or an issue you are studying
quotes from your textbook/reading/assignment
quotes from outside sources

4. A couple of rules of thumb:
 Do not start a paragraph with a quote
Do not end a paragraph with a quote
Just one or two fairly short quotes per paragraph
20/80 rule – an essay should be not more than 20% quoted material and no less than 80% your analysis.

5. A well-integrated quote is a lot like a sandwich:
 On top you have a sentence that is your own thought and summary, setting the context for the quote that you intend to use to prove illustrate point.
Then you have the quote (with author tag/signal phrase) to back up your thought
Then on the bottom you have a sentence of your own that reflects back on the quote

6. How do you know what to quote?
Let’s back up a bit:
How do you know what to quote?

7. Rule One: quote sparingly
Keep quotes to one sentence or less
If you have something that is longer, break it up with signal phrases and author tags, so the reader knows why you are quoting it.
“Xxx xxx xxxx,” the author wrote, offering justification for his actions. “Xxx xxx xxxx,” he added.

8. Rule 2: quote just the good stuff
memorable statements
especially clear explanations stated by authorities
controversial arguments in the speaker’s or writer’s own words

9. Rule 3: Always offer support for your claims
Every time you make an argument, there must be some form of support
You might spend an entire paragraph thinking through the implications of a single claim

10. Blending Quotations

11. The Basics Always integrate quotations into your text.
NEVER just “drop” a quotation in your writing!
In other words, don’t let a piece of textual evidence stand alone as its own sentence (unless it’s multiple sentences long).
Use your own words to introduce a quotation.

12. Dropped Quotes—What are They?
Dropped quotes (oftentimes called “dumped quotes”) are direct textual evidence that stand alone as sentences or are incorporated into sentences in a grammatically incorrect manner.
For example:
Another instance of a lack of power in The Crucible is the people of Salem and the Church. Since Salem is a theocracy they are very strict about their Puritan religion The witchcraft is a big deal for them because it goes against their religion and since it involves the Devil, the people are scared and are in a frenzy. “I’d not call it sick; the devil’s touch is heavier than sick. It’s death, y’know, it’s death drivin’ into them, forked and hoofed.”

13. Why Is This A Problem?
They demonstrate a lack of mastery over the material.
They do not supply enough context for the quoted information.
They make your writing look unpolished and lazy.
They leave the reader asking questions that you – as the writer – should have answered: Who is saying this? Why? What does it mean? How does it relate to your thesis?

14. How Do I fix the problem?
There are three ways we can fix a dropped quote:
1. Use a “signal phrase.”
2. Choose only the key words and phrases from a longer quote and blend them into your own sentence.
3. Use a block quote if your quotation is longer than four lines.
Hint: the second way is the one you should be trying to use the most.

15. How Do I fix the problem? 1. Use a “signal phrase.” For example:
Another instance of a lack of power in The Crucible is the people of Salem and the Church. Since Salem is a theocracy they are very strict about their Puritan religion The witchcraft is a big deal for them because it goes against their religion and since it involves the Devil, the people are scared and are in a frenzy. An example of this frenzy is when Goody Putnam claims “I’d not call it sick; the devil’s touch is heavier than sick. It’s death, y’know, it’s death drivin’ into them, forked and hoofed” (14).

16. Some examples of signal phrases with author tags
According to Jane Doe, "..."
As Jane Doe goes on to explain, "..."
Characterized by John Doe, the society is "..."
As one critic points out, "..."
John Doe believes that "..."
Jane Doe claims that "..."

17. List of Signal phrases
acknowledges, adds, admits, affirms, agrees, argues, asserts, believes, claims, comments, compares, confirms, contends, declares, demonstrates, denies, disputes, emphasizes, endorses, grants, illustrates, implies, insists, notes, observes, points out, reasons, refutes, rejects, reports, responds, states, suggests, thinks, underlines, writes

18. How do I fix the problem?
2. Choose only the key words and phrases from a longer quote and blend them into your own sentence.
Ask yourself: How much of this quote do I really need to prove my point? How much can I paraphrase?
You can also replace words (within reason) to better fit your own sentence. Signal to your reader that you have done this with square brackets—but never alter the meaning of the source material.
For example:
Another instance of a lack of power in The Crucible is the people of Salem and the Church. Since Salem is a theocracy they are very strict about their Puritan religion The witchcraft is considered “the devil’s touch” and rather than sickness, the people of Salem see it as “death drivin’ into [the children], forked and hoofed” (14).

19. How do I fix the problem?
3. Use a block quote if your quotation is longer than four lines.
Make sure to properly introduce the material if you plan on using this fix. And don’t use this fix for all your quotes – it looks lazy.
Another instance of a lack of power in The Crucible is the fact that Salem is a theocracy and therefore very strict about their Puritan religion. That witchcraft might be among them is a monumental realization. As such, the people are scared and frantic, as seen in this scenario with the Putman’s visiting Betty Parris:
Mrs. Putnam, with vicious certainty: I’d not call it sick; the Devil’s touch is heavier than sick. It’s death, y’know, it’s death drivin’ into them, forked and hoofed.
Parris: Oh, pray not! Why, how does Ruth ail?
Mrs. Putnam: She ails as she must - she never waked this morning, but her eyes open and she walks, and hears naught, sees naught, and cannot eat. Her soul is taken, surely. (14)

20. Dropped Quotes
Bad:
T.S. Eliot, in his “Talent and the Individual,” uses gender-specific language. “No poet, no artist of any art, has his meaning alone. His significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists” (Eliot 29).
A revision:
T.S. Eliot, in his “Talent and the Individual,” uses gender-specific language. He argues, for instance, that “no poet, no artist of any art, has his complete meaning alone. [Indeed,] his significance, his appreciation is the appreciation of his relation to the dead poets and artists” (Eliot 29).

21. Now you try it…
Eleanor and Park, in particular, shows an innocent side of teenage love, and adults may find this more comforting than their own experiences. “Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive” (Rowell 71).
Take a minute to think about how to fix this dropped quote: signal phrase, blended quote, block quote. Jot down your ideas and get ready to share…

22. Eleanor and Park, in particular, shows an innocent side of teenage love, and adults may find this more comforting than their own experiences. Rowell depicts this innocence well in one passage when she writes, “Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive” (71).
Eleanor and Park, in particular, shows an innocent side of teenage love, and adults may find this more comforting than their own experiences. In one memorable passage, Rowell uses a series of similes to describe the innocent love Park has for Eleanor. Holding her hand is likened to “holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat” (Rowell 71). These images are meant to evoke the fluttering heart that is said to accompany the early stages of infatuation.

23. Try again…
This chapter did not include any references to sexual body-parts, but it did explain in detail many sexualized actions. “He pulled her sweater up farther, and then, without thinking about why, he pulled up his shirt, too, and laid his bare stomach against hers” (Rowell 251). Actions like these, as well as many others in Eleanor & Park, can possibly be an instruction manual for teenagers who read this novel.
Take a minute to think about how to fix this dropped quote: signal phrase, blended quote, block quote. Jot down your ideas and get ready to share…

24. This chapter did not include any references to sexual body-parts, but it did explain in detail many sexualized actions. Rowell describes the two on the couch, and then she writes that, “He pulled her sweater up farther, and then, without thinking about why, he pulled up his shirt, too, and laid his bare stomach against hers” (Rowell 251). Actions like these, as well as many others in Eleanor & Park, can possibly be an instruction manual for teenagers who read this novel.
This chapter did not include any references to sexual body-parts, but it did explain in detail many sexualized actions. Park is first described as “[pulling] her sweater up farther,” which is clearly a move beyond the innocent scenes of hand holding earlier in the book; in fact, after partially disrobing the teenage Eleanor, Park then seems to capitulate to his sexual urges when he is described as “without thinking about why… [pulling] up his shirt, too, and [laying] his bare stomach against hers” (Rowell 251). Actions like these, as well as many others in Eleanor & Park, can possibly be an instruction manual for teenagers who read this novel.