1. Adding & Using Quotations
Writing Lesson
Adding & Using Quotations

2. How to use a quotation
The purpose of quoting from the text is to enhance and prove the point that you are trying to make
The quotation itself cannot do all of the work for you – your explanation is REQUIRED in order to make the quotation effective
Every time you use a quotation, there’s a basic 3- part structure

3. 3-Part Structure
1. The context sentence – you use this sentence to introduce what’s happening in the text when the quote you have chosen appears.
You have to give some kind of context in the form of a one sentence plot summary explaining where your characters are and what they’re doing. Only provide RELEVANT information

4. 3-Part Structure
1. The context sentence – you use this sentence to introduce what’s happening in the text when the quote you have chosen appears.
You have to give some kind of context in the form of a one sentence plot summary explaining where your characters are and what they’re doing. Only provide RELEVANT information
2. The quotation sentence – you NEVER begin a sentence with quotation marks. You have to introduce the quotation before you use it.
Think about the subject and the present tense verb that best describes what is happening in your quotation. (“John says,” “Abigail shouts,” “Miller writes,” etc.)

5. 3-Part Structure
1. The context sentence – you use this sentence to introduce what’s happening in the text when the quote you have chosen appears.
You have to give some kind of context in the form of a one sentence plot summary explaining where your characters are and what they’re doing. Only provide RELEVANT information
2. The quotation sentence – you NEVER begin a sentence with quotation marks. You have to introduce the quotation before you use it.
Think about the subject and the present tense verb that best describes what is happening in your quotation. (“John says,” “Abigail shouts,” “Miller writes,” etc.)
3. The analysis sentences – Note that this is PLURAL. You must provide more than one sentence of analysis
This is the part where you are explaining how the quotation proves the point that you’re trying to make. Think about using the first sentence to re-phrase your quotation, and the second sentence to really back up your point.

6. How do I choose a quotation?
You choose a particular piece of text based on your needs. You know you have a good quotation selected when:
The author has said it better than you can say it yourself
It’s concise, it proves your point, or something in the language itself makes it useful

7. How do I choose a quotation?
You do NOT choose a piece of text that does the following:
Addresses plot only
This can appear in your own words (AKA the author didn’t say it better than you could say it yourself)
Makes little sense on its own
If you have to do a lot of work in the context portion of introducing your quotation, you’ve chosen incorrectly

8. How to Cite
Your in-text citation appears in the sentence with your quotation in it.

9. How to Cite
Your in-text citation appears in the sentence with your quotation in it.
Even if the quotation does not go to the end of the sentence, the citation does.

10. How to Cite
Your in-text citation appears in the sentence with your quotation in it.
Even if the quotation does not go to the end of the sentence, the citation does.
The basic format of the in-text citation is: (Author’s last name page number). For example, (Miller 78).
NOTE: between the author’s last name and page number there is no comma

11. How to Cite (cont’d)
Some examples of how to use a quotation in a sentence:
John says, “They think to go like saints. I like not to spoil their names” (Miller 141).
NOTE: The period is OUTSIDE the in-text citation, rather than at the end of the quotation

12. How to Cite (cont’d)
Some examples of how to use a quotation in a sentence:
John says, “They think to go like saints. I like not to spoil their names” (Miller 141).
NOTE: The period is OUTSIDE the in-text citation, rather than at the end of the quotation
John says, “They think to go like saints,” when questioned about why he will not name others who he saw with the devil (Miller 141).
NOTE: The citation appears at the end of the SENTENCE, not the end of the quotation.

13. How to Choose a Quotation
You want to choose text that’s going to best support your argument

14. How to Choose a Quotation
You want to choose text that’s going to best support your argument
You cannot expect the text to make the argument FOR you – if you want to prove that a character is manipulative, for example, you cannot expect that character to say “I’M SO MANIPULATIVE!”

15. How to Choose a Quotation
You want to choose text that’s going to best support your argument
You cannot expect the text to make the argument FOR you – if you want to prove that a character is manipulative, for example, you cannot expect that character to say “I’M SO MANIPULATIVE!”
Think about all of the ways that we get information about a character and situation – utilize all of your resources

16. Try an Example
Go to page 22 of The Crucible. Find 3 quotations that support the argument that Abigail and John had an affair.

17. Another Example
Go to page 29 of The Crucible. Find 3 quotations to support the argument that Parris is a selfish man.

18. Something more complicated…
Go to page 50 of The Crucible. Find a STAGE DIRECTION that proves there is tension between John and Elizabeth.

19. Casting a wider net…
Find 3 examples in Act III of The Crucible that prove the girls are only faking being under the influence of witchcraft.

20. Now, go back
Go back to 3 of the quotations that you pulled during the last set of exercises. For three of them, write the sentence that would precede the quotation, the sentence including the quotation, and the two sentences that would follow and explain the quotation. Make sure to cite properly.