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ON QUOTING (MLA GUIDELINES) In argumentative essays, quotations are used as evidence to help establish the validity of the main

points supporting the thesis. The following are general guidelines for choosing and citing quotations: 1. Do NOT begin a sentence with a quotation. While occasionally a very effective stylistic technique, it usually signals a failure on the writers part to connect it clearly to a main point (topic) within a paragraph. Also, be very careful with ending a paragraph (especially the conclusion!) with a quotation. Why give someone or something else the last word? It suggests that you dont trust your ownand thats bad ethos. 2. Explain the significance of a quotation immediately after it is cited so that the reader understands what point it is being used to clarify. Without this clarification, the quotation is considered to be space filler and not part of the writers own argument. 3. Avoid ending a paragraph with a quotation (without any explanation of its place in the overall argument). 4. If a quotation is truly self-evident and needs no elucidation, it is not evidence and does not even need to be included in the argument. Remember that the function of quotations is to support YOUR own perspective as it relates to the quotation, which may differ from that of other writers/readers of the same text. 5. If quotations will take up more than 4 typed lines start the quotation on a new line and indent each one inch from the left margin. Do NOT indent from the right margin and do NOT single space the quotation. Omit quotation marks unless they appear in the quoted lines and place the end punctuation before the parenthetical citation. [Note that in the example below the students explication of the quotations importance begins flush with the left margin.] Example: For Aristotle, perfect friendship is possible and can be life-long but is also difficult to attain: Now it is these that are liked most, and in these both the friendly feeling and friendship exist in the highest degree and are best. Such friendships are likely to be rare indeed, for few men can be such friends. Further, such friendships require time and familiarity . . . for while a wish for friendship may arise quickly, friendship itself is not formed quickly. (1156b)

Not only must both men meet the necessary criteria for friendship discussed earlier, but they must also be highly virtuous men who are each genuinely interested in the others good without any selfish intent . . .. 6. If using a long quotation, make sure its length is necessary to establish your point and that a paraphrase or brief quotation would not be equally effective. A good rule of thumb is that your analysis and commentary of a quotation should generally be at least twice as long than the actual quotation itself. 7. Short quotations must fit into the logical structure and syntax of your own sentence. Example: Aristotle believes that wicked men are not interested in promoting their friends virtue and therefore become friends but for a short time [while] enjoying each others evil habits (1159b). Refer to the Quotation Integration Tips below for a good but not exhaustive list of verbs to characterize the quotation you are introducing. 8. Place the final quotation marks before the parenthetical citation and move the period to the end of the sentence (as in the above example). Notice that in the above examples in 5. and 7. above, from Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics, do not include Aristotles name in the parenthetical citations. That is because the writer mentions Aristotle directly earlier in the sentence. This technique often makes a smoother integration, avoids end-ofsentence clutter, and assumes that your reader is not a nincompoop who has no idea where that quotation may be coming from, given contextual clues. (Readers prefer, generally, not to feel as if writers predicate nincompoopery to them; consider this part of your appeals to ethos and pathos.) When you are handling mutliple sources, or the source is not clear for some reason, then yes, the parenthetical mention of a name or text title is necessary. 9. Cite page, chapter/verse, or other identifying numbers when paraphrasing but omit quotation marks. When citing from the Tanakh, remember models you have seen in lecture slides and in the Midrash Rabbah. Once you have cited the books title in full once, dont be afraid to abbreviate. Example: Nevertheless, once God informs Abraham that in Isaac will be called [Abrahams] seed (Gen. 21: 12), Abraham drives Hagar and Ishmael out of his home, content with the presence of Isaac as proof of the progressing covenant.

Quotation Integration Tips Avoid phrases like the following: "In the passage, it states that ..." "As stated here..." "States," "says"--verbs like this are pretty lifeless. Plus, "In the passage, it states..." is poor grammar. (In terms of specificity, it is incorrect to say that a text says anything, since texts do not have the vocal apparatus necessary to speak.) Here is a short list of alternatives to get you thinking about a verb with a quotation that can go a long way towards announcing why the quotation is important to your argument at a given moment. These can provide important signals about where you are in the argument, what this part of the passage accomplishes, and can help you subtly shade the passage with a slight editorial brush. I'm sure you can think of more! acknowledges analyzes argues asserts charges claims considers contends declares Integration into your own prose Avoid using a quotation as a sentence to itself. Try to incorporate smoothly the parts of the citation you wish to use into your own sentence. Remember to use only what you need, and if paraphrasing will help (if the specific wording is not your focus, or if the paraphrased part of the passage serves you better as a general claim than as a specific aspect of an argument, for example), use it, but be careful to fairly represent what you paraphrase. describes disagrees emphasizes expresses implies insists maintains objects offers opposes points to presents proposes reveals suggests supports

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