Ersin Soylu

Using Quotations
Conditions for quoting:
Consider quoting a passage from one of your sources if any of the following conditions holds:
1. The language of the passage is so elegant, powerful or memorable that it will not be
effective when you paraphrase it.
2. You want to confirm the credibility of your argument by the support of an authority on
your topic.
3. If an argument or some information from one of your sources is particularly relevant
to your paper but does not deserve to be quoted, consider (a) paraphrasing the passage
if you want to mention the same details as in the original, (b) summarising the passage
if you wish to mention only the most essential points in the text. Note that a good
writing relies on summary rather than quotation.

Linking direct quotations into the essay:

Faulty: TV advertising exploded in the fifties. "Advertising agencies increased spending on
TV commercials from $10 million in 1948 to $2 billion in 1952"(Smith 16). This money
financed the rapid development of a new industry.
Revised: TV advertising exploded in the fifties. According to Kai Smith, "Advertising
agencies increased spending on TV commercials from $10 million in 1948 to $2 billion in
1952" (16). This money financed the rapid development of a new industry.
Or: TV advertising exploded in the fifties, with advertising agencies increasing spending
"from $10 million in 1948 to $2 billion in 1952" (Smith 16). This money financed the rapid
development of a new industry.

Limiting the use of direct quotations:

Avoid copying long blocks of text, unless direct evidence is essential for accuracy or
emphasis. In many instances, you can summarise and paraphrase information.

Deleting unneeded material from quotations accurately:

You can abbreviate long quotations, deleting irrelevant or unimportant details by using
ellipsis points (…). Three evenly placed periods indicate words have been deleted from a
direct quotation.
Original: The governor vetoed the education bill, which had been backed by a coalition of
taxpayers and unions, because it cut aid to inner city schools.
- James Kirkland
Shortened version using ellipsis points: Kirkland reported that "the governor vetoed the
education bill … because it cut aid to inner city schools."
 Use a period and three ellipsis points (four dots….) to indicate deletion of one or more full
sentences.
 Avoid making deletions that distort the original meaning. Do not eliminate qualifying
statements:
Original: Given the gang wars, the failure of treatment programs, the rising number of
addicts, I regretfully think we should legalise drugs until we can find better solutions to
the problem.
- Mayor Wells
Improper use of ellipsis points: At a recent press conference, Mayor Wells stated, "I …
think we should legalise drugs …"
Ersin Soylu

Using brackets to insert words or indicate alterations:

In some cases, you may have to insert a word to prevent confusion or remove a grammatical
error.
Original: George Roosevelt (no relation to the President) left the Democratic Party in 1935,
troubled by the deepening Depression. Roosevelt considered the New Deal a total failure.
- Nancy Steward
Brackets enclose inserted word to prevent confusion: As the Depression deepened, many
deserted the Democratic party , seeking more radical solutions to the worsening economy.
According to Steward, "[George] Roosevelt considered the New Deal a total failure."

Original: Poe, Whitman, and Ginsburg are among some of America's greatest poets.
- John Demmer
Brackets enclose altered verb: Demmer states that "Poe … [is] among some of America's
greatest poets."

Importance of identifying the sources:

To avoid plagiarism, you have to give reference, and write the author, name of the book and
page number(s). Letting your reader know exactly which authorities you rely on is an
advantage: it shows that you have done your research, and that you are well acquainted with
the literature on your topic.

Verbs and/or phrases used to introduce quotations:

argues writes points out Concludes comments notes
maintains suggests Insists Observes counters implies
states claims Demonstrates Says explains reveals

There are other ways to begin quotations. Here are three common phrasings:
In the words of X, . . .
According to X, . . .
In X's view, . . .

Examples

Revealing the author's point of view

 According to (the author), "……………….."
 As (the author) says, "………………"
 (The author) claims that "……………"
 "…………….," admits (the author).
 In (the text), (the author) concludes that "………………"
 "……………….." remarks (the author), "……………….."
 The following quotation reveals (the author)' bias: "………………"
 Unlike most professors, (the author) believes that "………………."
 (The author) is opposed to the idea that "…………………"
 (The author) is in favour of the idea that "…………………"
 (The author) is concerned about "…………………."

Showing complete agreement with the author

 It is agreed with (the author)'s point that "………………"
 Like (the author), it is believed that "………………."
 (The author) is correct when he/she says, "……………….."
 (The author)'s view that "……………….." is valid.
 (The author) is wise to argue that "…………………."
 It is true, as (the author) states, that "…………………."
Ersin Soylu

 My own experience has shown that "…………………."

Showing complete disagreement with the author

 (The author)'s view that "………………." is wrong.
 When (the author) argues that "……………….", his/her reasoning is mistaken.
 (The author) is unwise to claim that "……………."
 It is not a question of "……………." but of ………….
 (The author)'s notion that "……………." is untrue.

Showing partial agreement with the author

 (The author)'s point that "……………" is only partly true.
 (The author)'s argument that "………….." has some merit but is not convincing.
 To say, as (the author) does, that "………………" is true, but the point is irrelevant to the
issue.
 It can be agreed with (the author)'s point that "……………..," but not with the idea that
………..
 (The author)'s view that "……………." May be true for some, but not for all.

Reference: Spack, R. Guidelines. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996

Introducing a short quotation:

Examine the following quotation and its introduction:
The ancient Greeks never saw a need to justify wars that were waged outside the walls of the
city state. As Hannah Arendt points out in On Revolution, "we must turn to Roman antiquity
to find the first justification of war, together with the first notion that there are just and unjust
wars" (12). Yet the Roman conception of a just war differs sharply from more modern
conceptions.

Introducing your quotation with a full sentence would help you show that you have
greater control over the material:
The ancient Greeks never saw a need to justify wars that were waged outside the walls of the
city state. In On Revolution, Hannah Arendt points to the role the Romans played in laying the
foundation for later thinking about the ethics of waging war: "we must turn to Roman
antiquity to find the first justification of war, together with the first notion that there are just
and unjust wars" (12). Yet the Roman conception of a just war differs sharply from more
modern conceptions.

Introducing a long quotation:

If your quotation is lengthy, you should almost always introduce it with a full sentence that
helps capture how it fits into your argument. If your quotation is longer than four lines, set it
off as a block quotation:
Although Dickens never shied away from the political controversies of his time, he never, in
Orwell's view, identified himself with any political program:
The truth is that Dickens' criticism of society is almost exclusively moral. Hence his
lack of any constructive suggestion anywhere in his work. He attacks the law,
parliamentary government, the educational system and so forth, without ever clearly
suggesting what he would put in their places. Of course it is not necessarily the
business of a novelist, or a satirist, to make constructive suggestions, but the point is
that Dickens' attitude is at bottom not even destructive. . . . For in reality his target is
not so much society as human nature. (416)

Long quotations need to be followed by extended analysis. For this reason, you should
avoid ending a paragraph with a quotation.

Adopted and adapted from: http://www.utoronto.ca/ucwriting/quotations.html

Ersin Soylu