The Ultimate Guide to

Embedding Quotes
in Analytical Writing
 To Get You Thinking...
When you write an analytical
1 Olivia's neat appearance reflects her attention to detail
essay, you will need to include as she is described as “dressed sharp" with “not a hair
direct quotes from your studied out of place”.
text as evidence to receive a
better mark than if you just We realise that Olivia and Sacha are more alike than
summarised examples.
2 they think, for example, “I never realised she took the
same bus as me."
Let's look at the four examples
to the right and discuss which
ones are correct ways of 3 We see this through the following description: "I'd
always thought she was really stuck up but I was
embedding quotes and which starting to realise how wrong I was."
are incorrect. You might also
want to consider which seem
most eloquent. 4 "As she entered the classroom, everyone went silent."
This quote shows that there is conflict at the school.
 Answers
Examples 1, 2 and 3 are all technically correct!
Olivia's neat appearance reflects her
Example 1 seems the most eloquent as the quotes 1 attention to detail as she is described as
“dressed sharp" with “not a hair out of
are short and the sentence flows smoothly. place”.

We realise that Olivia and Sacha are more

Examples 2 and 3 are still grammatically correct - 2 alike than they think, for example, “I never
the quotes are integrated but they don't flow realised she took the same bus as me."
quite as smoothly as the first example.
We see this through the following
3 description: "I'd always thought she was
Example 4 has incorrect punctuation (the quote is really stuck up but I was starting to realise
not embedded). It also uses incorrect terminology how wrong I was."
referring to the character's dialogue as a ‘quote’. "As she entered the classroom, everyone
We use this word in English class but you should 4 went silent." This quote shows that there is
always try to be more specific when essay conflict at the school.
writing.
 Selecting Quotations
First, we need to consider how to plan effectively by selecting the best
examples for analysing.
 Step 1
When choosing a quotation, keep in mind that you want
it to contribute to your overall argument (thesis
statement or sub-points), not steer your response in a
different direction so ensure that it effectively
Choose an illustrates your argument.
appropriate
Your chosen quotation will need to flow logically and
example
grammatically within your essay. To ensure this, make
sure that you use a quotation of an appropriate length.
The shorter the quote, the easier it should be to
integrate. Longer quotes can sometimes disrupt the flow
of your essay.
 Step 2
Depending on the specifications of the essay question
and your text type, you will need to discuss elements of
construction. These might include:

• Narrative conventions e.g. characterisation, setting,

Consider
plot structure, point of view etc.
elements of • Structural features e.g. foreshadowing, flashback,
construction prologue or epilogue etc.
• Language features e.g. descriptive language /
imagery, figurative language, lexical choice and
connotation etc.
• Rhetorical devices e.g. repetition, direct address,
inclusive language, tricolon etc.
 Step 3

The goal of summarizing is to retell a story or situation in

different words. Analysis, on the other hand, requires
you to break down the text and examine its parts
Analyse how the carefully in order to reach its meaning.
quote conveys
To do this, identify key words or phrases within the
meaning
quotation that lead you to your ideas or interpretation
and discuss the choice the author has made in utilising
various techniques or conventions to provide your own
commentary on their effect.
 Embedding Quotations
Next, it's time to learn how to embed these quotations smoothly into
analytical sentences.
Embedding Quotations
Quotations should never stand alone. They should always be
embedded into your sentence.

There are multiple ways to do this but there are only two
types of punctuation marks that are used to introduce
quotations: the comma and the colon.

On the following slides, we will outline four options for

embedding quotes.

It's important to avoid relying too much on just one method

and trying instead to use a variety of different ones so your
writing doesn't sound repetitive.
 Option 1

Introduce the quote with a complete sentence and a colon.

If you use a complete sentence to introduce a quotation, you need a colon after the
sentence.

E.g. The author ends the novel with a metaphor: "Holding onto anger is like drinking
poison and expecting your enemy to die".
 Option 2

Use an introductory phrase, separated from the quote with a comma.

If your introductory phrase ends with a verb such as 'says,' 'states,' 'thinks,'
'believes,' 'questions,' etc. you need a comma to separate your own words from the
quotation.

E.g. The author suggests the consequences of not standing up for ourselves when he
says, "We end up suffering in silence".
 Option 3

Make the quote a part of your sentence without any punctuation

between by using the word 'that'.

When you begin a sentence with a phrase such as 'The author writes,' you can either
add a comma after the word 'writes' (e.g. The author writes, "quote") or you can add
the word 'that' with no comma (e.g. The author writes that "quote")

E.g. The author argues that "we should all speak up when we see others getting
bullied".
 Option 4

Use short quotes as part of your own sentence.

When you use short quotes as part of your own sentence, you don't need any special
punctuation. You should punctuate the sentence just as you would if the words were
your own.

E.g. Although the author "thought about all the kids around the world" who were
feeling the same as him, he knew it was his duty to "speak up about schoolyard
bullying".
 Tips and Tricks
There are a couple of pieces of helpful advice that might help you on your
analytical writing journey.
 A Simple Method
If you get stuck, use this method to practice embedding short quotes into the center of your
sentence and framing them with your own words on either side.

1 Start the sentence with

2 Insert direct quotes in
3 Finish the sentence using
your own words to the centre of the your own words:
contextualise the quote: sentence:

... he felt out of place

The reference to his ... 'outcast' and and racially
status as both an... 'ethnic' implies that... discriminated against
at school.
 He Says She Says
Try not to get stuck saying “he says/she says” throughout the whole essay. Vary your language so
your writing doesn't sound repetitive by using a variety of verbs.

E.g. The author...

states believes recalls describes critiques

declares contends writes notes proposes

 Using Ellipsis and Square Brackets
There are a couple of other ways to edit quotes to make them fit within your analytical sentence
more smoothly. You can use ellipsis to omit information or square brackets to add information.

Ellipsis Square Brackets

If you need to add information into a

If you want to quote some parts of a quotation or change a small part of the
longer sentence, use an ellipsis (...) to quotation (shift verb tense or change
take out the less important parts. pronoun to name etc.) use square
brackets.
E.g. "I thought about all the kids
around the world ... I wanted them to E.g. "[He] thought about all the kids
know they weren't alone". around the world who were
experiencing the same feelings".