EF6 Using Quotations

using quotations

Here are some key points to remember when using quotations:

1)   Incorporate quotations into your sentences.

quotation has to be grammatical, inside your sentence

Lily felt “impatience”(5) for the visiting children.

She wasn’t sure if they acted badly because they were “uneducated or clumsy”(5).

2)   Keep quotations to a few words.  Quotations are like salt in food: a little bit gives flavour; too much ruins the dish.

Lily “held up a clenched fist and the reast of the family smiled at her”(5). TOO LONG

3)   Use quoted material to support your points.

4)   Don’t use too many quotations.  Pick two or three quotations to support your brainstormed points and leave the rest.

Lily was “defiant” (5) and felt “impatience” at the “visitors”

who “didn’t obey the rules”. TOO MUCH. LESS IS MORE.

5)   Make sure the quoted material is exactly as written in the story.  Use … and [] to make minor grammatical or stylistic changes.

Lily was “impatien[t]”(5) with the kids.

[] square brackets

Lily was angry at the kids for not “obey[ing] the rules”(5).

UGLY, AWKWARD-LOOKING

Lily was angry at the kids because they did not “obey the rules”(5).

… ellipsis

…… etc et cetera “I like dogs, cats, fish, birds, etc.”

“I like dogs, cats, fish, birds……” NOT ENGLISH, TRANSLATION

… ellipsis, SHOWS WORDS HAVE BEEN OMITTED

“uneducated or clumsy, someone who didn’t fit in”(5)

“uneducated or … didn’t fit in” (5)

Lily felt they were “uneducated or … didn’t fit in”(5) with her society.

Lily felt they were “uneducated [and]… didn’t fit in”(5) with her society.

           

6)   Avoid repeating quotations.

ONE TIME ONLY USE, DENTAL FLOSS

7)   After quoting material, go on to explain why the quotation is relevant.

8)   Avoid ending paragraphs with quotations.

END WITH YOU OWN WORDS