Transcript Inserting Quotes into Persuasive Essays

Inserting Quotes into Essays
Using Quotes Effectively
The 5 Basic Steps:
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Know your point of view
Identify your quote
Introduce your quote
Cite your quote
Discuss your quote
Using Quotes: Step One
1. Introduce your quotations. A
quotation should never suddenly appear out of
nowhere. Some kind of information about the
quotation is needed.
A. Suggested Techniques: Name the
author, give his credentials, name the
source, give a summary.
• For example:
a. But John Jones disagrees with this point,
saying, "Such a product would not sell."
• b. In an article in Time Fred Jackson writes that
frogs vary in the degree of shyness they exhibit:
"The poisonous dart frogs seem to be especially
weary."
Introducing Quotes…
• Use some variety in introducing quotations.
One way of doing this is by varying the verbs
you choose to use directly before the quote:
• A. Pick the quotation verb which seems in each
case to fit your purpose most exactly. For
example:
In this essay Green tells us, "Hope increases
courage."
Introducing Quotes…
Note: The particular verb you choose helps
orient your reader toward your opinion
of the statement (“connotation”).
• Example: The boy is lazy.
The girl was fat.
~ "Jones says" is neutral
~"Jones informs us" is positive
~ "Jones alleges" is somewhat negative.
Other ways to Introduce a
Quote…
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says
writes
observes
notes
remarks
adds
declares
informs us
alleges
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claims
states
comments
thinks
affirms
asserts
explains
argues
suggests
Using Quotes: Step Two
2. Citing Quotes in the Text
After you have introduced your quote,
it’s time to give the author credit.
“You are being perverse.” (Sophocles 19)
Getting to the Point:
What do YOU Think?
• 3. Discuss your quotations. Do not quote someone
and then leave the words hanging as if they were self explanatory.
Explain:
• What does the quote mean?
• How does it help establish the point you
are making? How does it fit in with your
thesis and with the ideas you are
presenting?
• What is your interpretation or opinion of
it?
Getting to the Point:
What do YOU Think?
• Remember: Quotations are like
examples!
• They support or illustrate your own points.
They are not substitutes for your ideas and
they do not stand by themselves!
Commenting on a Quote…
• It is often useful to apply some interpretive
phrasing after a quotation, to show the reader that
the you are explaining the quotation and that it
supports your argument:
• Thus …
• This statement illustrates…
• Clearly, then, …
• It can be concluded from this that …
Any Questions?