7 Steps to Integrating Quotations

 It is a piece of a text taken directly from a source  May include things that characters say  May be a statement from the text  Quotations are not substitutions for your writing; rather, they support what you say

 A writer says it better than you can  Adds interest  Adds authority and credibility to support your argument  Adds evidence  Adds a more sophisticated level of writing

 Ask yourself…  Will it fit into my argument?  Will it provide proof that what I am arguing is true?  Is it merely descriptive? Would it be better to paraphrase the information instead of directing quoting it?

Topic sentence Introduction of the quotation Direct quotation (with signal phrase & parenthetical) Explanation of what the author is arguing Explanation of how the quotation supports your argument Transitional sentence

1. Select the passage you want to use in your paper  Ex. “I sometimes overdid it when I was at school, missing out on valuable academic opportunities. Fortunately, I buckled down in my senior year and managed to make a ‘C’ avergae and things have worked out fine since” (Bush 227).

2. Start your paragraph with a topic sentence  Introduce the main idea of the paragraph  Ex. College provides a diversity of social, academic and athletic opportunities for students.

3. Introduce the quotation  Work the quotation naturally into your paper  Do not just drop quotations into your paper without any kind of “set up”  Ex. College provides a diversity of social, academic and athletic opportunities for students. While sports can be a powerful positive force, they can also detract from students’ abilities to manage their time.

4. Integrate your quotation  Include a signal phrase before the quotation  Include quotation marks around a piece of text taken verbatim from a source  End quotation with an in-text citation  Ex. College provides a diversity of social, academic and athletic opportunities for students. While sports can be a powerful positive force, they can also detract from students’ abilities to manage their time. As George W. Bush states in his autobiography, “I sometimes overdid it when I was at school, missing out on valuable academic opportunities. Fortunately, I buckled down in my senior year and managed to make a ‘C’ average and things have worked out fine since” (Bush 227).

5. Explain what the author is arguing in the quotation  The author should agree with how you sum up a quotation This establishes your credibility  Ex. College provides a diversity of social, academic and athletic opportunities for students. While sports can be a powerful positive force, they can also detract from students’ abilities to manage their time. As George W. Bush states in his autobiography, “I sometimes overdid it when I was at school, missing out on valuable academic opportunities. Fortunately, I buckled down in my senior year and managed to make a ‘C’ average and things have worked out fine since” (Bush 227). In this example, George W. Bush is pointing out that the positive extra-curricular activities of college life should be balanced with a responsible approach to studying.

6. Explain how the author’s words fit into your argument and support your opinion  Ex. College provides a diversity of social, academic and athletic opportunities for students. While sports can be a powerful positive force, they can also detract from students’ abilities to manage their time. As George W. Bush states in his autobiography, “I sometimes overdid it when I was at school, missing out on valuable academic opportunities. Fortunately, I buckled down in my senior year and managed to make a ‘C’ average and things have worked out fine since” (Bush 227). In this example, George W. Bush is pointing out that the positive extra-curricular activities of college life should be balanced with a responsible approach to studying. The fact that Bush was able to only raise his GPA in his senior year to a mediocre level further suggests the detrimental effects that extra-curricular activities may have on students’ studies.

7. Move on to your next idea  Use transitions so that your paper reads more smoothly  Ex. also, furthermore, in addition, consequently, by contrast, for instance, in any case  Ex. College provides a diversity of social, academic and athletic opportunities for students. While sports can be a powerful positive force, they can also detract from students’ abilities to manage their time. As George W. Bush states in his autobiography, “I sometimes overdid it when I was at school, missing out on valuable academic opportunities. Fortunately, I buckled down in my senior year and managed to make a ‘C’ average and things have worked out fine since” (Bush 227). In this example, George W. Bush is pointing out that the positive extra- curricular activities of college life should be balanced with a responsible approach to studying. The fact that Bush was able to only raise his GPA in his senior year to a mediocre level further suggests the detrimental effects that extra-curricular activities may have on students’ studies. Consequently, with less time to spend studying or completing homework assignments, many athletes are forced to settle for average grades instead of pursuing higher grades.

1. Begin with explanation  Idea: Paul’s mother in “The Rocking Horse Winner” doesn’t love her children.  Quotation: “when her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard” (Lawrence 120).  Even though Mrs. Wilmot appears to love her children to the rest of the world, “when her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard” (Lawrence 120).

2. Begin with the quotation  Idea: Paul’s mother in “The Rocking Horse Winner” doesn’t love her children.  Quotation: “when her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard” (Lawrence 120).  “She always felt her heart go hard” demonstrates how Mrs. Wilmot appears a loving mother to the rest of the world, while inwardly feeling little for her children (Lawrence 120).

3. Quotation is inserted in the middle  Idea: Paul’s mother in “The Rocking Horse Winner” doesn’t love her children.  Quotation: “when her children were present, she always felt the centre of her heart go hard” (Lawrence 120).  Mrs. Wilmot “always felt the centre of her heart go hard” when her children were present, but to the rest of the world, she appears to be a loving mother (Lawrence 120).