How to avoid “quote plopping.” Quote Integration How to avoid “quote plopping.”

Choosing a good quotation Trait: Lazy Great quote: “But I dawdled over it, playing a few bars and then cheating, looking up to see what notes followed. I never really listened to what I was playing.”

Choosing a good quotation Choose a quote that directly or indirectly displays the character’s motivations. Make sure the quote allows you to make inferences and you’re able explain the quotation in detail.

Choosing a good quotation Trait: Lazy Bad quote: “’No! I won't!’ I screamed.”’

How to integrate quotations There are 3 techniques: Using dialogue tags Weaving quotations into your sentences State the message

Using dialogue tags Introduce your quotes by stating who is talking and how he/she is saying it. Examples: The narrator admits Roger exclaims The little girl’s mother asks Millicent says

Proper Punctuation Be sure to properly use commas and quotation marks. Commas follow the dialogue tag: The narrator realizes,

Proper Punctuation Quotation marks signal the start of a quotation. The narrator realizes, “Pride is a…

Proper Punctuation Include proper parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence. The narrator realizes, “Pride is a terrible, wonderful thing” (Hurst 318).

Proper Punctuation After an integrated quotation, include a citation. (Author’s last name Page) Period outside ( ). (Hurst 318). The narrator realizes, “Pride is a terrible, wonderful thing” (Hurst 318).

Proper Punctuation The only time punctuation is at the end of the quote is when a question mark or an exclamation point is present: When Susie exclaims, “I’m so glad you came!” Susie asks, “Why didn’t you come?” (Ski 2).

Grammar If the first word of the quotation starts a grammatically complete sentence, capitalize that first word. When using just part of a sentence, do not capitalize the first word.

Capitalize Academic writers at a large Southern university note, "The behavior, lifestyle, and values of minority students are likely to be substantially different from those of whites" (Jones 212).

No capitalization Feeling overconfident for the recital Jing Mei “…dawdled over it, playing a few bars and then cheating, looking up to see what notes followed” (Tan 38).

Quote Weaving Weave: You can also “weave” quotes into an existing sentence. No need for punctuation.

Weave Feeling overconfident for the recital Jing Mei “…dawdled over it, playing a few bars and then cheating, looking up to see what notes followed” (Tan 38).

Message of the Quotation What is happening in this quote? A complete sentence Follow message with a colon : In a practice session, Mrs. Woo provides encouragement for her daughter: “Of course, you can be prodigy too. You can be the best anything” (Tan 31). Message should be a stand alone sentence

Message of the Quotation What the message of the quote is Use a colon after your words to introduce the quote. Your words must be a complete sentence (clause)

Own Structure Minority students may not feel comfortable in a predominately white university because their “…behavior, lifestyle, and values . . . are likely to be substantially different from those of whites" (Jones 212).

Conclusions: Quotations assist the reader in establishing and making stronger connections. Quotations should be properly integrated and punctuated to be effective.

Blending Quotations Step 1: Give context Step 2: Integrate quotation Think of it like a sandwich… Step 1: Give context Step 2: Integrate quotation Step 3: Analyze the quotation

Embedding Quotations Step One: Introduce the quotation Ways to introduce the quotation: Tell when it occurs in the novel At the beginning of the story, Millicent is already planning to rebel by not joining the sorority. Tell what is happening during this time After getting a lesson on life from Miss Jones, Roger learns he must deal with growing up or he will fail.

Embedding Quotations Step Two: Write out the quotation and blend Example: Millicent unhappily explains the hazing process when she tells readers, “Worse than a loyalty test, this grilling over the coals. What’s it to prove anyway?” (Plath 141). Cite the quotation at the end (Author’s Last Name Page Number). Punctuation goes after the citation

Embedding Quotations Step Three: Explain the quotation Feeling overconfident for the recital, she tells readers, “I dawdled over it, playing a few bars and then cheating, looking up to see what notes followed” (Tan 37 – 38). Here, Jing-mei displays her laziness by not practicing the piano on purpose. She feels her mother pushes her too hard and has unrealistic dreams for her future. Jing-mei thwarts her mother’s ambitions, but in the end fails in both piano and her relationship with her mom.