how to use direct quotes in essay

Revised on June 16, 2022. A direct quote is a piece of text copied word-for-word from a source. You may quote a word, phrase, sentence, or entire passage. There are three main rules for quoting in APA Style: If the quote is under 40 words, place it in double quotation marks. If the quote is 40 words or more, format it as a block quote.

For a direct quotation, always include a full citation (parenthetical or narrative) in the same sentence as the quotation, including the page number (or other location information, e.g., paragraph number).Place a parenthetical citation either immediately after the quotation or at the end of the sentence.

List the author's name and a 'says'-style verb. e.g., "Ahmed asserts," or "Ulmer discusses,". Some 'says' verbs include: After a signal phrase, you can quote from the text directly. Here are some important reminders to keep in mind whenever you directly quote another source in your own writing: Use quotation marks " " and ...

In many academic disciplines, you'll need to attribute the quotation to the original author or speaker directly in your text. It's usually best to use a neutral attributive verb (e.g., "stated" or "said"), except in rare circumstances when you want to indicate the author's specific stance or an unusually vehement expression.

A direct quotation reproduces word-for-word material taken directly from another author's work, or from your own previously published work. If the quotation is fewer than 40 words, incorporate it into your paragraph and enclose it in double quotation marks. David Copperfield starts with "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life ...

Use quotations at strategically selected moments. You have probably been told by teachers to provide as much evidence as possible in support of your thesis. ... For example, papers analyzing literature may rely heavily on direct quotations of the text, while papers in the social sciences may have more paraphrasing, data, and statistics than ...

When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If your quotation is longer than 4 lines of text, you'll need to use block quotation formatting; You can modify direct quotations as needed to omit irrelevant information (using ellipses) or clarify information by adding words (using square brackets). Your modifications should not change the original meaning of the author's passage; Be ...

Citing a quote in APA Style. To cite a direct quote in APA, you must include the author's last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas. If the quote appears on a single page, use 'p.'; if it spans a page range, use 'pp.'. An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative.

Using quotes properly will support your points and improve your assignments. Use quotes that back up your argument rather than quotes that 'look good' or sound impressive. Make sure you understand what a quote is saying in its context and explain its meaning in your work. Using quotes out of context or misinterpreting them to support your point ...

If you use the author's name in your lead-in to the quote, you just need to provide the year in parentheses: According to Luz Lopez, "the green grass symbolizes a fresh start for Lia (24).". 2. Include the author's last name, the year, and the page number for APA format. Write the author's name, then put a comma.

When to Use Direct Quotes . When you're writing, use direct quotes sparingly, because the essay or article is supposed to be your original work. Use them for emphasis when the reader needs to see the exact words for analysis and evidence or when the exact quote encapsulates the topic at hand more succinctly or better than you could.

Direct Quotations. Direct quotations involve incorporating another person's exact words into your own writing. Quotation marks always come in pairs. Do not open a quotation and fail to close it at the end of the quoted material. Capitalize the first letter of a direct quote when the quoted material is a complete sentence.

A Quotation or Quote is a word-for-word extract of someone else's words. There are two types of quotes: direct and indirect. · Direct quote - is when the words of an author are used by someone else. · Indirect quote - is when the ideas of an author are restated, this is also known as paraphrasing.

direct quotation into a good piece of evidence, to back up your point for the paragraph. Introducing quotes before they appear in your writing will help you to: • clearly show the reader you have included others' words in your writing. • provide a smooth reading path for the reader by naming the author and identifying.

Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1/2 inch from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)

Harper Lee writes as the character Atticus Fitch in To Kill a Mockingbird, giving advice to his young daughter in the famous line, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it" (36). Author After Quotation. "You never really understand a person ...

A good quotation should do one or more of the following: Make an opening impact on the reader. Build credibility for your essay. Add humor. Make the essay more interesting. Close the essay with a point to ponder upon. If the quotation does not meet a few of these objectives, then it is of little value.

The best way to do that is to present the ideas in your own words with a reference. So remember, it is important that you only use direct quotations where necessary. Using excessive direct quotations, or quotations that are too long, can lead the marker (or reader) to believe that you are using quotations to avoid having to explain difficult ...

Don't use quotation marks. Put a period at the end of the quotation. Include the author last's name and the page number in the citation. In this example, I included the author's name with the page number in the reference. But if you quote from the same source earlier you could put down the page number.

A quote can be an effective and powerful literary tool in an essay, but it needs to be done well. To use quotes in an essay, you need to make sure your quotes are short, backed up with explanations, and used rarely. The best essays use a maximum of 2 quotes for every 1500 words. Rules for using quotes in essays: Avoid Long Quotes.

Short direct quotations. A short direct quote is one to two lines long. When you are using a short direct quotation from a source, it should be enclosed in quotation marks. The following format is used: "Quotation" (Surname of the author, year of publication of the source, page number if applicable). Example: