Integrating Quotations into Your Writing

¨     When should I summarize?

Summarize when you wish to extract key points from a lengthy passage.

Sample passage:

            When she died in 1986, Georgia O’Keefe the person generated almost as much interest among the public as Georgia O’Keefe the artist.  Sometimes she was thought of as the wife and often-photographed model of Alfred Steiglitz, but more often, she was pictured as a romantic recluse who, when she grew older, moved increasingly away from the world of art critics and historians and closer to the rugged but exotic New Mexico countryside and culture.  In the long run, however, it will be for her art that she is best remembered.  Some viewers admire her abstractions; others, her figurative works.  Even those who disagree about the relative quality of her paintings agree that her art is memorable, clear, and strong.  She painted with a distinctive, powerful, personal vision, one that continues to speak strongly to viewers today (Smith 198).

Summary:

            Although people occasionally identify Georgia O’Keefe as photographer Alfred Steiglitz’s model and wife or as a hermit artist from New Mexico, art lovers will recall her finally for her paintings.  Whatever their opinions of her art, most who see her work find it original, personal, forceful, and unforgettable (Smith 198).

Tips:  condense without losing meaning, avoid plagiarism by careful note-taking, keep the summary concise and to the point.

¨     When should I paraphrase?

Paraphrase when you wish to precisely restate in your own words someone else’s ideas in a way that is parallel with the original text.

Sample passage:

            “Psychoanalytic criticism focuses on Hamlet’s inner turmoil as evidence of a profoundly disturbed, unhinged mind.  What explains his misogyny—his harsh, abusive treatment of the innocent Ophelia and his hateful comments about women in general” (Jones 1198)?

Paraphrase:

            Focusing on Hamlet’s inner conflict, psychoanalytic critics interpret his personal turmoil as a symptom of an unstable mind.  What is the cause of his bitter observations about women in general, and, in particular, of his abusive behavior toward Ophelia (Jones 1198)?

Tips: follow the original source’s intent, emphasis, and meaning.  Use your own words, phrasing, and sentence structure to restate the message, taking care not to distort or plagiarize it.  Cite your source.

¨     When should I provide direct quotations?

Offer direct quotes when the original source offers a powerful statement or opinion that would lose effectiveness if paraphrased or summarized.  Use the quotations to support your arguments, not to make them for you.

Sample quotation:

            “Faulkner spoke to all writers and readers when accepting the Nobel Prize because he said that all good literature is about the human heart in conflict with itself” (Welty 149).

Integrated direct quotation:

            William Faulkner reveals his philosophy about the essence of great literature when he observes that it explores “the human heart in conflict with itself” (Welty 149).

Tips:  cite quotations precisely, select quotes that illustrate your point or opinion, and use quotes that are memorable.  A general rule is to avoid having quotations comprise more than one-fourth of your paper.

¨     How do I effectively introduce quotations?

To avoid monotony when introducing quotations, vary both the language and the placement of your signal phrase.

Samples 

In the words of author Eudora Welty, “…”

As William Faulkner notes, “…”

Jane Smith, O’Keefe’s biographer, points out that “…”

“…,” claims Shakespearean scholar John Jones.

Critic Harold Bloom offers a compelling argument for this view: “…”

Bloom answers these objections with the following analysis: “…”

When introducing your quotation, choose a verb that is appropriate in the context.  Is your source arguing a point, making an observation, reporting a fact, drawing a conclusion, refuting an argument, or stating a belief?  The following verbs can actively introduce the quotation.

acknowledges             comments                   endorses                      reasons

adds                             compares                    grants                          refutes

admits                         confirms                     illustrates                    rejects

agrees                          contends                      implies                                    reports

argues                         declares                       insists                          responds

asserts                         denies                          notes                           suggests

believes                       disputes                       observes                      thinks

claims                         emphasizes                 points out                    writes

¨     How do I punctuate quotes correctly?

(Ideas about integrating quotations into your writing are adapted from print and electronic resources in the Brenau University Writing Center, including Diana Hacker’s annotated instructor’s edition of The Bedford Handbook. 5^th ed. Boston:  Bedford Books, 1998.)