Seven Tips For EMBEDDING QUOTATIONS Introduce every quotation

Seven Tips For… EMBEDDING QUOTATIONS

Introduce every quotation grammatically into sentence Do not violate the rules of grammar to include the quotation. WRONG (ungrammatical): Macbeth has changed "Out, out, brief candle!" (5. 5. 23). RIGHT: A changed man, Macbeth wearily exclaims, "Out, out, brief candle!" (5. 5. 23). WRONG: (ungrammatical) “There is a way to be good again” (192) means he can find redemption. RIGHT: When Rahim Khan tells Amir, “There is a way to be good again” (192), he is suggesting to Amir that he can find redemption for his past sins.

Do not use a “Quote Bomb” Integrating a quote involves a SIGNAL and COMMENTARY A SIGNAL is the author or speaker’s name or the situation. COMMENTARY connects the quote to the text and shows the relevance of the quote. RIGHT: Rahim Khan, when inviting Amir back to Afghanistan [SIGNAL], tells him “There is a way to be good again, ” sending Amir toward true moral growth (Hosseini, 2). [COMMENTARY] WRONG (no SIGNAL): Macbeth has changed. "Out, out, brief candle!" (5. 5. 23).

Put the quote in context Give the context and the speaker (when needed) BEFORE the quote RIGHT: On Johnny’s first night away from his home, he realizes “to survive [he] had to be hard, had to watch, had to plot and plan, had to study each person he met” so he wouldn’t end up as another statistic (57).

Comment on the significance Clearly indicate the context of the passage and the purpose it serves in your argument. Explain how the quote is relevant to your thesis WRONG (no commentary): Macbeth says, "Out, out, brief candle!" (5. 5. 23). RIGHT: Upon hearing that his wife has died, Macbeth can only cry, "Out, out, brief candle!" (5. 5. 23), for life now seems to him no more than a flame that quickly vanishes.

DO NOT quote by saying, “Hosseini writes that…” Fully make quotes a part of your writing WRONG: Rahim Khan, when inviting Amir back to Afghanistan tells him “There is a way to be good again” (192). This quote means that at this point, Amir begins his true moral growth. RIGHT: When Rahim Khan tells Amir, “There is a way to be good again” (192), Amir realizes he can find redemption. WRONG: Emily's cane has "a tarnished gold head" (27). This shows that her glory has faded. RIGHT: Emily's cane has "a tarnished gold head" (27), symbolizing that her glory has faded. RIGHT: The "tarnished gold head" on Emily's cane is a symbol of faded glory (27). RIGHT: Like the "tarnished gold head" on her cane (27), Emily has lost her glow.

Use quotes to support your argument, not to replace it Your writing is an argument; use quotes as evidence to prove your claim. Do not include quotes in thesis, topic sentences, or concluding sentence of your papers Find the BEST quotes that give details to support your argument. Do not just find random quotes to throw in to a paper. If it is not direct evidence of your point, do not use it!

Use less than a sentence By using only fragments of a line from the text, it forces you to incorporate your own language into the sentence with the quote. WRONG: On Johnny’s first night away from his home, he is frightened. “He had to survive, had to be hard, had to watch, had to plot and plan, had to study each person he met” so he wouldn’t end up as another statistic (57). RIGHT: On Johnny’s first night away from his home, he realizes “to survive [he] had to be hard, […] had to study each person he met” so he wouldn’t end up as another statistic (57).

Make it “flow. ” Read your sentence aloud. Can you “hear” the quotation marks? You shouldn’t be able to. WRONG: Morris uses the shovel as a symbol of strength in the novel. This is shown when he writes, “the shovel made [Timmy] feel like he was holding the scepter of Zeus” (334). RIGHT: Morris uses the shovel as a symbol of strength in the novel. When Timmy finally musters the courage to use the shovel, his hand upon its wooden handle makes him “feel like he was holding the scepter of Zeus” (334).

Examples EMBEDDING QUOTATIONS

When Amir met Hassan following the attack in the alley, Amir was afraid to look Hassan in the eye for fear of seeing Hassan’s “guileless devotion” which would make Amir feel guiltier for abandoning Hassan in the alley. Characters Situation Embedded Quotation (PHRASE ONLY) Commentary

In the days following his betrayal of Hassan in the alley, Amir “felt as empty as [an] unkempt pool” because of the tremendous guilt he was experiencing for that betrayal. Characters Situation Embedded Quote (with Brackets) Commentary

After Hassan is attacked by Assef, Amir begins to feel increasingly guilty. He finally agrees to go to the boys’ favorite spot, the Pomegranate tree, but because of his guilt, Amir actually tries to provoke Hassan so he can get the “punishment [he] deserved” for abandoning his friend. He notices that Hassan is looking worn out and old, and blames himself for the “lines [that] had etched into his tanned face and [the] creases” around his eyes that indicate the toll the attack had taken on Hassan. Even though Amir feels bad about abandoning Hassan, that doesn’t make him treat Hassan any better. Set-up of Quote Embedded Quotations Explanation includes 4 parts