9th Grade Integration of Quotations
Purpose of using direct textual evidence:
You use quotations to support your argument; that is, you select, present, and discuss material from the text specifically to "prove" your point—to make your case--in much the same way a lawyer brings evidence before a jury.
Direct textual evidence without purpose (without purpose = inaccurate or insufficient textual evidence)
Telling the story
Conveying basic information about the text
Quoting for the sake of quoting – to fill up space
Provide context for textual evidence:
Situate the quote by introducing it. Who is saying it and what is the situation? This should lead into the quote.
Then connect the quote to your current argument. Smoothly argue the proof of the quote.
Introducing quotes
Introduce- put the explanation first, then the quote
After Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus tells his children, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand” (Lee 112).
Use an independent clause (a clause that can stand on its own) and a colon.
Notice when the author is introduced prior to the evidence, you do not need to mention his name in the citation.
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus teaches his children about courage: “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand” (112).
*Use a colon to introduce a quotation that is independent from the main clause.
Notice when the author is not included in the sentence, his/her last name needs to be in the citation.
For example, in chapter 12, Jem and Scout go to Calpurnia’s church called First Purchase, and it is a place where “Negroes worshiped in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on weekdays” (Lee 188).
Tagging quotes
Tag-put the quote first, then explain it
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand,” Atticus tells his children after Mrs. Dubose dies (Lee 112).
Avoid dropping/plopping quotes:
Mortis has used the surgical procedure for more than a decade.
“I have experienced remarkable success with that simple technique” (27).
Better:
Mortis explained that he has used the surgical procedure for more than a decade: “I have experienced remarkable success with that simple technique” (27).
Quoting Dialogue between two or more characters in a play
If you quote dialogue between two or more characters in a play, set the quotation off from your text . Begin each part of the dialogue with the appropriate character’s name in dented one inch from the left margin and written in all capital letters: PROCTOR. Follow the name with a period, and start the quotation.
The Crucible suggests the courts are unfair to those people being persecuted:
GILES. (hesitates) I will not give you no name. I mentioned my wife’s name once and I’ll burn in hell long enough for that. I stand mute.
HATHORNE. This is contempt of the court, Mr. Danforth. (Miller 96-97)
Punctuation
Punctuate the end of the sentence after the parenthesis if it ends in a period (see above) and within the quotes if the sentence ends in exclamation point or question mark.
Scout asks Mr. Cunningham, “He’s your boy, ain’t he? Ain’t he, sir?” (Lee 154)
If dialogue appears within a larger quote, use single quotes to set off the dialogue.
“I waited for Uncle Jack to break his promise. He still didn’t. ‘Atticus, how bad is this going to be? You haven’t had too much chance to discuss it’” (Lee 88).
“But I don’t want to change the plans!’ she exclaimed as he stormed out of the room” (Lee 322).
Things to keep in mind:
· The quotation and your words must add up to a complete sentence
· Lead into a quote – which means the context, speaker and audience is introduced before the quote
· Textual citations come at the end of the sentence – do not break up the flow and coherency of the sentence
· The quote including the citation is part of the sentence – only question marks and exclamation points are placed within the quotation marks.
Citation
A Works Cited entry must be included with every literary paper.
Last name, first name. Title. City of publication: Publishing company, year.
Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. New York: New Directions Publishing, 1999.