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How to Use Quotation Marks
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Using Quotation Marks
The primary function of quotation marks is to set off and represent exact language (either spoken or written) that has come from somebody else. The quotation mark is also used to designate speech acts in fiction and sometimes poetry. Since you will most often use them when working with outside sources, successful use of quotation marks is a practical defense against accidental plagiarism and an excellent practice in academic honesty. The following rules of quotation mark use are the standard in the United States, although it may be of interest that usage rules for this punctuation do vary in other countries.
The following covers the basic use of quotation marks. For details and exceptions consult the separate sections of this guide.
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.
Mr. Johnson, who was working in his field that morning, said, "The alien spaceship appeared right before my own two eyes."
Although Mr. Johnson has seen odd happenings on the farm, he stated that the spaceship "certainly takes the cake" when it comes to unexplainable activity.
"I didn't see an actual alien being," Mr. Johnson said, "but I sure wish I had."
When quoting text with a spelling or grammar error, you should transcribe the error exactly in your own text. However, also insert the term sic in italics directly after the mistake, and enclose it in brackets. Sic is from the Latin, and translates to "thus," "so," or "just as that." The word tells the reader that your quote is an exact reproduction of what you found, and the error is not your own.
Mr. Johnson says of the experience, "It's made me reconsider the existence of extraterestials [ sic ]."
- Quotations are most effective if you use them sparingly and keep them relatively short. Too many quotations in a research paper will get you accused of not producing original thought or material (they may also bore a reader who wants to know primarily what YOU have to say on the subject).
Indirect Quotations
Indirect quotations are not exact wordings but rather rephrasings or summaries of another person's words. In this case, it is not necessary to use quotation marks. However, indirect quotations still require proper citations, and you will be committing plagiarism if you fail to do so.
Many writers struggle with when to use direct quotations versus indirect quotations. Use the following tips to guide you in your choice.
Use direct quotations when the source material uses language that is particularly striking or notable. Do not rob such language of its power by altering it.
The above should never stand in for:
Use an indirect quotation (or paraphrase) when you merely need to summarize key incidents or details of the text.
Use direct quotations when the author you are quoting has coined a term unique to her or his research and relevant within your own paper.
When to use direct quotes versus indirect quotes is ultimately a choice you'll learn a feeling for with experience. However, always try to have a sense for why you've chosen your quote. In other words, never put quotes in your paper simply because your teacher says, "You must use quotes."
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Quoting means taking a part of a source word for word as it is .
How many quotes can I use?
The frequency of quotations varies in different genres of writing. For example, in an English literature paper, direct quotations from a novel or play are often used as the basis for a discussion, while in a business proposal, direct quotes are rare, or not accepted at all.
Generally, it is not recommended to use too many quotes, because extensive quoting gives the impression that you don’t understand your source enough to put it in your own words and that you cannot contribute any of your own thoughts. If you aren’t sure whether you should use direct quotations in a specific course or paper, ask your instructor.
Key Takeaways
Use quotes:
- To support your idea or to advance your argument
- To present something you are analyzing, interpreting or commenting on so the reader will understand better to what you are referring (such as a literary passage)
- If the original language is especially moving, descriptive, historically significant
- For unique terms or a passage that cannot be paraphrased or summarized adequately without losing or changing its meaning
Source: (The Writing Center, n.d.)
How to quote properly
Quotes can be at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence. However, it is a good practice to introduce quotes with some sort of statement that signals to the reader that information is coming that is not your own, such as in the two examples shown.
Examples in APA Style
Short Quotes always require that you enclose them in quotation marks, so the reader knows that these are the EXACT words you took from your source. Not putting quotation marks around a short quote is considered a form of plagiarism.
One researcher indicates that “the most difficult thing for them was the attitude of their parents” (Crook, 2003, p. 157), while others believe…
Long Quotes are put in a block indented from the remaining text and have no quotation marks.
A family’s assessment has a powerful influence on how capable teenagers believe they are. In her study, Crook (2003) found:
Their expectations became self-fulfilling prophecies; because their families thought they couldn’t do anything, they didn’t think they could either. After all, if the people who knew them best and presumably loved them most thought they were losers, then the family was probably right. (p. 37)
Can I make changes to a quote?
You may drop words from a quotation, but you must indicate that you did so by inserting three spaced dots called an ellipsis . If you change a quote, for example to make it fit your sentence structure, you must use brackets to do so.
In the example below we omitted a part of the quote, and we indicate this by adding three dots. We also added the word “and” which is put in brackets, because it is not part of the original.
In her study, Crook (2003) found that if teenagers felt that “their families thought they couldn’t do anything, they didn’t think they could either . . . [and] the family was probably right” (p. 37).
Test your understanding
Have a look at the original text below on the left, and then the quotes on the right. All three quotes are examples of plagiarism in various degrees. See if you can spot the error before you click the quote to see the answer and the explanation of the quote as it should be.
Source: (Foot & Stoffman, 1996, p. 20)
Academic Integrity Copyright © 2021 by Ulrike Kestler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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