Short Stories and Setting Act# 8
goodisnaks
QuotationFormat-2Act6.pptxStandard Quotation Format
A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
The Parts of a Quotation
Capital Letters
Brackets and Ellipses
In-Text Citations, Parenthetical References, and Works Cited Entries (MLA 8th edition format)
The Parts of a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Two slices of bread
Peanut butter
Jelly
Other optional ingredients, such as banana slices or raisins
A beverage on the side, maybe even other foods such as potato chips
The Parts of a Quotation
A signal phrase
The actual quotation
Capital letters
Brackets and ellipses
An in-text citation or parenthetical reference (MLA 8th edition format)
A works cited entry (MLA 8th edition format)
A Signal Phrase (It's like the First Slice of Bread.)
Just as the two slices of bread hold the peanut butter and jelly in place, a signal phrase functions similarly with the material that you wish to quote.
A signal phrase introduces the quotation.
It consists of at least two words—the identity of the person stating the quotation and a verb to introduce the quotation.
It can have more than two words.
It has a comma placed between it and the quotation.
Verbs and Signal Phrases
Writers often use the same verbs in signal phrases ("say" and "write"). Avoid such repetition.
Consider use of these verbs: "argue," "claim," "comment," "discuss," "emphasize," "explain," "illustrate," "note," "observe," "remark," "report," "speculate," "stress," and "suggest."
This list is by no means complete, with dozens of other verbs that you can select for a signal phrase.
Choose a verb accordingly. For example, if the quotation presents an argument, select "argue," "assert," "claim," or "contend" rather than a verb not relating to an argument, such as "describe" or "find."
An Illustration of a Signal Phrase
Food historian Joseph Kellog reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee, face powder, glue, mayonnaise, and plastics."
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
The Quotation (It's like the Peanut Butter and Jelly.)
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich has a layer of peanut butter and a layer of jelly between two slices of bread. Likewise, a quotation presents words that you are quoting placed between two quotation marks.
The quotation has quotation marks at the beginning and at the end.
When quoting, you copy the original material verbatim.
You may make changes to the words being quoted, but you must use specific punctuation marks to signal the changes.
An Illustration of a Quotation
Food historian Joseph Kellog reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee, face powder, glue, mayonnaise, and plastics."
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
Capital Letter at the Beginning of a Quotation
If a quotation begins with a proper noun or takes the form of a complete sentence, capitalize the first letter in the quotation.
A proper noun names a specific object, person, or place.
Some examples of proper nouns include these words: "Abraham Lincoln," "Buick," "Halloween," and "Orlando."
Capital Letter at the Beginning of a Quotation
Food historian Joseph Kellog reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee, face powder, glue, mayonnaise, and plastics."
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
Brackets and Ellipses (They Are like the Other Optional Ingredients, such as Raisins.)
Some people add ingredients to the peanut butter and jelly, such as slices of banana or raisins; some people remove ingredients, such as the jelly. You can do the same with a quotation.
If you wish to add information, place such information in brackets.
If you wish to remove information, use ellipses.
If you remove the information from within the quotation, insert three dots where the information once appeared, leaving a space before the first dot and one after the last dot.
If you remove the information from the end of the quotation, place a period after the last word and then the three dots.
Illustration of Brackets
Food historian Joseph Kellog reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver [a director of the Agriculture Department at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School in Alabama] did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee, face powder, glue, mayonnaise, and plastics."
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
Illustration of Ellipses within a Quotation
Food historian Joseph Kellog reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee ... and plastics."
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
Illustration of Ellipses at the end of a Quotation
Food historian Joseph Kellog reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut...."
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
In-Text Citations and Parenthetical References (They Are like the Second Slice of Bread.)
Think of the in-text citation or parenthetical reference as the second slice of bread. It closes the quotation at the other end.
Since a quotation presents information that you borrowed from a source, you need to cite it with an in-text citation or a parenthetical reference.
Illustration of In-Text Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Food historian Joseph Kellog reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee, face powder, glue, mayonnaise, and plastics."
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
An in-text citation has the word that is found at the beginning of the corresponding works cited entry—the author's last name in this instance. It appears in the signal phrase. There is no page number to include since I borrowed the information from a website without such numbers.
Illustration of a Parenthetical Reference (MLA 8th Edition Format)
A noted food historian reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee, face powder, glue, mayonnaise, and plastics" (Kellog).
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
A parenthetical reference has the word that is found at the beginning of the corresponding works cited entry—the author's last name in this instance. It appears in the parentheses at the end of the sentence. There is no page number to include since I borrowed the information from a website without such numbers.
Note that I moved the period to a position after the parenthetical reference. Essentially, the period is always placed after the reference.
What If There Is No Author?
A noted food historian reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee, face powder, glue, mayonnaise, and plastics" ("George Washington Carver").
"George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
If the source has no author listed, the works cited entry begins with the name of the article. Since the entry begins with the name of the article, insert the name of the article in the parentheses at the end of the sentence.
Since the names of articles are placed in quotation marks, remember to include those.
A Works Cited Entry (It's like the Glass of Milk.)
To the side of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, there is a glass of something to drink (maybe some milk). After all, you must wash down the peanut butter with something.
Think of the works cited entry like the glass filled with something to drink. It is not on the same page as the quotation, but it is needed to provide publication information about the source from which the quotation was taken.
Illustration of a Works Cited Entry (MLA 8th Edition Format)
Food historian Joseph Kellog reports, "Contrary to popular belief, George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. Rather, he conducted extensive research on peanut farming and development of new uses for the peanut, such as coffee, face powder, glue, mayonnaise, and plastics."
Kellog, Joseph. "George Washington Carver." National Peanut Board, National Peanut Board, 2020, http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/peanut-info/george-washington-carver.htm. Accessed 15 July 2020.
The quotation may appear on page 4 of your report, and the works cited entry appears some seven pages after on the works cited page. Despite the separation of seven pages, the entry provides the information needed for you to access the original source and verify the information within the quotation or to learn more about the work of George Washington Carver.
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