How To Use Quotations
Quotations can serve a variety of purposes, from supporting an argument or idea to adding emphasis or color to a piece of writing or speech. They can also help to clarify complex or abstract concepts by presenting them in the words of someone who is an expert in the field.
Moreover, quotations can provide a glimpse into the historical context of a particular era, or highlight the cultural significance of a particular idea or event. By using quotations from primary sources, historians and scholars can shed light on how people in the past thought, spoke, and wrote about important issues.
In short, quotations are a valuable tool for anyone who wants to engage in effective communication, whether they are writers, speakers, or researchers. They provide a way to draw on the wisdom and insights of others, and to share those ideas with a wider audience.
Table of Contents
- The Reasons for Using Quotations
- What Is a Quotation?
- Examples of Direct Quotations
- Examples of Indirect Quotations
- Punctuation before a Quotation
- Verbs of Attribution
- Editing Quotations
- Why Quotations Are Important
- Test Time!

The Reasons for Using Quotations
The reasons for using quotations in your work include:- Analyzing another's writing.
- Borrowing another's words.
- Eliciting another's support.
What Is a Quotation?
A quotation is a group of words that are repeated by someone other than the original author or writer. There are two types of quotation:- A Direct Quotation. A direct quotation is an exact copy of the original. A direct quotation is shown by placing it between quotation marks.
- An Indirect Quotation. An indirect quotation is close copy of the original, but it is paraphrased to fit its surroundings. An indirect quotation does not have quotation marks.
Examples of Direct Quotations
Below are some examples of direct quotations. Remember that direct quotations are exact copies of the original.- "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." (President Thomas Jefferson)
- "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." (Statesman Napoleon Bonaparte)
Examples of Indirect Quotations
Below are some examples of indirect quotations. Remember that these have been paraphrased.- Thomas Jefferson once said that the harder he worked, the more luck he seemed to have.
- According to Napoleon, you should never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
Punctuation before a Quotation
When introducing a quotation with an expression like "He said" or "She claimed" (called verbs of attribution), you can use a comma, a colon, or nothing. It depends on your desired flow of text. So, there's leniency on which punctuation to use before your quotation. For example:- Sherlock Holmes turned to Watson and said: "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." (Colon used)
- Tillman claimed, "The world is my lobster." (Comma used)
- He looked up and said "D'oh!" (Nothing used)
- She offered the following advice: "Don't drink the water."
- She said: "Don't drink the water."
- Pointing at the leaves, she said, "poisonousness."
- She described the leaves as "poisonousness."
Verbs of Attribution
Here is a list of verbs of attribution that you can use to introduce a quotation.General verbs of attribution:
- accepts, acknowledges, addresses, adds, advises, allows, analyzes, answers, argues, asks, asserts, assumes, assures, believes, categorizes, challenges, charges, cites, claims, comments, compares, concedes, concludes, considers, contends, deals, decides, declares, defines, describes, discusses, echoes, emphasizes, exclaims, explains, expresses, finds, grants, holds, hypothesizes, illustrates, implies, indicates, insists, interprets, introduces, lists, maintains, mentions, notes, observes, offers, offers, points out, proposes, questions, realizes, reasons, remarks, replies, reports, responds, reveals, says, shows, speculates, states, suggests, supposes, thinks, uses, utilizes, warns, with, wonders, writes
Verbs of attribution that show agreement:
- affirms, agrees, concedes, concurs with, confirms, echoes, supports, verifies
Verbs of attribution that show disagreement:
- counters, criticizes, denies, disagrees, disputes, objects, opposes, refutes, rejects
Editing Quotations
Square Parentheses (Brackets) with a Direct Quotation
With direct quotations, you can use square parentheses (i.e., square brackets) to show the reader that the words are not from the original.Here is an original quotation:
- I never believed in him because I knew no white dude would come to my estate at night.
- I never believed in him [Santa Clause] because I knew no white dude would come to my estate at night. (In this version, "[Santa Clause]" has been added after "him" to aid understanding.)
- I never believed in [Santa Clause] because I knew no white dude would come to my estate at night. (In this version, "[Santa Clause]" has replaced "him" to aid understanding. This is also acceptable.)
[sic] with a Direct Quotation
The term [sic] (which is often italicized and used with square parentheses) can be used to make it clear that the text is from the original. It is often used when the originator makes a grammar or spelling mistake. For example:- Using a stick in the wet sand, Jill wrote: "Your [sic] gorgeous." (Note: This should be "you're" not "your." The author is making it clear this was Jill's error.)
Ellipsis for Omitted Text
Three dots (called ellipsis) can be used to show where text has been omitted from a direct quotation. For example:- I never believed ... I knew no white dude would come to my estate.
Using Long Quotations
When a quotation contains multiple paragraphs (or is a text with lots of new lines), a common convention is to use an opening quotation mark at the start of each paragraph (to remind your readers that they're still reading a quotation) but only one closing quotation mark at the end of the last paragraph. For example:
In 1912, the publisher Arthur C. Fifield sent Gertrude Stein the following rejection letter shortly after receiving her manuscript for The Making of Americans:
"Dear Madam,
"I am only one, only one, only one. Only one being, one at the same time. Not two, not three, only one. Only one life to live, only sixty minutes in one hour. Only one pair of eyes. Only one brain. Only one being. Being only one, having only one pair of eyes, having only one time, having only one life, I cannot read your M.S. three or four times. Not even one time. Only one look, only one look is enough. Hardly one copy would sell here. Hardly one. Hardly one.
"Many thanks. I am returning the M.S. by registered post. Only one M.S. by one post.
"Sincerely yours,
"A. C. Fifield"
"Dear Madam,
"I am only one, only one, only one. Only one being, one at the same time. Not two, not three, only one. Only one life to live, only sixty minutes in one hour. Only one pair of eyes. Only one brain. Only one being. Being only one, having only one pair of eyes, having only one time, having only one life, I cannot read your M.S. three or four times. Not even one time. Only one look, only one look is enough. Hardly one copy would sell here. Hardly one. Hardly one.
"Many thanks. I am returning the M.S. by registered post. Only one M.S. by one post.
"Sincerely yours,
"A. C. Fifield"
Why Quotations Are Important
Here are three good reasons to include quotations in your work:- Analyzing the words in the quotation. (If you're going to dissect someone else's text, you should show it.)
- Using someone else's words because their words are elegant, impactful, or memorable. (And, you don't want to be caught claiming them as your own.)
- Bolstering your argument by calling on the support of a recognized authority.
Key Point
- You're going to need to embed quotations into your work. Get comfortable with choosing the punctuation that precedes them and chopping the text up with "[]" and "...".
You might also like...
Verbs of attribution in academic writing
List of reporting verbs in academic writing
More about using a colon, comma, or nothing before a quotation
More about square parentheses
What is ellipsis?
Double or single quotation marks?
Glossary of grammatical terms
Help us improve...

Was something wrong with this page?

Use #gm to find us quicker.


Create a QR code for this, or any, page.
teachers' zone
play:
match the pairs (parts of speech) hundreds more games and testsread:
parts-of-speech listsconfirmatory test
This test is printable and sendable
