Notes on Writing About Quotes

What is a quote

  • A quote, or quotation, is an exact excerpt taken from one text and placed within your own writing.
  • When we write with quotes, we need to place quotation marks around the quote and cite the source.
  • After we include the quote, we need to write about it.

Writing with a Quote

  • Whenever you include a quote in your writing, you’ll need to introduce it, cite it, and explain it.
  • Begin the sentence in your own words and seamlessly integrate the quote in the sentence (citation).
  • Now you explain why this quote helps prove your thesis or topic sentence.
  • The period goes after the citation.

Selecting the right quote

  • When you select a quote, you want to find just the right one that helps prove your thesis statement, topic sentence, or argument.
  • You also want to be able to talk about (write about) the quote.
  • This is often referred to as the commentary of your paper.

The Commentary

  • As you write the commentary in your essay, you will show (not tell) your readers why the quote you selected helps prove your point.
  • You are explaining how these details relate to your paper’s topic.

The five types of commentary

  • Interpret
  • Analyze
  • Infer
  • Reaction
  • Evaluation

Interpret

  • When you interpret a quote, you are providing your audience with an explanation as to why this quote is related to the topic of your paper.
  • You are explaining the WHAT it is, WHY it is related, and HOW it helps prove your point.

Analyze

  • When you analyze a quote, you are looking at a small section of the quote and evaluating how or why this quote helps support the topic of your paper.

Infer

  • When you make an inference about a quote, you are taking some of the information found within the quote and making a conclusion about what this information might mean.
  • How does this quote affect the plot of the story or prove your claim?

Reaction

  • When you react to a quote, you respond to the quote using your subjective take on the text.
  • Reaction type commentaries are only appropriate for argument essays that can be written in the first person.
  • Your reaction needs to relate the quote to the topic and provide your opinion as well.

Evaluation

  • When you provide an evaluation of a quote, you are assessing the merit of the quote.
  • In your evaluation, you’ll state how this quote helps the author achieve the message of the text.
  • You should also include the why in your evaluative commentary.

Important

  • When writing about your quotes, it is important that you do not write about your writing.
  • In other words, you should avoid certain words and phrases in your writing.
  • Hint: Do not write about what you are writing about.
  • This is where the “show, don’t tell” phrase comes in.

Avoid These Words & Phrases

  • In this quote…
  • This quote shows…
  • This quote means…
  • This quote says…
  • This shows…
  • This means…
  • This… The reason why we don’t say “this” immediately after our quote is because, while it gets the job done, there are stronger ways to write your commentary. Focusing on improving your commentary will substantially improve your essay writing skills.

What to do INSTEAD

  • Instead of writing, “in this quote” or “this quote means,” use a strong action verb and choose a specific part of the quote to discuss.

Strong Action Verbs

  • To help you avoid writing, “this quote shows” in your paper, you’ll want to brainstorm strong verbs.
  • In essay writing, strong verbs are action words that help you describe and explain your quote.

Strong Action Verbs

  • To Show
    illustrate
    highlight
    accept
    acknowledge
    contradict
    convey
    depict
    claim
    recognize
    diverge
    demonstrate
    emphasize
    imply
    concur
    oppose
    exemplify
    explain
    suggest
    affirm
    criticize
    portray
    present
    indicate
    support
    refute

Stop writing “THIS”

  • Now that you have a list of strong action verbs, it’s time to drop the “this” from your commentary.
  • To do that, you can focus on a specific word or short phrase from the quote, and then write your commentary about that.

Let’s see an example! Kennedy

  • Here’s a quote from Robert F. Kennedy’s remarks on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.: “What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.”

Examples NO! In his Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Kennedy said, “What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love” (Kennedy). This means the people in the US need to love one another. WHY IS THIS WRONG? First, the explanation says, “this means.” What exactly does the “this” refer to? Secondly, there is no analysis. The explanation simply restates what the speaker said!

Kennedy: Right example

  • YES! …“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love” (Kennedy). Kennedy’s use of repetition strongly emphasizes what he hopes to change in the US, which might offer people hope and solace. DISCUSS: What differences do you see? How do these differences change the writing?

Let’s see another example! Here’s a quote from To Kill a Mockingbird

  • Notice how the quote is introduced. Helping Scout learn about courage, Atticus tells her, “I wanted you to see what real courage is…It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway” (Lee 116).

Examples NO! Atticus tells Scout what courage is

  • Helping Scout learn about courage, Atticus tells her, “I wanted you to see what real courage is…It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway.” (Lee 116). In this quote, Atticus tells Scout what courage is. WHY IS THIS WRONG? First, the explanation says, “in this quote.” Secondly, there is no analysis. The explanation simply states information about the quote. You want to dig deeper!

Examples NO! (second version)

  • Helping Scout learn about courage, Atticus tells her, “I wanted you to see what real courage is…It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway.” (Lee 116). In this quote, Atticus tells Scout what courage is. WHY IS THIS WRONG? First, the explanation says, “in this quote.” Secondly, there is no analysis. The explanation simply states information about the quote. You want to dig deeper!

Kennedy: Right example (expanded)

  • YES! …“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love” (Kennedy). Kennedy’s use of repetition strongly emphasizes what he hopes to change in the US, which might offer people hope and solace. DISCUSS: What differences do you see? How do these differences change the writing?

Let’s see another example! Atticus

  • By showing Scout that courage can be a decision one makes knowing the outcome won’t be favorable, such as Atticus taking on the Tom Robinson case, he shows her what courage truly is.

Your Turn! Amelia Earhart

  • Quote: “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” - Amelia Earhart American Aviation Pioneer
  • SHARE: What did you come up with?

Your Turn! Mandela

  • Quote: “The greatest glory in living is not falling, but rising every time we fall.” - Nelson Mandela Former President of South Africa
  • SHARE: What did you come up with?

Your Turn! J.K. Rowling

  • Quote: “Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success. I’ve met people who don’t want to try for fear of failing.” - J.K. Rowling British Novelist
  • SHARE: What did you come up with?

Your Turn! Sandra Cisneros

  • Quote: “Sometimes I feel I can’t quite master my written and spoken Spanish, because I’m too much a student of English. I would need another lifetime to learn it.” - Sandra Cisneros American writer
  • SHARE: What did you come up with?