Pointers for Citing Texts

All examples are in light blue so you may easily see the difference between the rules and examples listed below.

1. When you use another author’s work in your own, you must give them credit.  This is called “citing” an author’s work.

2. When you use your own words to restate something a author has said, you are paraphrasing it.  ALWAYS cite an author’s work, even when you are paraphrasing what they have said instead of directly quoting them!

3. If you use an author’s exact phrases, even while paraphrasing, you MUST put the words he or she wrote in quotation marks and cite the work.

4. If you take a quote from a text, make sure you copy it exactly as it is in the book or article, including punctuation and spelling.

5. When you are quoting from more than one article or book within your paper, you must distinguish which text you are quoting from each time.  Generally, you will want to use the last name of the authors, so those reading your essay can look in the bibliography for further information.  For example: Avi’s character Charlotte was surprised when Captain Jaggery informed her that he “will appear harsh”(47).

6. If you do not know the author, you may refer to the name of the text from which you are quoting.  For example: In The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Charlotte was surprised that the very polite Captain Jaggery told her he would sometimes “appear harsh” (47).

7. To cite a book, include the page number in parenthesis after the part you quoted or paraphrased.  Although it may seem strange, put the ending quote marks before the page number, and the period after the number.  For example: “But it was from the crew as much as God that I sought pardon” (Avi 83).

8. Do not just drop a quote into a paper without explaining exactly what it is doing there.  When taken out of context, quotes usually do not speak for themselves, or they can be interpreted a variety of ways.  Or, perhaps the readers of your paper have not read the book you read, or do not remember that quote.  Fill them in!

9. The smoothest way to transition from your own writing into a quote is to use the quoted material to end a sentence of your own.  For example: Captain Jaggery explained that sometimes he “will appear harsh” (Avi 44).

10. If you quote a section of text that has quotes within it, such as when a character is talking, put quotation marks (“ ”) around the piece you are quoting, and use single quote marks (‘ ’) around the material that is quoted within the text.  For example: “‘There will be moments,’ he continued, ‘when I will appear harsh to you’” (Avi 47).

11. If you use a quote that takes more than three lines, put it in its own section, indent it, and single space. Here, you do not need quotation marks because the indention tells us this is a quote.  For example:

“There will be moments,” he continued, “when I will appear harsh to you. Believe me, if I could with kindness encourage the men to achieve their tasks I would do it.  Alas, I would gain no respect.  They don’t understand kindness” (Avi 47).

12. If you have an especially long quote, but would like to use only parts of it, you may cut pieces out and insert ellipses (…) in place of the missing words to show that you have edited the author’s work.  For example, the above passage (number 11) would become: “‘There will be moments…when I will appear harsh…If I could with kindness encourage the men…I would do it’” (Avi 47).

13. If you are using an interview, web page, electronic encyclopedia, or other resource without page numbers, simply put the author’s or interviewee’s name in parentheses.  If you do not know the name of the author, simply use the name of the page or article.

14. Two other things to keep in mind:

* Underline or italicize names of longer works such as:
Titles of books, very long poems (ask me if you are unsure), plays, films, newspapers & magazines.

* Use “quotation marks” for names of shorter works such as:
Short stories, poems of normal length, & newspaper or magazine articles.

This handout is the creation and property of Ms. Karen Gostlin.  All rights reserved.  For questions, please email me at the address below.
 
 

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