Effectively Using Direct Quotations

Use a Quotation:

to emphasize a point you've made.
to provide an example.
to show an author's intention.
to show how historical figures spoke or thought.

Short Quotations:

use quotation marks.
make sentences smoothly flow from your words to those quoted, as in these examples that follow MLA format:

As Coach Clark explained, "We lost the game because we were overconfident and failed to take the other team's defense seriously enough" (32).

The coach notes that "most of the guys on State's team have much less experience than our players, but they certainly have talent and a desire to win" (33).

Note how the writer sets up the quotes with "explained" and "notes that."

Long Quotations:

Check with your instructor for the system of documentation you should be using (MLA, Chicago, APA, etc). Note that some professors recommend that you single-space within long quotations. Do not use quotation marks for long quotes.

For MLA: --For quotes of more than four typed lines, indent ten spaces from the left margin, and double-space within the quote. End the last sentence before the quote with a colon, which indicates the continuation of your sentence and replaces the "set up" shown above for short quotes. Consult MLA Guidelines
For Chicago/Turabian: --For quotes that run two or more sentences and four or more typed lines, indent four spaces from the left margin and single-space within the quote (Turabian calls these "block quotes"). Consult Turabian Guidelines
For APA: --For quotes longer than 40 words, indent the quote five spaces, and double-space within the quote. Consult APA Guidelines

How to Alter Quotations or Use Parts of Quotations:

Indicate alterations with square brackets. For example, if you need to supply a character's name where a quote has a personal pronoun, or a pronoun for a noun. Here's an example using the MLA system:

"Rome had several 'mad emperors.' [Nero] was the maddest of them all" (Smith 32).

The original might have read, "He was the maddest of them all," but you need to specify Nero since you're not using more lines from your source. Also note that for quotes within quotes, we go from double to single quotation marks ('mad emperors' above).

Indicate breaks in quoting with ellipsis points. This is an obscure area of grammar that drives both students and professors crazy, because the rules vary somewhat between systems of documentation (consult the MLA, APA, or Chicago guides at the library for details). In general, however, use a blank space, three points, then another space when you omit material in the middle of a sentence, and four when skipping between sentences. If you break at the end of a sentence and then move to another, include the final punctuation mark from the first sentence.

"Rome had several mad emperors. [Nero] was the maddest of them all. . . . Legend has
it . . . he played his harp while the city went up in flames" (Smith 32).

"What, then, was the origin of the Nero's legendary concert? . . . Historians have provided several interpretations of the genesis of this event" (Smith 33).

Note that the four ellipsis points after the second sentence show that we've skipped to a different part of the same passage, whereas the three ellipsis points show that the sentence beginning "Legend" has been abbreviated.

Notes on Fairness:

You should not abbreviate quotes so they misrepresent their author's original meaning. For example, if you cited the quote above as a fact rather than a legend about Nero, you'd be misrepresenting the original author's intention. Check the context!
Double-check the original. A direct quote must exactly follow the wording of the original, except where you use ellipsis points or square brackets (see above).

Let's recap a few pointers about using quotes:

Don't overuse quotes; use them to emphasize a point or support your argument.
Avoid long quotes when a short one will suffice.
Don't take quotes out of context to misrepresent the original author's opinion. Read the entire source carefully if possible.
Be certain you understand any technical terms the author uses.
Always introduce your quotes.
Avoid boring introductions.
Use a variety of sources. All of the sources used here came from one magazine; that magazine might have an editorial policy that limits its range of opinions on an issue!