Accurate quotation is part of honest academic writing. Copy words exactly, mark omissions with an ellipsis, mark changes with square brackets and attribute every quotation to its source.
Integrate quotations grammatically: Antony insists that his “heart is in the coffin there with Caesar”. Keep quotations short so your analysis dominates.
When you use ideas from a source, even in your own words, acknowledge where they came from. Presenting others' ideas as your own is plagiarism, which is a serious academic offence.
Worked example
Integrate the quotation: Antony says My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar to show grief.
- Put Shakespeare's exact words in quotation marks.
- Change My to his with square brackets so the grammar fits.
Answer:Antony says that “[his] heart is in the coffin there with Caesar”, displaying grief.
Key words
- attribute
- say who wrote or said something
- plagiarism
- presenting others' work as your own
- square brackets
- [ ] for changes inside a quotation
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: W.11-12.8