Using Quotations

 Make your essays flow more smoothly.

Learn how to introduce quotations in a sophisticated manner.

Tips:

1. Read your sentence aloud to discover if your writing flows so smoothly you can hardly hear where the quotation starts.
2. Use an ellipsis (…) to eliminate words in the quotation that ruin your flow.
3. Use square brackets [ ] to insert your own words into the quotation to help the flow.

Basic:
Crispin is curious about the world and all that happens, “The hurly-burly world of countless people, buildings, and wares struck me with even more force…” (182).

Better:
Crispin is curious about the world and all that happens, all the “…hurly-burly world of countless people, buildings, and wares [strikes him]…with even more force…” (182).

 

Basic:
Bear helps Crispin learn about self-defence. “Crispin, what do you know of arms?” (153)

Better:
Bear asks Crispin, “…what do you know of arms?” and when Crispin replies with “Nothing,” Bear says, “It’s time you learn” (153).

 

 

Basic:
In the town, people are yelling at each other; “…hard to tell who’s talking to whom…” (167).

Better:
In the town, people are yelling at each other and Crispin finds its “…hard to tell who’s talking to whom…” (167).

 
Basic:
Crispin is not overwhelmed and feels brave. “I was feeling bold and quite sure of myself. I don’t need Bear to see the world, thought I” (182).

Better:
Crispin says that he is “…feeling bold and quite sure of [himself and did not]….need Bear to see the world…” (182).

Being “…bold and quite sure of [himself]…”, Crispin feels he does not “…need Bear to see the world…” (182).

Crispin feels “…bold and quite sure of [himself]…” and does not need Bear’s guidance “…to see the world…” (182).

All the quotations are taken from Crispin by Avi (Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, 2002).

 

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