How to Properly Use Quotes
It Starts with Knowing How to Use Quotations
There are Four Types of Quotations that Students Use
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The Bad:
The SLAP Quote: This is when you insert a quote from the text that has no prior context given. It figuratively SLAPS the reader in the face with no explanation as to why it’s there.
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Example:
The Sports Gene by David Epstein shows how genetics benefits people in hobbies and jobs like sports. It gives the idea of fate being the best reason for people being naturally good at sports with facts and evidence. “Tendon length is not significantly impacted by training, but rather is a function of distance between the calf muscle and heel bone, which are connected by the tendon.” The author gives information that shows how genetics prove to be the source of talent instead of practice.
Notice that this quote is SLAPPED in place with no context. David Thomas has not been introduced. Neither has his tendon or what he did. The quote is too long. And there is no explanation or analysis of it.
The “He Says” Quote:
The “He Says” Quote is OK if used properly, but we want to move past this. It is a weak form of quoting.
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The He Says Quote: It is when you introduce a quote by writing an intro to it: “The author writes”… or “as mentioned in the essay…”
Thomas soon made it to the world championships where he went up against passionate jumpers such as Stephen Holm. In this story, Thomas’ genes for jumping was put up against Holm’s 20 years of training. At the end, Thomas was crowned champion due to his genetic advantage with less than a year of practice under his belt. As mentioned in the article, “But the tendons are one piece of the puzzle that helps explain how two athletes could arrive essentially at the same place.”
When a “He Says Quote” Goes Wrong
The writer tries to explain the quote by starting with a bad introduction of the quote
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For example:
The quote explains that...
What the author is saying in this quote…
The Example Quote
This is when you make a statement and then you follow that statement with a quotation from the text that provides an example of the statement that you wrote.
Your statement: “Quote.”
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Example:
David Thomas is an example of someone gifted with a natural talent due to his genetics, but Epstein points out that genetics is not the only factor in being great: “Tendons are one piece of the puzzle that helps explain how two athletes could arrive essentially at the same place.” In Thomas’ case, genes did help him succeed, but he later had to train to improve his skills, even though he did not improve too much after his initial success.
The Integrated Quote
This is our goal!!!!
It is when you start a sentence with your own writing and you “integrate” three to seven words of a quote to finish your thought.
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Example:
“The Sports Gene” argues that athletic success is dependent on genes by analyzing the athletic career of Donald Thomas, who set a world record with less than one year of practice. Epstein notes that Thomas “was gifted with a giant’s Achilles tendon,” a key factor in jumping higher. This leads to the author’s main claim that Thomas’ success was due to genes, which gave him an advantage that no amount of practice could have. However, Epstein also points out that the scientists that he consulted said that his tendons “are one piece of the puzzle that helps explain” his overall success. There are other factors to consider other than just his genetics.
I will add to this as I go today.
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Let me know what I need to add to make this better.