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Effective Quote Integration

When integrating direct quotations into any essay, it is important to move smoothly from the source information
to your own thoughts. If quotations are simply dropped into a paper without significant warning or context, a
reader may become confused as to the appropriateness and relevance of that particular quotation. As a general
rule, quotations should constitute no more than 10 - 15% of your entire essay. Although Draft 1.1 is still not due
for a few weeks, you need to familiarize yourself with effective quote integration as much as possible because
this is a major component of the rhetorical analysis.
You should not view quotes as a means by which you will reach the word count for a 1200-word assignment.
Rather, quotes are pieces of evidence that you will use to support your arguments. And so, while you do not
want to use quotes simply to pad your paper, you do need quotes from the text to demonstrate the points you
want to make. In other words, effective quote integration means achieving proper balance. This balance means
that you are using the quotes to make a persuasive argument, but you are not letting those quotes drown out
your own voice.
Used effectively, quotations can provide important pieces of evidence and lend fresh voices and perspectives to
your narrative. Used ineffectively, however, quotations can clutter your text and interrupt the flow of your
argument. This handout will help you decide when and how to quote like a pro.
Quote Integration Strategies
In general, avoid leaving quotes as sentences unto themselves. Even if you have provided some context for
the quote, a quote standing alone can disrupt your flow. Take a look at this example:
Hamlet denies Rosencrantzs claim that thwarted ambition caused his depression. I could be bounded in a
nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space (Shakespeare 2.2).
Standing by itself, the quotes connection to the preceding sentence is unclear. There are several ways to
incorporate a quote more smoothly. Lets discuss some of those strategies now.
1. Lead into the quote with a colon.
Hamlet denies Rosencrantzs claim that thwarted ambition caused his depression: I could be bounded in a
nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space (Shakespeare 2.2).
The colon announces that a quote will follow to provide evidence for the sentences claim.
2. Introduce or conclude the quote by attributing it to the speaker. If your attribution precedes the quote,
you will need to use a comma after the verb.
Hamlet denies Rosencrantzs claim that thwarted ambition caused his depression. He states, I could be
bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space (Hamlet 2.2).
When faced with a twelve-foot mountain troll, Ron gathers his courage, shouting, Wingardium Leviosa!
(Rowling 176).
The Pirate King sees an element of regality in their impoverished and dishonest life: It is, it is a glorious thing /
To be a pirate king, he declares (Sullivan 149).
3. Interrupt the quote with an attribution to the speaker. Again, you will need to use a comma after the
verb, as well as a comma leading into the attribution.
There is nothing either good or bad, Hamlet argues, but thinking makes it so (Hamlet 2.2).

And death shall be no more, Donne writes, Death thou shalt die (14).
Dividing the quote may highlight a particular nuance of the quotes meaning. In the first example, the division
calls attention to the two parts of Hamlets claim. The first phrase states that nothing is inherently good or bad;
the second phrase suggests that our perspective causes things to become good or bad. In the second example,
the isolation of Death thou shalt die at the end of the sentence draws a readers attention to that phrase in
particular. As you decide whether or not you want to break up a quote, you should consider the shift in emphasis
that the division might create.
4. Use the words of the quote grammatically within your own sentence.
When Hamlet tells Rosencrantz that he could be bounded in a nutshell and count [him]self a king of infinite
space (Hamlet 2.2), he implies that thwarted ambition did not cause his depression.
Ultimately, death holds no power over Donne since in the afterlife, death shall be no more (l. 14).
Note that when you use that after the verb that introduces the quote, you no longer need a comma.
The Pirate King argues that it is, it is a glorious thing/to be a pirate king (Sullivan 85).
Achieving Variety when Introducing Quotations
While it is necessary to introduce direct quotations in order to qualify them in relation to the rest of a paper, it is
also necessary to introduce these quotations using a varied wording. It becomes monotonous if all the
quotations in a paper are introduced with stock phrases: the author states or the author says. A paper is
much more interesting and cohesive if the introductory phrases, or signal phrases, are varied.
Here are some possible signal phrases:

According to Orwell,
As George Orwell goes on to explain,
Characterized by Orwell, the society is
As Orwell points out,
George Orwell believes that
George Orwell claims that
In the words of George Orwell,

Remember that if you have introduced the author by his or her full name once before, then you only need to
refer to that author by his or her last name throughout the rest of your essay.
Note that there exist fine shades of meaning between phrases such as contend and argue and large
differences between ones such as claim and demonstrate. Ask yourself questions as to whether the source
material is making a claim, asserting a belief, stating a fact, etc. Then choose a verb that is appropriate for the
source materials purpose.
A list of possible verbs for use in the introduction of quotations follows. Double-check meanings before using
them!
Acknowledges, adds, admits, affirms, agrees, argues, asserts, believes, claims, comments, compares, confirms,
contends, declares, demonstrates, denies, disputes, emphasizes, endorses, grants, illustrates, implies, insists,
notes, observes, points out, reasons, refutes, rejects, reports, responds, states, suggests, thinks, underlines, writes

Ineffective Quote Integration Example

Many students try to incorporate quotes without giving proper introduction or context. Heres an example of an
actual Draft 1.1 body paragraph submitted to me a few years ago:
At the beginning of his essay, Diamond says, My car mechanic must have seen my eyes glaze over, just as I
had seen my physiology students eyes glaze over when I tried to explain osmotic diuresis to them in my lecture
that same morning last month. Its humiliating to feel like an ignoramus, as I do about cars. At least I feel OK in
my own areas of scientific expertise. Diamond talks about how difficult it is to speak to a car mechanic if one
does not understand the language of car mechanics. This proves that the authors point that people need to
understand experts before they talk to them. The quote is effective in persuading Diamonds audience to
research information before speaking to experts.
Passage analysis:
In this passage, the quote is introduced in the very first sentence of the body paragraph. We will discuss the
importance of strong topic sentences later, but for now its important to note that you should never begin a
body paragraph with a quote. Doing this gives your reader little context for the quote and causes intense
confusion. Your reader should never have to work to understand the quote because it is your job as the writer to
explain how the quote relates to your argument.
Furthermore, the quote in this body paragraph is 62 words or 49% of the paragraph. To be clear: your reader
will know when you are simply trying to pad your paper with meaningless quotes. Students who earn Ds and Fs
on Draft 1.1 typically try to hide their lack of ideas and depth by pasting long quotes into their essay. This
strategy will not work and you will not earn a good grade if you do this.
Finally, the writer has not done enough work to link the quote to the authors audience, purpose, and rhetorical
strategy. As weve been discussing all semester, it is your job in a rhetorical analysis to analyze the effectiveness
of the authors rhetorical strategy. This means that you must make clear arguments supporting your own original
ideas. Do not assume that a mere quotation will do the work for you.
Effective Quote Integration Example
Heres a quality Draft 1.1 body paragraph submitted by a student in a previous semester:
At the beginning of his essay, Diamond talks about a personal experience with his car mechanic. He uses this
personal narrative to demonstrate that it is often difficult to speak to experts on their own level of expertise:
My car mechanic must have seen my glaze over, just as I had seen my physiology students eyes glaze over
when I tried to explain osmotic diuresis to them in my lecture that same morning last month. Its humiliating to
feel like an ignoramus, as I do about cars (196). Within this personal account is an analogy in which Diamond
compares his experiences with talking to a car mechanic to his own students trying to understand complex
biological terms that he is teaching them. Rhetorically, Diamonds deliberate use of this analogy allows him to
show that talking to experts and understanding them is not easy, especially when one does not have a
sophisticated knowledge or vocabulary to talk about the experts subject. Moreover, many readers have
probably been in a situation with a car mechanic where they do not understand what he or she is talking about;
thus, the familiarity of this situation boosts Diamonds credibility because it allows the reader to identify
personally with the Diamond since the reader has had similar experiences and frustrations, too. Finally, the
combination of both the personal account and the analogy enables Diamond to establish the argument that he
will develop throughout the rest of the essay: non-experts must put more effort into communicating with experts
so that they can communicate effectively with those experts and obtain the knowledge they seek.

Passage analysis:
There are several good points to make about the effective quote integration in this paragraph. The writer
introduces the quote by explaining that quotes rhetorical purpose first. This explanation gives the reader
context. When you set the proper context for your quote, you tell the reader what you want them to understand
from the quote before they read it. This is effective and persuasive!
The quote only constitutes 49 words or 18% of the whole paragraph. The writers discussion of the quotes
relation to the authors rhetorical strategy, audience, and purpose dominates the discussion here. As a result, the
paragraph is balanced and effective. Quotes are evidence for your persuasive writing. Evidence is only as good
as the logic and discussion surrounding it.
This passage also uses a quote at a strategically effective moment. You have probably been told by past teachers
to provide as much evidence as possible in support of your thesis. But packing your paper with quotations will
not necessarily strengthen your argument. The majority of your paper should still be your original ideas in your
own words (after all, its your paper).