Quotation Review

In MLA style, a quotation should be followed by the author's last name and the page number in parentheses, e.g., "quote" (Author Last Name page number).

Quotations should be integrated smoothly into the sentence structure, often using a signal phrase to introduce the quote.

A signal phrase is a phrase that introduces a quotation, providing context and indicating the source, e.g., 'According to Lowry...'.

A colon is often used to introduce a quotation if the introduction is a complete sentence, while a comma is used if the introduction is a phrase.

Quotations provide evidence to support claims, illustrate points, and lend authority to the argument.

Long quotations (more than four lines) should be formatted as a block quote, indented one inch from the left margin, without quotation marks.

Use ellipses (...) to indicate that part of the quotation has been omitted.

Use brackets [ ] to indicate any changes made to the original text, such as adding or altering words for clarity.

A direct quote is the exact wording from a source, while a paraphrase is a restatement of the source's ideas in your own words.

Citing sources gives credit to the original author, helps avoid plagiarism, and allows readers to locate the original material.