According to A.A. Milne, "[A] quotation is a handy thing to have about, saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself." However, as part of a larger series of handouts discusses, quotations also have the ability to enhance a piece of writing by providing a source of authority and adding relevant evidence. Writers learn how to set up, punctuate, and follow up quotes in their papers as well.

Concepts

quotation marks, quotations, writing techniques, writing styles

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Gather a selection of quotes on a particular topic and challenge learners to write an essay that includes at least two of them
• Interview members of the student body about a current issue, and then write a short article that incorporates quotes from the interviews

Classroom Considerations

• Assumes scholars know they must support a thesis with different types of evidence (quotations, data, statistics, paraphrasing, etc.)
• The resource is lengthy; it might prove more effective to break it up into two or three sessions
  

Pros

• Provides examples of different ways quotations appear in an essay or research paper
• Uses bold headers to highlight key issues students encounter when incorporating quotes in their writing

Cons

• None

Common Core

W.9-10.8 W.9-10.9.a W.11-12.8 W.11-12.9.a