Asked by: Emily Monteiro

Use square brackets, not parentheses, to enclose material such as an addition or explanation you have inserted in a quotation. If you want to emphasize a word or words in a quotation, use italics. Immediately after the italicized words, insert “emphasis added” within square brackets as follows: [emphasis added].

Can you modify a quote?

Words can be added or changed to a quote by using brackets. Changes can be used to correct tense or to add necessary information. Brackets can also be used to make the pronouns in a quote consistent. However, brackets should not be used to change the meaning of the quote.

What are the guidelines for using a quote?

Quotation Marks

• We use quotation marks with direct quotes, with titles of certain works, to imply alternate meanings, and to write words as words.
• Block quotations are not set off with quotation marks.
• The quoted text is capitalized if you’re quoting a complete sentence and not capitalized if you’re quoting a fragment.

How do you quote an altered quote?

To include an in-text citation with a quotation you’ve altered, put the citation first, followed by a semicolon, and then the words emphasis added: Lincoln specifically advocated a government “for the people” (Brown 512; emphasis added).

How do you correct a mistake in a quote?

Quotations That Include Errors

1. A quotation that includes an error may be distracting, so consider paraphrasing instead. …
2. If any incorrect spelling, punctuation, or grammar in the source might confuse readers, insert the word “[sic],” italicized and in brackets, immediately after the error in the quotation.

Can you remove words from a quote?

You can shorten quotes by removing words from the middle of the quote and adding ellipses to indicate that you have removed some words. Shortening quotes helps the reader focus on the key information. You can remove words that are redundant or irrelevant to the point you are making.

How do you quote a quote?

How to Quote a Quote?

1. In American English, use double quotation marks for quotations and single quotation marks for quotations within quotations.
2. In British English, use single quotation marks for quotations and double quotation marks for quotations within quotations.

How do you put a quote in a sentence?

If you put the quote first and then tell who said it, use a comma at the end of the sentence, and then the second quotation mark.
Proper Punctuation – Quotes

1. “Good morning,” I said as I came down the stairs.
2. “Good morning,” said my mother.
3. “Is it nice outside?” I asked.
4. “It’s a beautiful day,” she answered with a smile.

How do you quote someone example?

A direct quote is a word- for-word report of what someone else said or wrote. You use the exact words and punctuation of the original. Harriet Jacobs writes, “She sat down, quivering in every limb” (61). This example is a direct quotation from Jacobs’ book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.

Can you fix a typo in a quote?

If there’s a typo in a quotation, you use [sic] to show the reader that the error is in the original source and that you’re faithfully quoting it just as it appeared.

What changes can you make to a quotation without noting the change for readers?

Changes to a quotation not requiring explanation

Some changes can be made to direct quotations without alerting readers: The first letter of the first word in a quotation may be changed to an uppercase or a lowercase letter to fit the context of the sentence in which the quotation appears.