Name That Annoyance
Dropping a quote into a paragraph with no context or introduction.
What is Armadillo Roadkill?
“Zombies are dangerous. ‘They do not need food or sleep’ (Brooks 42).”
What is: Introduce the quote and explain its relevance before or after?
Quote integration should match the _______ of the surrounding sentence.
What is grammar or syntax?
If a quote uses a title in the in-text citation, it should match what in the Works Cited?
What is: The first word of the entry?
What do Stedman’s driving analogies suggest about writing?
What is: Readers expect familiar conventions and get frustrated when they’re broken?
Using several quotes in a row without explanation or analysis.
What is Uncle Barry and His Encyclopedia of Useless Information?
“He said that ‘Have you ever felt afraid of the dark?’ (Smith 8).”
What is: Reword the lead-in to match the grammar of the quote?
Square brackets are used to show what?
What is: That the writer modified a quote?
What’s the issue with citing “The Zombie Survival Guide” in-text?
What is: The correct citation should be (Brooks)?
What does Stedman say about “rules” vs. “conventions”?
What is: Conventions are flexible and based on audience/rhetorical situation?
Starting or ending a paragraph with a quote, then moving on.
What is Dating Spider-Man?
“Nap smart. ‘Always rest your head on the desk’ (Piven 101).”
What is: Avoid starting a paragraph with a quote—context first?
No character was allowed to ‘escape their hypocrisy’ (Muller).” — What’s wrong here?
What is: Pronoun mismatch — it should be “his”?
Why might (25) be an acceptable citation?
What is: If the author is clearly introduced before the quote?
Why might a newspaper editor rank “Uncle Barry” differently than a college professor?
What is: Different disciplines value different citation habits?
In-text citation does not match the first word of the Works Cited entry.
What is I Can’t Find the Stupid Link?
“Physics changed in the 1970s (Hawking 51).”
What is: Clarify what part of the idea comes from Hawking?
Why is quoting too much without analysis a problem?
What is: It weakens your authority as the writer?
No author? How do you cite it in-text?
What is: Use the title in quotation marks?
What’s one genre where breaking quotation norms might be okay?
What is: A blog or creative nonfiction?
A quote is inserted mid-sentence but the grammar doesn't match.
What is Am I in the Right Movie?
“According to The Zombie Survival Guide, ‘Go for the head’ (135).”
What is: Cite using the author's name, not the title—(Brooks 135)?
The best way to check if a quote fits grammatically?
What is: Read your sentence out loud?
How does poor citation affect credibility?
What is: It confuses the reader and makes the writer seem careless?
Why should writers “use their turn signals” in writing?
What is: To signal to readers what to expect and how to interpret information?