Quoting from Sources—Helpful Hints and Examples (Gary Soto’s book)
Keep these guidelines in mind:
- Quote only when something is aptly said or where your ideas need authoritative support. Otherwise, use your own words and ideas that your research and discovery generated.
- Always try to keep quotations as short as possible.
MLA Works Cited Page entry for Gary Soto’s book:
Soto,
APA References Page entry for Gary Soto’s book:
Soto, G. (2000). The
effect of knut hamsun on a fresno boy.
How to end your sentence with a quotation:
Original in
Soto’s book:
“I also
thought it was my duty to tell her about Christ by saying a bed-time prayer” (Soto
85).
Our
modified version (MLA Format):
Soto says
that as a parent he felt he had to tell his daughter “about Christ by saying a
bed-time prayer” (Soto 85).
How to use ellipses
(three spaced dots) to omit words:
Original in
Soto’s book:
“Outside
on the street I mentioned that my favorite color was forest green and, your
hand tightening around my waist, you asked, “What color is that?” I tried to
describe it by saying that it was a color like a large forest seen close up”
(Soto 48-9).
Our
modified version (MLA Format):
“Outside
on the street I mentioned that my favorite color was forest green and . . . I
tried to describe it by saying that it was a color like a large forest seen
close up” (Soto 48-9).
Quoting from Sources—Helpful Hints and
Examples—continued
Boxed Journal Assignment
Let’s practice what
we’ve learned using Gary Soto’s book.
In a boxed journal entry, demonstrate your understanding
of the handout “Quoting from Sources—Helpful Hints and Examples” by completing
the following:
! Pick two excerpts from Soto’s book and end
your own sentences with his words. In
one case mention his name at the beginning so you do not have to include it in
the parentheses.
! Pick two more excerpts from Soto’s book and
use ellipses to shorten them.
! Finally, write a
correct MLA citation for his book.