how to insert a quote into an essay chicago style

Chicago Style Guide - 17th Edition

• Chicago Style
• Title Page and Pagination
• Quotations and Signal Phrases
• Bibliography
• Chicago's Citation Parts
• Articles - Online
• Articles - Print
• Blogs and Social Media
• Government Publications
• Elders & Knowledge Keepers
• Other Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Generative AI Tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DALL·E 2)
• Author/Date (Scientific) System
• Need More Help?

Resources to Help Avoid Plagiarism

• Camosun Academic Integrity Guide
• Camosun Plagiarism Guide
• Purdue OWL - Paraphrase: Write It In Your Own Words
• Purdue OWL - Avoiding Plagiarism
• SFU Library - Plagiarism Tutorial

Chicago Manual of Style - Online

• Chicago Manual of Style Online This link opens in a new window Access to the 17th edition of Chicago writing and citation style guides. Includes the full contents, a quick guide, help & tools, Q&A, etc.

A quotation is a collection spoken or written words repeated in speech or text by someone other than the original speaker or author. Quoting the work and ideas of others in your assignments helps to demonstrate that you have undertaken some scholarly research  as well as helps  establish credibility for your topic or position. In order to avoid plagiarism, you must  acknowledge all the resources  (oral, print, and electronic) that you used in your research. 

Short Quotations

A quotation of four or less lines should be cited within quotation marks (appearing at the beginning and end of the quote). The end punctuation of the quotation (e.g., period, question mark, exclamation mark) should be contained within the quotation marks . The  footnote should be inserted after the closing quotation mark . 

Block Quotations

Quotations of five or more lines should be put into “ blocked ” formatting. Blocked quotations require no quotation marks ; however, to properly format the quotation you need to:

• Single-space the quotation (this will visually contrast with the double-spacing of the rest of your paper);
• Indent each line  of the quotation ½ inch from the left margin;
• Create an extra line of space immediately before and after the quotation;
• Add the footnote at the end of the quote .

Quoting and Paraphrasing – Signal Phrases

Signal Phrases

Signal phrases are ways to lead into or introduce  a source or quote.

When introducing your sources, Chicago style uses verbs in the present tense (for details, see sec. 5.129 of  The Chicago Manual of Style. 17 th  ed.  and Chicago Style Q & A ).  

A signal phrase often names the author of the source and provides context . Include:

• the full name of the author the first time you refer to them – (Jean Barman says " . . . " 14 ).
• the author's last name only in subsequent references – (Barman emphasizes " . . . " 16 ).

Examples of Signal Phrases

Try one of these signal phrases to create a smooth transition in your text:

• Historian Sylvia Van Kirk insists that ". . ." 1
• Andrew Mclaughlin suggests ". . ." 6
• Van Kirk points out ". . ." 9
• Mclaughlin reports ". . ." 12

Other signal words include:

• demonstrates

This information on signal phrases has been adapted from: Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers.  A Canadian Writer's Reference. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012.

How to avoid plagiarism

Avoiding Plagiarism

When writing an academic paper, you must  acknowledge all the resources  (oral, print, or web) that you used in your research. Not only does this allow your instructor to locate the sources you mention, it prevents you from being accused of  plagiarism . In most instances, plagiarism is unintentional; it can be confusing to know what to cite. In general, it is better to be safe than sorry.

• Have you taken an exact quote from your original source?   

If yes, then you need to quote the source and provide a page number in your in-text citation. You must give them credit.

• Have you paraphrased from your original source?

If yes, then you still must provide citation information. In Chicago and MLA styles you must provide a page number. In APA, you don't have to provide page numbers though it is recommended.

• You include information that you think is “common knowledge” such as: Victoria is the Capital of British Columbia. Do you need to cite this information?

No, you do not need to cite information that is considered "common knowledge."

• Is it plagiarism to cut and paste from an electronic document without acknowledging the source?   

Absolutely. Just because it is easy to do, doesn't make it right. Cite the source!

• You’ve added a statistic found on the Statistics Canada website. Since it is a government site, you do not need to cite the source. Is that correct?

No, it is not. Even government information must be cited.

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• Writing Tips

Quotations and Block Quotes in Chicago Referencing

• 2-minute read
• 28th April 2023

When writing an academic paper, you may need to quote something you’ve read somewhere. But how to do this depends on the referencing system being used, so it pays to do some research. In this blog post, we’re looking at how quotations work in Chicago referencing, also known as the Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition .

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

When citing a source, you can either:

• Use a direct quotation
• Paraphrase what you’ve read

Direct quotation involves using the exact words written in the source you’re citing. To do this, you should place the quoted text inside double quotation marks (i.e., “ ”). It’s a good idea to quote a source directly if your argument depends on the exact wording of what you’re quoting.

If you don’t want to quote a source directly, you can paraphrase it instead. This means explaining what you’ve read in your own words. However, you still need to cite a source when paraphrasing, and you should be careful not to accidentally copy the original author’s wording.

Footnotes or In-Text Citations?

Chicago referencing offers two ways of citing sources, so the rules depend on the version you use. With the footnote and bibliography system, you indicate citations using superscript numbers after the quoted text:

Mitchell investigates “possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors.” 1

The first time you cite a source, you need to give full source information in the footnote (including page numbers for the section quoted).

With the author-date version of Chicago referencing, you cite sources in the main text of your paper. When quoting, this means giving the author’s surname, year of publication, and relevant page numbers in brackets:

It is important to investigate “possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors” (Mitchell 1996, 132).

If you name the author in the text, however, you should give the citation immediately afterward:

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Mitchell (1996, 132) investigates “possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors.”

You then give full bibliographic information for all cited sources in the reference list .

Long Quotations

Longer quotations are formatted differently in Chicago referencing. These “block quotes” should be:

• Prose quotations of five or more lines
• Not enclosed in quotation marks
• Preceded and followed by a blank line
• Indented .5” from the left margin

The rules for citing a block quote are the same as when quoting a source elsewhere in your text. As such, a Chicago-style block quote using footnote citations would look something like this:

Discussing genetics and behavior, Mitchell writes that:

In order to evaluate the legitimacy of such explanations it is, thus, necessary to explicate the variety of possible causal pathways connecting genetic replicators and social behaviors. If phenotypic variation is the direct object of natural selection, one must understand the underlying relationship between the phenotypic expression and genetic replicators to argue that any such phenotypic trait is, or can be, an adaptation. 1

This suggests the relationship between genetics and behavior in animals is….

The full citation for the source would then be given in a footnote at the bottom of the page.

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Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide

Chicago-style source citations come in two varieties: (1) notes and bibliography and (2) author-date. If you already know which system to use, follow one of the links above to see sample citations for a variety of common sources. If you are unsure about which system to use, read on.

Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date?

The notes and bibliography system is preferred by many working in the humanities—including literature, history, and the arts. In this system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised (superscript) number in the text. Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography. The notes and bibliography system can accommodate a wide variety of sources, including unusual ones that don’t fit neatly into the author-date system.

The author-date system is more common in the sciences and social sciences. In this system, sources are briefly cited in the text, usually in parentheses, by author’s last name and year of publication. Each in-text citation matches up with an entry in a reference list, where full bibliographic information is provided.

Aside from the use of numbered notes versus parenthetical references in the text, the two systems share a similar style. Follow the links at the top of this page to see examples of some of the more common source types cited in both systems.

Most authors choose the system used by others in their field or required by their publisher. Students who are unsure of which system to use will find more information here .

For a more comprehensive look at Chicago’s two systems of source citation and many more examples, see chapters 14 and 15 of The Chicago Manual of Style.

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Chicago Style (17th Edition) Citation Guide: Introduction

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Secondary Sources
• Videos & DVDs
• How to Cite: Biblical & Catholic Sources
• How to Cite: Other
• Short Form & Ibid.
• Additional Help

Who should use Chicago Style?

Chicago style is the preferred citation style for history and theology.

Note:  UP typically uses the "notes and bibliography" format of Chicago style, not the "author date" format.

What is Chicago Style?

Chicago style was created by the University of Chicago. It is a set of rules for publications, including research papers.

In Chicago style, you must cite sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:

• In the body of your paper where you add a footnote  (which appears in the footer at the bottom of the page).
• In the bibliography  at the end of your paper.
• Chicago Style 17th ed. Notes and Bibliography Sample Paper (Purdue OWL)

Commonly Used Terms

Access Date:  The date you first look at a source. The access date is added to the end of citations for all websites except library databases.

Bibliography: Contains details on ALL the sources cited in a text or essay, and supports your research and/or premise.

Citation: Details about one cited source.

Citing: The process of acknowledging the sources of your information and ideas.

Footnote: Details about one source that you cited in the text of your paper, which appears in the footer at the bottom of the page.

Paraphrasing: Taking information that you have read and putting it into your own words.

Plagiarism: Taking, using, and passing off as your own, the ideas or words of another.

Quoting: The copying of words of text originally published elsewhere. Direct quotations generally appear in quotation marks and end with a citation.

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Chicago Style Guide: 17th Edition

• How To Use This Guide
• Introduction to Chicago Style
• Introduction to DOI
• Formatting: Title Page, Body, References

Formatting: Quotations

• One Author or Editor
• Two or Three Authors or Editors
• Four or More Authors or Editors
• Chapter in an Edited Book
• Multivolume Works
• Organization as Author
• Reference Book
• Edition Other than the First
• Editor/Translator in Addition to Author
• Basic Journal Article
• Online Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Basic Web Page
• Blog Entries
• Motion Picture (DVD/VHS)
• Streaming Video
• Images & Art
• Interviews and Personal Communications
• Pamphlets, Brochures, and Reports
• Source within Source
• Additional Resources

For more information on formatting quotations, see Section 13 of the Chicago Manual of Style . 

• Quoting (less than 100 words)
• Block Quotation (more than 100 words)
• Quotation Within Quotation

When Quoting:

• Phrase the surrounding sentence in such a way that the quoted words fit into it logically and grammatically  (13.11)
• Integrate tenses and pronouns into the new context (13.12)
• Surround the quoted passage with double quotation marks, i.e. " quotation " (13.30)
• Place closing punctuation inside the closing quotation mark, i.e. "quotation . " 

Block Quotations

• five or more lines of text and/or more than 100 words
• two or more lines of poetry
• two or more paragraphs
• quoted correspondence (if including salutations and signatures)
• Single-spaced
• Set off from the regular text by starting on a new line
• Indent the entire block one-half inch on the left hand side (Use the indent/tab feature of your word processing software)
• Do not enclose blocked quotation in quotation marks, but keep any quotation marks that appear in the original text
• Leave a blank line before and after the block
• Single-spaced   

Source in addition to the CMOS 17th edition : "How Do I Format My Class Paper in Chicago Style."  CMOS Shop Talk  (blog).  Chicago Manual of Style , July 18, 2017.  http://cmosshoptalk.com/2017/07/18/how-do-i-format-my-paper-in-chicago-style/ .  

Quotation within Quotation

• Use single quotation marks around a quote that falls within a quote
• Any punctuation that is part of a quote within a quote should be placed inside the single quotation marks

"When you are quoting from a resource and that quote includes an internal quote, 'use single quotation marks for the internal quote!' and include punctuation for that internal quote within the single quotation marks."

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Art & Art History: Citing Images in Chicago Style

• Reference Sources
• Finding Books/DVDs
• Finding Images
• Finding Articles
• Researching Art
• Online Collections of Art
• Citing Images in MLA Style

Citing Images in Chicago Style

Captions in chicago style.

Chicago Manual of Style 3.3, 3.7, 3.21, 3.29

Captions appear below an image or illustration. If presenting a table, see separate instructions in the Chicago Manual of Style for tables.

A caption may be an incomplete or complete sentence. It should be capitalized as you would for a regular sentence, but any specific titles of any works should follow the rules for titles and be italicized when necessary. Captions should be labeled as a Figure followed by the number in order in which it appears. The first figure should be Fig. 1, second figure is Fig. 2, etc.

A credit line should appear at the end of a caption, sometimes in parentheses or in different type (or both). A photographer’s name occasionally appears in small type parallel to the bottom or side of a photograph. Include a short citation to the work and who owns the image.

Captions for Art:

If citing a work of art you should check with the guidelines from the Art Bulletin and College Art Association .

If the image is of a piece of art include information about the artist and location of the artwork in the caption. Works of art can be cited using this format, but include the publication citation for where the image of the work of art was found, unless you have viewed the work in person.

If the image is being reproduced publicly you should consider adding copyright information, ie who owns the right to an image.

More information

• Citing in Chicago Style More information on citing sources in Chicago style.

Images, Maps, Charts, Diagram, Graphs, Illustrations:

Chicago Manual of Style – 14.165, 8.193

Cite the image following the style for the source where the image was found, such as book, article, website, etc. You can use the citation for the book, article or website where the visual information is found and make the following changes. If there is a photographer or illustrator use his or her name in place of the author. If there is a caption, use the caption in place of the title of an article, or add the caption title in quotation marks with proper capitalization. Add a page number where the image is found. If a numbered figure is given, add it after the page number.

See specific examples below for images found in articles and on the web.

Image from an Article:

1. David Talbot, "Saving Holland," Technology Review 110, no. 4 (2007): 52, figure 3.

Bibliography:

Talbot, David. "Saving Holland." Technology Review 110, no. 4 (2007): 52, figure 3.

Vermeer, Dura. "High and Dry Concept." Technology Review  110, no. 4 (2007): 56. Maxwell Museum of

         Anthropology. “An Arrowhead, Made from a Copper Nugget, Found at a Melting Alaskan Glacier.”

          Miller-McCune 3, iss. 6 (2010): 23, figure 4.

Online Image:

If citing an image found using Google images, cite the original source – not Google.

1. James Estrin, “A Worshiper at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan,” New York Times , November 27, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/28/nyregion/for-catholics-the-word-was-a-bit-different-amen.html?ref=us.&_r=0.

Estrin, James. “A Worshiper at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.” New York Times .

         November 27, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/28/nyregion/for-catholics-the-word-was-

         a-bit-different-amen.html?ref=us.&_r=0.

When citing a work of art cite the location of the piece and the owner or collection where it is housed along with the medium and size. See also Work of Art and Captions for Art below.

Image or Photograph from a Book:

1. Bob Gruen, “Madison Square Garden, July 1972,” in Life , by Keith Richards with James Fox (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010), color plate 12.

Gruen, Bob. “Madison Square Garden, July 1972.” In Life , by Keith Richards with James Fox,

         color plate 12. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2010

Citing a Work of Art

Work of Art:

If you have viewed this work in person, cite as below.

1. Michelangelo Buonarroti, The Slave , 1513-15, marble, 2.09 m., Paris, The Louvre.

Buonarroti, Michelangelo. The Slave , 1513-15. Marble, 2.09 m. Paris, The Louvre.

Dior, Christian. May , 1953. Silk, Length at CB ((a) to waist): 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm) Length at CB (b):

         45 1/2 in. (115.6 cm) New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

If you find an image of the work of art in a website, book, article, use the format below.

Delaroche, Paul. "Portrait of a Woman," 1829. Pastel drawing, 10 by 12 in. (Ackland Art Museum,

         Chapel Hill, NC). In European Drawings from the Collection of the Ackland Art Museum , by

         Carol C. Gillham and Carolyn H. Wood. Chapel Hill: The Museum, University of North Carolina,

         2001, page 93.

Art Found on the Web:

Dior, Christian. May , 1953. Silk, Length at CB ((a) to waist): 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm) Length at CB (b): 45 1/2

         in. (115.6 cm) New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Accessed January 5, 2011.

         http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/80002249.

Art Found in an Article:

Abdel Hadi Al-Gazzar, Un Djinn Amoureux , 1953. Gouache and india ink on paper, 53 by 28 centimeters.

         Alexandria, Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts. "Exceeding Realism: Utopian Modern Art on

         the Nile and Abdel Hadi Al-Gazzar's Surrealistic Drawings." South Atlantic Quarterly 109, no. 3

         (Summer 2010): 585, Figure 1.

Citing a Cartoon

Chicago Manual of Style 8.194

Italicize the name of a regularly appearing cartoon and cite appropriately depending where the cartoon is published, e.g., magazine, newspaper, book, website.

1. Roz Chast, “Scenes from a Vacation,” New Yorker , October 31, 2011, 66-67.

Chast, Roz. “Scenes from a Vacation.” New Yorker , October 31, 2011, 66-67.

Weiner, Zach. “Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.” Smbc-comics.com .

         Accessed November 18, 2011. http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=2434.

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Citing tables, figures, and images: Chicago (17th ed) citation guide

On this page.

This guide is based on The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. It provides examples of citations for commonly-used sources, using Notes and bibliography style only . For more detailed information consult directly The Chicago Manual of Style  (17th ed.) [ print ]. 

For the Author-date style, see the  Social sciences/sciences system .

In Chicago Style, the term figure can refer to illustrations or images that are displayed or reproduced separately from the text. Illustrations or images, in this case, can refer to a wide range of visual materials, including photographs, maps, drawings, and charts placed within a text. [ 3.1 ] [ 3.5 ]

Figures can be used to more easily refer to illustrations cited in your writing. This is particularly helpful where there are several cited illustrations. An example of a textual reference to a figure might look like the following: "as figure 2 shows..."; "when comparing figures 3 and 4." The lowercase  figure  should be used when making references to figures in the text. [ 3.9 ]

Figure captions

Captions are usually included immediately below a figure, and provide a text explanation of the visual. [ 3.9 ] The amount of detail in captions can vary from a few words to several sentences. Caption text should, where appropriate, be formatted as complete sentences with capitalization and punctuation. [ 3.21 ]

The titles of works, such as those from which the figures are taken, should be reproduced according to the standard Chicago Style rules, discussed in Chapter 8 of the manual, for notes and textual references. [ 3.22 ]

A credit line, which includes a statement about the figure's source, should be included.  [ 3.29 ] This credit line often appears at the end of a caption. [ 3.30 ]

Figure 4. Frontispiece of Christian Prayers and Meditations (London: John Daye, 1569), showing Queen Elizabeth at prayer in her private chapel. Reproduced by permission of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Trustees of the Lambeth Palace Library.

Figure 3. Detailed stratigraphy and geochronology of the Dubawnt Supergroup.

Citing figures found in other works

When citing a figure, such as an illustration included within another text, you can include the abbreviation  fig.  to refer to the figure.

     1. First Name Last Name of creator, Title of Work  (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number,  figure number.

     1. Kate van Orden, Music, Authorship, and the Book in the First Century of Print (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2013), 38, fig. 2.

Images are sometimes referred to as illustrations, artwork, or art in the Chicago Style, and refer to images presented separately from text (as opposed to an embedded chart or figure). Images, or illustrations, can come in a range of forms, including charts, maps, line drawings, paintings, and photographs. [ 3.1 ]

• Information about paintings, photographs, sculptures, or other works of art can usually be presented in the text rather than in a note or bibliography. [ 14.235 ]
• If note or bibliography entry is needed, follow the guidelines below. 

     1. First Name Last Name of creator, Title of Work, date of creation or completion, medium, Name of Institution, location (if applicable), URL.

As illustrated in Three Planets Dance over La Sill [1] ,  the phenomenon of 'syzygy' is when celestial bodies align in the sky. 

     1. Yuri Beletsky, Three Planets Dance over La Silla , June 3, 2013, photograph, European Southern Observatory, https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1322a/ .

Incorporating images into the text of your paper

• If you chose to incorporate images into the text of your paper, the image should appear as soon as possible after the first text reference to it. [ 3.8 ]
• Images should bear numbers, and all text references to them should be by the numbers (eg. “as figure 1 shows…”) The word “figure” should be lowercased and fully spelled out, unless in parenthetical references (where “fig” may be used). [ 3.9 ]
• Below the image, the caption will begin with “Figure” or “Fig.” followed by a number and period. (Eg. Figure 1.) [ 3.23 ]
• A caption may consist of a word or two, an incomplete or a complete sentence, several sentences, or a combination. [ 3.21 ]
• Within a caption, most titles (including those for paintings, drawings, photographs, statues, and books) will be capitalized and italicized. [ 3.22 ]
• A brief statement of the source of an illustration, known as a credit line, is usually appropriate and sometimes required by the owner of the illustration.[ 3.29 ]
• A credit line usually appears at the end of a caption, sometimes in parentheses. [ 3.30 ]
• In addition to author, title, publication details, and (occasionally) copyright date, the credit line should include any page or figure number. If the work being credited is listed in the bibliography or reference list, only a shortened form need appear in the credit line [ 3.32 ]
• Illustrations from works in the public domain may be reproduced without permission. For readers’ information, however, a credit line is appropriate. [ 3.35 ]

Chicago in-text citation example

When celestial bodies are in alignment (see fig. 1) it is called syzygy.

*Note: The above formatting is meant as a guideline only. There is no definitive format for a figure caption. For example, see some examples of captions from the Chicago manual:                        

• Figure 1. Frontispiece of  Christian Prayers and Meditations  (London: John Daye, 1569), showing Queen Elizabeth at prayer in her private chapel. Reproduced by permission of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Trustees of the Lambeth Palace Library.
• Figure 2. Francis Bedford,  Stratford on Avon Church from the Avon, 1860s. Albumen print of collodion negative, 18.8 × 28.0 cm. Rochester, International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House.
• Figure 3. The myth that all children love dinosaurs is contradicted by this nineteenth-century scene of a visit to the monsters at Crystal Palace. (Cartoon by John Leech. “Punch’s Almanack for 1855,”  Punch  28 [1855]: 8. Photo courtesy of the Newberry Library, Chicago.)

Bibliography 

General format.

Last name First name. Title of Work. Date of creation or completion. Medium. Name of Institution. Location (if applicable). URL.

Beletsky, Yuri. Three Planets Dance over La Silla.  June 3, 2013. Photograph. European Southern Observatory. https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1322a/ .

In Chicago Style, a table is defined as list presented as an array with horizontal rows and vertical columns. [ 3.2 ]

When more than one table is included, table numbering is recommended. However, this numbering should be separate from figure/illustration numbering (for example, fig. 1, fig 2., table 1, fig 3.). [ 3.50 ]

References to tables in the text should use the lowercase form of the word table. [ 3.50 ] A numbered table should be included as soon as possible after it is first referenced in the text. [ 3.51 ]

Notes to a table come in several types, and are always included directly below a table. These notes should have a separate numbering scheme from the text notes. [ 3.76 ]

For tables taken from another source, acknowledgement needs to be made in an unnumbered footnotes starting with  Source:  or  Sources:  [ 3.77 ]

Sources: Data from Richard H. Adams Jr., “Remittances, Investment, and Rural Asset Accumulation in Pakistan,” Economic Development and Cultural Change 47, no. 1 (1998): 155–73; David Bevan, Paul Collier, and Jan Gunning, Peasants and Government: An Economic Analysis (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989), 125–28.

Sources: Data from Adams (1998); Bevan, Collier, and Gunning (1989).

Quote in an Essay: Do It Properly Following the Standards

• Essay Writing Guides

When proving your viewpoint, disputing, or just presenting information, it is advisable to back your words with solid arguments or citations. When you have a live discussion or speech, you may turn to other people’s words without considering proper punctuation or formatting style. However, when quoting in an essay, you need to be aware of the principal academic writing rules. This post is devoted to the pivotal peculiarities of quoting.

Quote in an Essay: What Is It?

Before we start discovering how to quote in an essay, we need to find out what a quotation is. A quote in an essay refers to a short excerpt or passage taken directly from a text, speech, or another source that is included within the body of the essay to support or illustrate a point being made by the author.

Quotes in an essay are commonly used to lend credibility, provide evidence, or add depth to an argument or analysis presented in a paper. By incorporating someone else’s words, properly cited and attributed, an author can reinforce their ideas and strengthen the overall impact of their writing. It is important to use quotes sparingly, ensuring they are relevant and effectively incorporated into the essay’s narrative to maintain a coherent flow of ideas.

How to Put a Quote into an Essay

When dealing with essay writing and finding a suitable phrase or words to refer to, it is obligatory to know how to put a quote into an essay. Improper or incorrect citations may play a nasty trick on you and spoil your GPA. Perhaps, in general, you know how to quote, but it must be mentioned that punctuation always depends on the required formatting style.

However, there are some commonly accepted standards.

Choose a relevant quote

Use quotes in an essay that support or enhance your argument, emphasize a point, or provide evidence from a credible source. Ensure that the quote aligns with the topic and purpose of your essay.

Introducing the quote

Begin by introducing the quote with context, attribution, and the source. It can be done by briefly explaining who said or wrote the quote and why it is significant in relation to your essay’s topic.

Punctuate correctly

Use quotation marks to enclose the quote in an essay and indicate that it is someone else’s words. Place any punctuation marks (like commas or periods) that belong to the quote inside the quotation marks, while those that pertain to the overall sentence are placed outside.

Provide citation

After the quote, you need to include an in-text citation to indicate the source. It typically includes the author’s name (or the name of the organization if it’s a corporate source) and the page number (if applicable). Additionally, make sure to follow the appropriate citation format required by your academic institution or professor (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago style).

Analyze and explain

After using a quote in an essay and providing the necessary citation, it’s crucial to analyze and explain its relevance to your argument. It helps connect the quote to your overall essay and demonstrates your understanding of its implications.

Remember, quotes can add credibility, depth, and support to your essay, but they should be used sparingly and always be integrated smoothly into your writing. Avoid excessively long quotes that may overshadow your original ideas, and make sure to balance them with your analysis and interpretation.

Why You Need to Identify the Quotation Source

It is crucial to identify your sources in quotes in an essay because they strengthen the credibility and reliability of your statements. By providing clear attribution to the original authors or creators of the information you are quoting, you give proper acknowledgement and respect to their intellectual property. What is more:

• Identifying sources also allows readers or listeners to verify the accuracy and validity of the information presented.
• It demonstrates your commitment to ethical writing, honest research, and responsible information sharing.
• Properly identifying sources in quotations also helps in avoiding plagiarism.

An essay with quotes is often highly valued and graded since it is a sign of profound and well-thought investigation that requires an indication of the primary source.

Short Quotations in an Essay

If you need to quote in a paragraph and choose a short quotation, you should seamlessly integrate it into your writing following the next steps:

• Provide some context to your readers regarding the topic or the source of the quotation. It helps set the stage and insert a quote in an essay. For instance, you could mention the name of the author, the work they have written, or the primary subject being discussed.
• Next, use a signal phrase or an introductory phrase to introduce a quote in an essay. It can involve using phrases like “According to,” “As mentioned by,” or “In the words of.” Make sure to attribute the quote to its rightful owner, providing their name or relevant credentials.
• After the introductory phrase, insert the short quotation itself. Enclose it within quotation marks (“”) to clearly indicate that you use someone else’s words.

Ensure that quotations in an essay are accurate and word-for-word from a credible source. If you need to omit or modify any part of the quotation for better clarity or conciseness, use ellipses (…) or brackets ([ ]) respectively to convey those changes.

Quote In an Essay: MLA, APA, Chicago

When citing a quote in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, there are specific guidelines to follow. Here’s how you can quote in an essay in each of these formats:

When you quote in an essay MLA, you need to include the author’s last name and page number in parentheses. For example:

“Quote here” (Author’s Last Name Page Number).

In APA style, you should indicate the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number. For example:

“Quote here” (Author’s Last Name, Year, p. Page Number).

• Chicago Style

In Chicago style, there are two quotation essay methods: notes and bibliography or author-date.

• Notes and Bibliography: In this method, you should use footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. The first citation includes the author’s full name, the title of the source, and the publication information. For subsequent citations, use the author’s last name and a shortened title.

Footnote example:

1st citation: Author’s Full Name, Title of Source (Place of Publication: Publisher, Year), Page Number.

Subsequent citation: Author’s Last Name, Shortened Title of Source, Page Number.

• Author-Date: In this method, you should indicate the author’s last name, year of publication, and page number in parentheses within the text.

“Quote here” (Author’s Last Name Year, Page Number).

Remember, when citing quotes, it is crucial to properly attribute a reliable source to avoid plagiarism and provide a clear reference for readers to locate the cited material in your essay with quotes.

Quoting Articles: Introduction in Different Formatting Styles

Quoting an article in an essay in different formatting styles can add variety and visual appeal to your writing. Here are a few ways to do so:

• In accordance with MLA formatting guidelines, you can introduce a quote by providing the author’s name and cited page number in parentheses after the quote. For example:

According to John Doe, “citation text” (25).

• In APA formatting, you can introduce a quote by mentioning the author’s name, publication year, and page number in parentheses. Here’s an example:

Smith (2019) stated, “citation text” (p. 42).

• In Chicago style, you have the option to use footnotes or endnotes to introduce a quote. For footnotes, you can indicate the author’s name, article title, publication date, and page number. Here’s how it can be done:

As stated by Jane Smith in her article “Wild Life,” published on April 1, 2020, “citation text”

• In Harvard referencing, you can introduce a quote by including the author’s name, publication year, and page number, all within parentheses. Such an introduction would look like this:

According to Williams (2018, p. 10), “citation text”

Remember, it’s important to follow the specific formatting guidelines required by your academic institution or publication. These examples serve as a starting point, but always consult the appropriate style guide for accurate referencing.

Example Quotes in an Essay

The best way to cite correctly is to follow the example quotes in an essay. Here are some samples of the main formatting styles.

MLA formatting style:

• “Innovation is the pushing force of progress in our rapidly changing world” (Smith 23).
• As Smith states, “Innovation is the pushing force of progress in our rapidly changing world” (23)

APA formatting style:

• “Innovation is the pushing force of progress in our rapidly changing world” (Smith, 2023, p. 23).
• According to Smith (2023), “Innovation is the pushing force of progress in our rapidly changing world” (p. 23)

Chicago formatting style:

• “Innovation is the pushing force of progress in our rapidly changing world” (Smith, 2023, 23).

Now, everything is clear on how to quote in an essay and why it is important to cite properly for the sake of credibility and academic integrity.

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Block Quotations, Part 1: How to Introduce Block Quotations

By Erin Wright

The Purpose of Block Quotations

Although block quotations were originally a typesetting mechanism, 1 today they serve three purposes: (1) improve readability by visually separating lengthy quotations from the surrounding text, (2) help to ensure that the quoted material is not mistaken for original content, and (3) display quoted material that may need special formatting such as letters reproduced in their entirety or short excerpts of poetry or song lyrics.

Block Quotation Lengths

Generally, long quotations should be formatted as block quotations and short quotations should be formatted as run-in quotations. However, our primary style guides are not on the same page when it comes to defining “long” and “short.”

The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style) recommends using block quotations for all quoted material over ninety-nine words, multi-paragraph quotations (even if less than a hundred words), and content that needs special formatting. 2 Readers who follow Chicago’s student version, commonly called Turabian, should see the Style Guide Alert below.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style) suggests using block quotations for all quoted material exceeding thirty-nine words. 3

The MLA Handbook advises block quotations for quoted prose that runs over four lines or poetry that runs more than three lines. 4 Unfortunately, line length can vary dramatically when viewed on different mobile devices, so this recommendation isn’t particularly helpful outside of printed academic projects.

Style Guide Alert

Chicago’s student version, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian, differs from the original manual on the length of block quotations.

Turabian recommends using block quotations for any prose quotation of five lines or more and any poetry quotation of two lines or more. Like the original manual, Turabian says that shorter quotations can be placed in block quotations if special emphasis is needed. 5

With apologies to longtime readers who have read this many times before, if you are wondering which style guide to follow , I always recommend Chicago style first because it is a comprehensive and versatile option for general business writing as well as most fiction and nonfiction publishing.

How to Introduce Block Quotations

Block quotations that start with a complete sentence are usually introduced with a complete sentence ending with a colon . 6

(All of the examples below use Lorem ipsum placeholder text to maintain emphasis on formatting.)

“ Block Quotations, Part 2: How to Format Block Quotations ” covers structural issues such as indentation sizes, quotation mark usage, multi-paragraph indentation, and citation placement.

“ Block Quotations, Part 3: Block Quotation Issues and Concerns ” discusses special considerations when using block quotations such as copyright issues, reader expectations, and alternative options.

If you just can’t get enough of quotations (because, seriously, who can get enough of quotations?), check out my last post, “ How to Introduce Run-in Quotations .”

1. “ Block Quotation ,” Wikipedia , last modified October 24, 2018.

2. The Chicago Manual of Style , 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017), 13.10.

3. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed. (Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2020), 8.27.

4. MLA Handbook , 8th ed. (New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2016), 1.3.2–3.

5. Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , 9th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018), 25.2, 25.2.2, 25.2.2.2.

6. MLA Handbook , 1.3.2.

7. The Chicago Manual of Style , 13.17 .

8. The Chicago Manual of Style ,13.20.

9. The Chicago Manual of Style , 13 . 23.

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