Writing an effective introduction can be one of the most troublesome aspects of essay writing. While there are many ways to write an introductory paragraph, you may want to consider starting your essay with a quote. Finding the right quote and using it well within your own outline can ensure that your essay has a good start.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Finding the Perfect Quote
Step 1. Avoid overused cliches and quotes
Using a very famous quote in the same way that everyone else uses will bore the reader. It can also make you appear lazy or as if you don't pay attention to your readers.
Step 2. Use surprising comments
Look for a quote that surprises you in some way. Consider one of the following ways:
- Quote something someone said that no one else expected.
- Quote the words of someone who is not generally well known.
- Use famous quotes but make disclaimers.
Step 3. Do some research on the context of the citation
Knowing the context in which the quote came from is important to use it accurately. This will also help you determine whether a citation is the right tool for an introductory essay or not.
Step 4. Get to know your readers
The effectiveness of the citations you use will be determined by the readers of your essay.
- Determine whether or not your readers will recognize the person you are quoting. If the person isn't famous or you think he or she won't be known, consider providing additional (brief) details.
- Don't use a quote that is unpleasant to the reader unless you plan to contradict the quote.
- Find a balance between assuming that readers know everything and assuming that they know nothing. You must be clear and informative but not underestimate the intelligence of the reader.
Step 5. Intrigue the reader
Think of a quote as a “fog” that will engage and make the reader want to read more of your work. A well-crafted citation is a way to draw the reader's attention into your essay.
Step 6. Make sure the quote contributes to the essay
Sharp citations that don't help build the topic of the essay, or that are unrelated to the essay, will distract the reader's attention from the focus of the essay.
Part 2 of 3: Quoting Correctly
Step 1. Enter the quote correctly
Quotations should not stand alone in your essay. Your words must include a quote, usually appearing before the quote (though that's fine if you put it after that too). Some of the options for inserting citations are:
- Use a quote as the predicate of the sentence. The subject of the sentence will be the person saying the quote, and the verb will be a synonym for the word "according to." For example,” According to Jane Smith, “and so on, and so on, and so on.'”
- Review the content of the quote first. Use your own (grammatically correct) sentences to preview or adapt what the quote is about to say, then enter a colon or comma, then a long (grammatically correct) quote. For example: “Jane Smith once said something really amazing: ‘what a wonderful thing she said.'”
- Start with a quote. If you start with a quote, make sure to put a comma after the quote, then provide a verb and refer to the quote to its source. For example: "'And so on, and so on, and so on,' says Jane Smith."
Step 2. Put punctuation on the quotation appropriately
Quotations must always appear in quotation marks. Failure to use quotes could result in accusations of plagiarism.
- Quotations should only be capitalized if they start a sentence or if the first word of the quotation is a proper noun, such as the name of a person or place.
- In American English usage, period punctuation must be placed inside quotation marks. For example, “this is a quote.”
- Excerpted material (other people's ideas put into your own words) does not require quotation marks, but must be referred to a native speaker of the quotation.
- If you are entering a quote with the speaker's name and verb, put a comma before the beginning of the quote. For example: "Jane Smith said, 'and so on, and so on, and so on.'"
Step 3. Refer to the quotation appropriately
This may be obvious, but make sure the person you are quoting is actually saying the quote. Not all sources of information are official sources, so using academic sources rather than internet sources may be more accurate. Starting your essay with a glaring error will set a bad precedent for your essay.
Be careful with quotes found on social media like Pinterest or collections of quotes like Brainyquote. These sources are notorious for misreferencing and even altering well-known quotes
Step 4. Be honest with the meaning and context of the quote
This is related to academic honesty. Don't manipulate the quote to suit your purpose by omitting words or misleading the reader with the context of the quote.
Step 5. Use fragments of long quotes
If the quote is long or you only need a part of it to make your point, you can omit some of it by using an ellipsis (…).
- You may also need to replace a word (such as using a name instead of a pronoun) for clarity. If you need to replace a word, place large brackets over the word to indicate that you made the change. For example: “Jane Smith said, ‘and so on [word], and so on.’”
- Be sure to keep the original purpose of the quote when making changes. Changes should be made only to maintain clarity or change the length of the citation, not to manipulate the content of the citation.
Part 3 of 3: Inserting Quotations into the Introduction
Step 1. Enter a quote
Quotes need to be put in your own words. It can appear before or after the quote itself. You must identify the speaker of the quote.
Step 2. Provide context for the quote
If the quote is the first sentence in the essay, be sure to provide 2-3 sentences of explanation and context. There should be a clear understanding of why you chose to use the quote and why it is important to your essay.
Step 3. Connect the quote to your essay
You should provide an explicit connection between the quote and the essay, or the main argument of your essay.
- Make sure the citations you use support your essay.
- Make sure that using these quotes enhances the argument, and doesn't confuse the argument.
