Punctuation When Citing Sources

Use the following examples to guide your use of punctuation when citing sources.

 

For basic punctuation: note placement of period and that author's name isn't needed for primary sources (you've already mentioned it in the intro).

"Henry Dobbins made the washing motion with his hands" (117).

 

For question marks and exclamation, period at the end.

"Treat them decent, you know?" (117).

 

Quote illustrating set up/introduction/context

Dobbins, in the chapter "Church," shows how people can forget they are in war. Discussing his religious views with Kiowa, he says "I do like churches. The way it feels inside. It feels good when you just sit there, like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there's still this sound you can't hear" (116).

 

Quote illustrating deletion of a sentence -- note brackets and four ellipsis dots

Dobbins, in the chapter "Church," shows how people can forget they are in war. Discussing his religious views with Kiowa, he says "I do like churches [ . . . . ] It feels good when you just sit there, like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there's still this sound you can't hear" (116).

 

Quote illustrating deletion of a phrase -- note brackets and three ellipsis dots

Dobbins, in the chapter "Church," shows how people can forget they are in war. Discussing his religious views with Kiowa, he says "I do like churches. The way it feels inside. It feels good [ . . . ] like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there's still this sound you can't hear" (116).

 

Quote illustrating separating quote into parts with a phrase

Dobbins, in the chapter "Church," shows how people can forget they are in war. Discussing his religious views with Kiowa, he says "I do like churches" (116). After this bland statement, he goes more into the emotions, removing himself from the jungles of Vietnam back to an idealized church in America: "It feels good when you just sit there, like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there's still this sound you can't hear" (116).

 

Quote illustrating separating quote into parts with just a word or two.

Dobbins, in the chapter "Church," shows how people can forget they are in war. Discussing his religious views with Kiowa, he says "I do like churches" (116). He adds "It feels good when you just sit there, like you're in a forest and everything's really quiet, except there's still this sound you can't hear" (116).

 

Changing cases or tense in a quote

" _____ run _____"

"_____ [ran] _____"

 

"_____ love _____"

"_____ lov[ed] _____"

 

 

With thanks to Ms. Becker