Using Quotations Effectively What is a quotation? Quoting simply means repeating what someone else has said or written. When you do this you must use quotation marks (also known as speech marks or inverted commas) to show that it is not your work. Why use quotations? Quotes and examples work like evidence in a court case – they convince your audience that what you’re saying is true. Quotations, then, are used to support your own ideas; they should not take the place of your ideas or be used to tell the story. Quotes are a useful way of exploring how theme, character and language are used in a play, novel or piece of non fiction writing. You should usually provide some kind of context for the quote and comment on what is interesting about it. Think: P – make a point E – use and example E – explain what makes the quotation (example) effective.
How to use quotations Using a quote is like building a sandwich or burger.
The quote is the meat in the middle of the sandwich. (E) It might be yummy but it tastes better between two bits of bread!
The first bit of bread is like your introduction for your quote. (P) After making a point, give some context for the quote and explain how it illustrates your argument
The second piece of bread is like your comment on your quote. (E) Why is it interesting? What does it reveal about character/ language/ plot/ opinion…?
For West Indian poet Grace Nichols, the hurricane which hit the Sussex coast (where she was living at the time) is a kind of catalyst, stirring up her feelings about her homeland, her ‘roots’. She refers to the wind as a “howling ship” as if it might have travelled from her home in the Caribbean. It is also a “spectre” – a ghost haunting her with memories of that country. She ‘talks’ to the hurricane, giving it the names of West Indian gods and even refers to it as “cousin” Hattie, a hurricane that hit the West Indies.
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