It is critical to offset the phrase being explained or discussed, which is normally done by italicizing it (underlining it if you can't). The definition must be surrounded by quotation marks.
Examples: "Shakespeare is the author of Hamlet." "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." "Dedication is expressed through action." "Genius is simply extraordinary ability that has been diligently acquired through practice."
All content in this article is informative and may be useful in understanding the concept of quotes in essays.
Words or terminology with explicit meanings are included in quotation marks. These definitions may or may not be verbatim quotes from a dictionary or other such source. Definitions that follow terms like means, defines, or is defined as are often surrounded by quotation marks. This is because they usually contain language that provides the reader with additional information about the term.
Citing definitions in essays would involve using defined terms in your writing. For example, if I wanted to write about something called "dog-eat-dog world", I might use the definition of this phrase given by the Columbia University Dictionary as evidence that I have understood what it means.
I could then go on to describe how this phrase was used by John Doe in his essay "Barking dogs don't eat dog food". By quoting this definition, I show that I have understood its meaning and am able to use it accurately in my own writing.
Definitions can also be used when explaining words that may not have clear and precise meanings. For example, when talking about topics like history or science, many words cannot be taken literally. They need to be understood within their context - which may not be clear without further explanation. Using definitions helps us avoid misunderstanding each other's ideas.
In academic essays, definitions are sometimes required by our lecturers.
To cite a definition inside the text, put the defined word and the publication date in parentheses after the relevant sentence and before the punctuation mark. If the definition is cited, include the page number. George's beautiful girlfriend eats like a horse but never gains weight. Kramer speculates that she is bulimic. Kramer's first name is revealed to the gang owing to his mother, Babs. This was written by Gary K. McD. Craig in The Chicago Manual of Style.
Italicize the titles of longer publications such as books, magazines, databases, and websites. For titles found in longer works such as articles, essays, chapters, poetry, Web pages, songs, and speeches, use quote marks. In fact, you should always use quote marks when referring to a publication or article by its title.
You may wish to use a direct quote from a source in your writing at times. You should, however, utilize direct quotes sparingly and paraphrase or summarize wherever feasible. When the significance of the original remark will be lost if you paraphrase it, utilize direct quotations. Source: "Using Quotations Wisely", by David Leavitt, University of Michigan Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation.
The most effective essays include several direct quotes from sources. Ideally, these quotes provide evidence to support the claims you are making and introduce relevant information about the topic. However, not every quotation needs to be a direct one. It is acceptable to paraphrase or summarize ideas from sources if they can be accurately represented by means of more concise language. This allows you to write more effectively while still giving credit to the author being quoted.
Direct quotations are useful when you want to emphasize a particular word or phrase in your essay. For example, if you were writing an argumentative essay and wanted to highlight the word "incredible" here it would be appropriate to directly quote Lewis Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky". In this case, the quote would read: "Incredible! Just incredible!"
As you can see, direct quotations are very useful tools for creating impactful essays that stand out among their peers.
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