Signal Phrasing
to lead-in to quotes
In addition to the classic formatting of internal/parenthetical citations following
all quoted or paraphrased material, incorporate signal phrasing to vary your
presentation of information.
 To avoid monotony in the repetition of your signal phrases, try to vary both the language
and the placement of your signal phrases.
 The signal phrase should clearly identify the credentials or title or relative expertise of your
author/source.
 The parenthetical information should complement, not repeat, information given in your
text (e.g., if you mention the author's name in your text -- in the signal phrase – then you do
not include it in the citation)
The following examples suggest a range of possibilities:
♦ In the words of researcher Henry Rollins, “…” (57).
♦ Lyla Gruber, the lead scientist of the case study at the Princeton Radiology Lab,
concludes that “…” (Schultz 23).
♦ One anti-lobbyist who served as the Senator’s former aid stated in an interview shortly
after the attack, “…” (qtd. in Walters 41).
♦ As Shigeru Miyamoto, one of the original designers of The Legend of Zelda, has
claimed, “…” (Collin par. 6).
♦ A decade after the event, “…”, as reported by the Sergeant at Arms in his autobiography
(Teller 128).
More Signal Phrasing!
When your signal phrase includes a verb, choose one that is appropriate in the context of your
writing. Is your source arguing a point, making an observation, reporting a fact, drawing a
conclusion, refuting an argument, or stating an opinion or belief? By choosing an appropriate
verb, such as one on the following list, you can make your source’s stance about a topic clear
to your audience or reader.
* NOTE: When citing the same work in succession, then you only need to include the author and page
# in the first parenthetical citation. Thereafter, as long as you don’t switch focus to another source, you
just cite the page # in ( ).
Read on…
Nearly 200 Ways to Say “Says"
accuses
acknowledges
acquires
adds
admits
admonishes
affirms
agrees
alleges
allows
alludes
announces
answers
apologizes
appeases
approves
argues
articulates
asks
asserts
assures
begins
begs
believes
berates
beseeches
boasts
brags
cajoles
calls
cautions
challenges
charges chides
cites claims
claims
coaxes
commands
comments
compares
complains
concedes
concludes
concurs
confesses
confirms
consents
contends
contests
continues
contributes
counters
criticizes
cross-examines
debates
decides
declaims
declares
defends
demands
denies
describes
determines
dictates
discusses
disputes
echoes
elaborates
emphasizes
endorses
entreats
enumerates
exaggerates
explains
exhorts
expostulates
extols
fears
fumes
gloats
goads
grants
guesses
hastens -to sayhesitates
hints
illustrates
imitates
implies
implores
informs
inquires
insinuates
insists
interjects
interposes
interprets
interrupts
interrogates
intimates
intimidates
intones
jeers
jests
jokes
laughs
lectures
lies
makes known
magnifies
maintains
manifests
marvels
mimics
mocks
mourns
muses
notes
objects
observes
offers
orders
perceives
persists
pleads
points out
ponders
praises
preaches
predicts
prevaricates
proceeds
prods
profanes
professes
prophesies
propounds
promises
prompts
proposes
protests
pursues
puts in
queries
questions
quips
quotes
rates
rails
runs on
rants
raves
reasons
recalls
recites
recounts
refutes
regrets
reiterates
rejects
rejoins
remarks
remembers
reminds
remonstrates
renounces
repeats
replies
reports
reprimands
requests
resolves
responds
resumes
retorts
reveals
scoffs
scorns
sermonizes
sneers
specifies
spells out
speaks
starts
states
stresses
submits
suggests
taunts
testifies
thinks
threatens
tells
urges
vaunts
ventures
voices
volunteers
writes
http://english.dcmarion.ohio-state.edu/
200ways.htm
Except for legitimate uses of quotations, use your own words to summarize and
paraphrase your sources and explain your own ideas. The best way to paraphrase is to
read the information from your source, cover it up, and rewrite it in your own words –
without looking at the source again. Even when you paraphrase, you MUST provide
citation info.
When to Use Quotations
♦ When language is especially vivid or expressive
♦ When exact wording is needed for technical accuracy
♦ When the words of an important source especially support an argument or thesis
Long Quotations
When a quote spans more than four lines in your essay), set off the quotation by
indenting the whole quote one inch (two tabs) from the left margin. Keep the same
margin setting on the right and maintain double-spacing throughout. Long quotes are
also double-spaced and should be introduced by an informative sentence, usually
followed by a colon. Quotation marks should be omitted from the quote because the
indentation of the quote tells your reader that the words are taken directly from a
source.
♦ After a long quotation, you still need to cite the source where the quote came
from
▫ This is the only time in MLA formatting where the internal
documentation (parenthetical citation) will appear after the period.
Example of a Long Quotation:
The supernatural elements in the play have a powerful influence on the actions of
others and the events of the story as a whole. In an aside, Macbeth begins to realize that
he is facing an internal moral struggle:
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it give me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings. (1.3.134-142)
The “supernatural soliciting” that Macbeth refers to indicates that his moral selfstruggle is, in a way, out of his own control. This is also reflected when the witches make
a charm, or spell, to bind Macbeth to their supernatural powers of chaos, disorder and
destruction.