Как написать эффективное коммерческое предложение / Хабр В очередной раз сел писать типовое коммерческое предложение для новой услуги нашей компании, и словил себя на мысли, что хорошо было бы иметь для себя какой-то краткий мануал на эту тему. Так как коммерческие предложения я пишу по мере надобности (а это достаточно редко), навыки теряются, и каждый раз приходиться рыться в своих записках сумасшедшего записях на эту тему и каждый раз заново «изобретать велосипед». А чтобы мои труды не пропадали зря, я решил из всего этого составить статью для хабра.

Сразу условимся, что коммерческое предложение (далее будем называть его КП) мы пишем не для IT-шника (они слишком суровы чтобы читать КП) а для среднестатистического владельца малого или среднего бизнеса, ведь именно владелец бизнеса примет итоговое решение по вашему предложению.

Также условимся что как пример, мы говорим про КП на разработку сайта. Хотя описанное ниже можно смело применять к любому коммерческому предложению.

1. Начните написание КП со сбора информации
Устройте мозговой штурм (сами или с компаньоном). Создайте текстовый файл и копируйте пишите туда любые идеи для текста КП: фразы, заголовки, предложения, ваши преимущества, ваши акции. Всё полностью, пока не закончатся идеи. Далее составьте структуру вашего будущего КП.

2. Заголовок КП должен ясно показать клиенту какую его проблему будет решать ваше предложение
У маркетологов есть такой любимый пример — «покупателю нужна не дрель, а дырки«. Также и вашему клиенту, не нужен сайт, ему нужно повышение продаж, представление продукции, раскрутка бренда.

3. Уберите описание вашей компании вообще
Все эти унылые тексты типа «мы были образованы тогда….», «мы динамично развивающаяся компания…,» никому не нужны! Их никто не читает, поверьте! Клиента не интересует кто вы, его интересует насколько эффективно вы можете решить его проблему здесь и сейчас.

4. Избегайте в тексте слов Мы, Нам, Наш
Такой текст написать довольно сложно, но если получится, то он приобретает совсем иной оттенок. Чаще используйте слова Вы, Ваш, Вам.

5. Говорите на одном языке с клиентом.
Выкиньте из вашего текста все технические термины. Клиента мало волнует что вы можете ваять на CSS3 и HTML5, что вы работаете с последней версией PHP и MySQL, и т.д… Мало того что клиента это не интересует вообще, так у него ещё и сложится совершенно правильное мнение что вы зациклены только на технологии, а не на решении его проблемы.

6. Находите аргументы понятные клиенту
Как пример — можно долго расписывать преимущества какой-то CMS, а можно просто сказать, что на этой CMS сделан сайт такой-то и такой-то очень большой корпорации, и это будет весьма весомый аргумент понятный всем без объяснений.

7. Не пишите много текста, клиенту нужна только суть
Составляйте простые, короткие предложения. Не используйте сложные обороты. Каждый абзац должен содержать не более трёх строк. Подряд должно идти не больше трёх абзацев текста.

8. Добавьте отзывы от клиентов
Если у вас есть отзывы, то обязательно добавьте самые сочные цитаты из нескольких. Но обязательно с указанием компании составившей отзыв, ФИО и должности сотрудника его подписавшего.

9. Итоговый размер КП не должен превышать 2х страниц
Представьте рабочий день руководителя малого бизнеса, у которого куча своих текущих проблем и вопросов, и тут ему на email падает огромное КП с кучей текста. В лучшем случае он его быстро пролистает только в поисках цены, в худшем — просто закроет увидев его размер.
КП должно быть коротким и лаконичным. Живого текста должно в итоге получится не более чем на 1 — 1,5 страницы, чтобы осталось место дизайнеру для оформления.

10. Не поскупитесь на дизайн КП
КП оформленное просто текстом, с хорошей типографикой, это уже неплохо. Но если заказать оформление коммерческого предложения у профессионала, то оно будет заметно выделятся среди всех остальных.

И последнее. Не пытайтесь составить КП за день. С такими идеями всегда нужно переспать, чтобы на следующий день всё ещё раз пересмотреть со свежей головой.

• в первый день — соберите материал для КП, составьте структуру, начните писать КП,
• во второй день — постарайтесь дописать всё КП,
• на третий день — сделайте финальную правку, покажите КП своим знакомым, внесите финальные корректировки и отправляйте дизайнеру для оформления.

90000 Quotation Marks: How To Use Them Correctly (With Examples) 90001 90002 90003 We use quotation marks with direct quotes, with titles of certain works, to imply alternate meanings, and to write words as words. 90004 90003 Block quotations are not set off with quotation marks. 90004 90003 The quoted text is capitalized if you’re quoting a complete sentence and not capitalized if you’re quoting a fragment. 90004 90009 90010 [note = «Grammarly will make sure your writing is clear and mistake-free.»Button =» Get Grammarly «] 90011 90012 Do commas and periods go inside or outside quotation marks? 90013 90002 90003 Commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks in American English; dashes, colons, and semicolons almost always go outside the quotation marks; question marks and exclamation marks sometimes go inside, sometimes stay outside. 90004 90009 90018 When to use quotation marks 90019 90010 Quotation marks are for when you want to use someone else’s words in your writing.Let’s say you want to write about something you heard your friend say. You could do it like this: 90011 90010 You can write about the same thing without using the quotation marks, with a couple of changes: 90011 90010 90011 90010 The first sentence contains a 90027 direct quote 90028, a quote in which you report the exact words John used. The second sentence contains an 90027 indirect quote 90028, which is a paraphrased version of what John said. 90027 Quotation marks are used only with direct quotes.90028 90011 90010 This rule is not just for speech. If you’re quoting a written source, you should still put the quote between quotation marks unless you plan to paraphrase it. 90011 90012 Run-in and block quotations 90013 90010 Direct quotations come in two different forms: run-in and block. Run-in quotations are shorter and they are formatted the same as the surrounding text. Block quotes, are long quotes that are separated from the surrounding text. Usually, they appear as a separate paragraph (or series of paragraphs) with a different font, a change in the line spacing, or a wider margin.In any case, block quotes do not need quotation marks to set them off from the remaining text, even though they are direct quotes. 90011 90010 And in case you’re wondering just how long a quote needs to get for it to be a block quote, it varies from one style guide to another. If you have to follow a style guide, you should check it for best practices. If you do not have to follow a style guide, set your own rule (like five lines of text makes a block quotation), and stick to it. 90011 90018 Quotation mark rules 90019 90010 The first rule of using quotations is that once they’re opened, they have to be closed.The person reading your work needs to know where the quote starts and where it ends. But that’s an easy one. What about some trickier quotation mark rules? 90011 90012 Quotations and capitalization 90013 90010 Sometimes, the text inside quotation marks is capitalized, other times it is not. Capitalization of the quoted material depends on the material itself- 90027 if you’re quoting a complete sentence, you should start the quote with a capital letter 90028, even if the quote is placed in the middle of a sentence: 90011 90010 90027 If you’re quoting a phrase or a part of a sentence, do not start the quote with a capital letter 90028: 90011 90010 90027 If you’re splitting a quote in half to interject a parenthetical, you should not capitalize the second part of the quote 90028: 90011 90012 Quotation marks and other punctuation marks 90013 90010 Does punctuation go inside or outside quotation marks? This question mostly refers to the sentence-ending punctuation marks- 90027 punctuation marks that introduce a quote are never placed within quotation marks.90028 90011 90010 Sentence-ending punctuation is a whole different story. In the United States, the rule of thumb is that 90027 commas and periods always go inside the quotation marks, and colons and semicolons (dashes as well) go outside 90028: 90011 90010 «There was a storm last night,» Paul said. 90011 90010 Peter, however, did not believe him. «I’m not sure that’s exactly what happened.» 90011 90010 Peter was aware of what he called «Paul’s weakness triangle»: he was half deaf, slept like a log, and was prone to lying.90011 90010 Paul saw an argument coming, so he muttered only «But I saw it»; this was going to be a long night and he did not want to start it with a fight. 90011 90010 Question marks and exclamation points have their own rules. 90011 90010 90027 If they apply to the quoted material, they go within the quotation marks. If they apply to the whole sentence, they go outside it 90028: 90011 90010 Sandy asked them, «Why do you guys always fight?» 90011 90010 Did the dog bark every time he heard Sandy say «I’m bringing dinner»? 90011 90012 Quotes within quotes 90013 90010 So now you know how to deal with quotation marks and punctuation and capitalization, but what if the quote you want to take already contains quotation marks? This can happen, too.Say you want to write a direct quote in which someone is praising their favorite chapter from one of the Harry Potter books. Would you do it like this? 90011 90010 «» The Dementor’s Kiss «is my favorite chapter in the whole series,» Tom said. 90011 90010 It does not work, does it? You might even manage to confuse your word processing program. But if you do it like this, everything will look much better: 90011 90010 » ‘The Dementor’s Kiss’ is my favorite chapter in the whole series,» Tom said.90011 90010 See how that worked better? 90027 We use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes. 90028 90011 90018 Other uses of quotation marks: titles of short works, words as words, scare quotes 90019 90010 Besides setting off other people’s words, quotation marks have a couple of other uses. Depending on the style guide you’re using, you might use quotation marks to emphasize titles of all types of compositions (AP Stylebook), or just short compositions (most of the other style guides).Titles of books, albums, magazines, newspapers, and other standalone and bigger bodies of work are usually italicized. Poems, chapters, articles-smaller bodies of work, or bodies of work which form a larger body of work-are emphasized by using quotation marks. 90011 90010 You can also use quotation marks to signify words used as words. For example: «inhale» means to take a breath. The quotation marks show that you’re talking about the word itself, not the action of inhaling. However, you’ll often hear that it’s better to italicize words used as words rather than put them in quotation marks-different style guides might prescribe different rules.90011 90010 Some writers put quotes around words they want to distance themselves from. Quotation marks used this way are commonly called scare quotes or shudder quotes. It’s a way of implying that you’re using a term in an unusual way or that you do not necessarily approve of it: 90011 90010 Scare quotes are sort of like air quotes, and if you know anything about air quotes, you know that they should be used in moderation. The same applies to scare quotes. 90011 90010 You might see quotation marks used instead of parentheses for translations.So you can write translations like this: 90011 90010 She told him 90115 bonjour 90116 (good day) when they met. 90011 90010 But you can also do it like this: 90011 90010 She told him 90115 bonjour 90116, «good day,» when they met. 90011 90018 Single quotation marks 90019 90010 We’ve already mentioned that single quotation marks can be used for quotes within quotes. But that’s not all they can do-they can also be used instead of parentheses for translations, but in that case, they do not have to be separated by commas: 90011 90010 She told him 90115 bonjour 90116 ‘good day’ when they met.90011 90010 Highly specialized terms in certain fields can also be written within single quotation marks: 90011 90010 Many scholars still argue about Lacan’s ‘desire’ and its implications. 90011 90010 You can also see single quotation marks instead of double quotation marks in headlines of newspaper articles. And of course, all of these rules apply to American English-single vs. double quotation marks is a whole different story in British English. 90011 .90000 Quotation Marks | Punctuation Rules 90001 90002 The rules set forth in this section are customary in the United States. Great Britain and other countries in the Commonwealth of Nations are governed by quite different conventions. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Rule 4 in this section, a rule that has the advantage of being far simpler than Britain’s and the disadvantage of being far less logical. 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 1.90007 90008 Use double quotation marks to set off a direct (word-for-word) quotation. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Correct: 90008 «I hope you will be here,» he said. 90014 90005 Incorrect: 90008 He said that he «hoped I would be there.» 90007 (The quotation marks are incorrect because 90006 hoped I would be there 90007 does not state the speaker’s exact words.) 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 2a. 90007 90008 Always capitalize the first word in a complete quotation, even midsentence.90003 90002 90006 90005 Example: 90008 Lamarr said, «The case is far from over, and we will win.» 90007 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 2b. 90007 90008 Do not capitalize quoted material that continues a sentence. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Example: 90008 Lamarr said that the case was «far from over» and that «we will win.» 90007 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 3a.90007 90008 Use commas to introduce or interrupt direct quotations. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Examples: 90008 90014 He said, «I do not care.» 90014 «Why,» I asked, «do not you care?» 90007 90003 90002 This rule is optional with one-word quotations. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Example: 90008 He said «Stop.» 90007 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 3b. 90007 90008 If the quotation comes before 90006 he said, she wrote, they reported, Dana insisted 90007, or a similar attribution, end the quoted material with a comma, even if it is only one word.90003 90002 90006 90005 Examples: 90008 90014 «I do not care,» he said. 90014 «Stop,» he said. 90007 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 3c. 90007 90008 If a quotation functions as a subject or object in a sentence, it might not need a comma. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Examples: 90008 90014 Is «I do not care» all you can say to me? 90014 Saying «Stop the car» was a mistake.90007 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 4. 90007 90008 Periods and commas ALWAYS go inside quotation marks. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Examples: 90008 90014 The sign said, «Walk.» Then it said, «Do not Walk,» then, «Walk,» all within thirty seconds. 90014 He yelled, «Hurry up.» 90007 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 5a. 90007 90008 The placement of question marks with quotation marks follows logic.If a question is within the quoted material, a question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Examples: 90008 90014 She asked, «Will you still be my friend?» 90007 90014 The question 90006 Will you still be my friend? 90007 is part of the quotation. 90003 90002 90006 Do you agree with the saying, «All’s fair in love and war»? 90007 90014 The question 90006 Do you agree with the saying? 90007 is outside the quotation.90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 5b. 90007 90008 If a quoted question ends in midsentence, the question mark replaces a comma. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Example: 90008 «Will you still be my friend?» she asked. 90007 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 6. 90007 90008 Quotation marks are used for components, such as chapter titles in a book, individual episodes of a TV series, songs from a Broadway show or a music album, titles of articles or essays in print or online, and shorter works such as short stories and poems.90003 90002 It is customary in American publishing to put the title of an entire composition in italics. Put the title of a short work-one that is or could be part of a larger undertaking-in quotation marks. 90003 90002 A «composition» is a creative, journalistic, or scholarly enterprise that is whole, complex, a thing unto itself. This includes books, movies, plays, TV shows, newspapers, magazines, websites, music albums, operas, musical theater, paintings, sculptures, and other works of art.90003 90002 90006 90005 Example: 90008 90007 Richard Burton performed the song «Camelot» in the 1960 Broadway musical 90006 Camelot 90007. 90003 90002 Although the word is the same, «Camelot» the song takes quotation marks because it’s part of a larger work-namely, a full-length show called 90006 Camelot 90007. 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 7. 90007 90008 Use single quotation marks for quotations within quotations.90003 90002 90006 90005 Example: 90008 Dan said: «In a town outside Brisbane, I saw ‘Tourists go home’ written on a wall. But then someone told me, ‘Pay it no mind, lad.’ «90007 90003 90002 Note that the period goes inside both the single and double quotation marks. Also note that, as a courtesy, there is visible space between adjacent single and double quotation marks. 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 8a. 90007 90008 Quotation marks are often used with technical terms, terms used in an unusual way, or other expressions that vary from standard usage.90003 90002 90006 90005 Examples: 90008 90014 It’s an oil-extraction method known as «fracking.» 90014 He did some «experimenting» in his college days. 90014 I had a visit from my «friend» the tax man. 90007 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 8b. 90007 90008 Never use single quotation marks in sentences like the previous three. 90003 90002 90006 90005 Incorrect: 90008 I had a visit from my ‘friend’ the tax man.90007 90003 90002 The single quotation marks in the above sentence are intended to send a message to the reader that 90006 friend 90007 is being used in a special way: in this case, sarcastically. Avoid this invalid usage. Single quotation marks are valid only within a quotation, as per Rule 7, above. 90003 90002 90005 90006 Rule 9. 90007 90008 When quoted material runs more than one paragraph, start each new paragraph with opening quotation marks, but do not use closing quotation marks until the end of the passage.90003 90002 90006 90005 Example: 90008 90014 She wrote: «I do not paint anymore. For a while I thought it was just a phase that I’d get over. 90014 «Now, I do not even try.» 90007 90003 .90000 How to Quote Sources | Introduce, Shorten and Cite Quotes 90001 90002 Quoting means copying a passage of someone else’s words and crediting the source. In academic writing, you can use quotes to define concepts, provide evidence or analyze language. 90003 90002 To correctly quote a source, you must ensure: 90003 90006 90007 The quoted text is surrounded by quotation marks. 90008 90007 The original author is correctly cited. 90008 90007 The text is identical to the original (or you have clearly marked any changes you made).90008 90013 90002 The format of a quote depends on how long it is and which citation style you are using. 90003 90016 Example of a quote 90017 90002 «As natural selection acts solely by accumulating slight, successive, favourable variations, it can produce no great or sudden modification; it can act only by very short and slow steps «(Darwin, 1859, p. 510). 90003 90002 90021 90022 90003 90024 Introducing a quote 90025 90002 Each time you include a quotation in your paper, you must introduce it.This shows the reader why you’re including the quote and how it fits into your argument. 90003 90002 There are three main ways to introduce quotes. 90003 90030 Introductory sentence 90031 90002 You can introduce the quote with a full sentence followed by a colon. 90003 90002 In Denmark, a recent poll shows that support for the EU has grown since the Brexit vote: «A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters» (Levring, 2018). 90003 90030 Introductory signal phrase 90031 90002 You can use a signal phrase that mentions the author or source, but does not form a full sentence.In this case, you follow the phrase with a comma instead of a colon. 90003 90002 According to Levring (2018), «A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters.» 90003 90002 The introductory phrase can also use dialogue verbs such as 90043 argues 90044, 90043 claims 90044, or 90043 explains 90044. 90003 90002 As Levring (2018) states, «A membership referendum held today would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters.» 90003 90030 Integrated into your own sentence 90031 90002 If you want to quote a phrase that does not form a full sentence, you can embed it into a sentence of your own.90003 90002 A recent poll suggests that EU membership «would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters» in a referendum (Levring, 2018). 90003 90024 Shortening a quote 90025 90002 If some parts of a passage are redundant or irrelevant, you can shorten the quote by removing words, phrases or sentences and replacing them with ellipses (…). 90003 90002 When you shorten a quote, be careful that removing the words does not change the meaning of the original quote. 90003 90016 Original quote 90017 90002 «Feminists have long been sceptical, with good reason, of essentialist claims about women, which have traditionally served to legitimise or disguise our subjugation.The idea that women are inherently more peace-loving or empathetic is not substantially different from familiar sexist stereotypes «(Finlayson, 2019). 90003 90016 Shortened quote 90017 90002 «Feminists have long been sceptical, with good reason, of essentialist claims about women … The idea that women are inherently more peace-loving or empathetic is not substantially different from familiar sexist stereotypes» (Finlayson, 2019) . 90003 90002 The ellipses indicate that some text has been removed, but the shortened quote still accurately represents the author’s point.90003 90030 What can proofreading do for your paper? 90031 90002 Scribbr editors not only correct grammar and spelling mistakes, but also strengthen your writing by making sure your paper is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing. 90003 90002 See editing example 90003 90024 Adding information to a quote 90025 90002 If a quote is missing information that is essential to understand it, you can add it in square brackets. For example, if the quote uses a pronoun referring to a previous sentence, you can replace the pronoun with the person’s name in brackets.90003 90016 Original quote 90017 90002 As Anderson (2019) puts it, «for two years she enjoyed quite widespread esteem for a show of calm and competence. But her inheritance was less rosy than it seemed. » 90003 90016 Quote with information added 90017 90002 As Anderson (2019) puts it, «for two years [Dilma] enjoyed quite widespread esteem for a show of calm and competence. But her inheritance was less rosy than it seemed. » 90003 90024 Citing a quote 90025 90002 All direct quotes (and paraphrased ideas) must include a citation of the original source.If you do not cite the quotes used, you risk committing plagiarism. Be aware that the consequences of plagiarism can be serious. 90003 90002 The way you cite a source depends on the citation style. Many citation styles use in-text citations in parentheses directly after the quote, while others require you to use footnotes. 90003 90002 The differences can be subtle, so make sure you know the rules of the style you are using, and be consistent. 90003 90030 Examples of in-text citations 90031 90016 APA in-text citation 90017 90002 A famous soccer player always said, «playing soccer with each other on a beautiful Sunday afternoon is the greatest thing there is» (Sneijder, 2013, pp.2-3). 90003 90016 MLA in-text citation 90017 90002 A famous soccer player always said, «playing soccer with each other on a beautiful Sunday afternoon is the greatest thing there is» (Sneijder 2-3). 90003 90016 Chicago in-text citation (author-date style) 90017 90002 A famous soccer player always said, «playing soccer with each other on a beautiful Sunday afternoon is the greatest thing there is» (Sneijder 2013, 2-3). 90003 90016 Chicago footnote citation (notes and bibliography style) 90017 90002 A famous soccer player always said, «playing soccer with each other on a beautiful Sunday afternoon is the greatest thing there is.»90117 1 90118 90003 90002 As well as the in-text citation, you will have to include full publication details of the source. You list all the sources you cited at the end of your paper. The requirements for formatting this list vary by citation style. 90003 90002 MLA Works CitedAPA Reference PageChicago Bibliography 90003 90024 Block quotes 90025 90002 If you quote more than a few lines from a source, you must format it as a block quote. Instead of using quotation marks, you set the quote on a new line and indent it so that it forms a separate block of text.90003 90002 Block quoting is most common in literary analysis, where detailed analysis of the original text requires you to quote at length. 90003 90016 When to block quote 90017 90132 90133 90134 90135 Citation style 90136 90135 APA block quote 90136 90135 MLA block quote 90136 90135 Chicago block quote 90136 90143 90144 90145 90134 90135 When to block quote 90136 90149 Quotes longer than 40 words 90150 90149 Quotes of prose longer than four lines 90002 Quotes of poetry / verse longer than three lines 90003 90150 90149 Quotes longer than 100 words 90150 90143 90158 90159 90016 Example of a block quote (APA style) 90017 90002 Tolkien favours long sentences and detailed descriptions.Indeed, in some cases, Tolkien’s sentences are so long they form a paragraph of their own: 90003 90164 90002 To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more.(Tolkien, 1937, p. 16) 90003 90167 90024 How to quote a quote 90025 90002 If you want to quote a passage that contains another quote, the quotation marks inside the passage become single instead of double. 90003 90002 «There were reasons to ‘start growing grim about the mouth,’ as Melville put it» (Witt, 2019). 90003 90002 Note that, in UK English, the convention is the other way round: single quotation marks are standard, while double quotation marks are used for quotes inside quotes. 90003 90030 Indirectly citing a quote 90031 90002 If you want to use material that you found quoted in another source (without including any of that source’s own text), you can quote it as normal and add an indirect citation.90003 90002 The convention for indirect citing depends on the citation style. In MLA in-text citations, you use «qtd. in, «short for» quoted in, «to cite indirectly. 90003 90002 «The politics that’s needed to prevent the climate catastrophe — it does not exist today. We need to change the system «(Thunberg, qtd. In Gessen). 90003 90002 If possible, though, it’s usually best to seek out the original source of the quote and cite it directly. 90003 90024 When to quote 90025 90002 In academic papers and essays, you should avoid relying too heavily on quotes.When you want to refer to information or ideas from a source, it’s often best to paraphrase, which means putting the passage in your own words. This shows that you have fully understood the text and ensures your own voice is dominant. 90003 90002 However, there are some situations in which quotes are more appropriate. 90003 90030 When focusing on language 90031 90002 If you want to comment on how the author uses language (for example, in papers about literature, linguistics, communication and media), it is necessary to quote so that the reader can see the exact passage you are referring to.90003 90016 Example 90017 90002 You are writing a paper about the novels of a modernist author. You will have to quote frequently from the novels in order to analyze their language and style. 90003 90030 When giving evidence 90031 90002 To convince the reader of your argument, interpretation or position on a topic, it’s often helpful to include quotes that support your point. Quotes from primary sources (for example, interview transcripts or historical documents) are especially credible as evidence.90003 90016 Example 90017 90002 You are working on a paper about the causes of a historical event, and you have studied documents and letters written at the time. You can quote from these sources as evidence in support of your argument. 90003 90030 When presenting an author’s position or definition 90031 90002 When you’re referring to secondary sources such as scholarly books and journal articles, the occasional concise quote can be used to present other authors ‘theories, arguments or ideas.You can quote to show that your point is supported by an authority on the topic, or to critique a position that you disagree with. 90003 90002 Try to put others ‘ideas in your own words when possible. But if a passage does a great job at expressing, explaining, or defining something, and it would be very difficult to paraphrase without changing the meaning or losing the impact, it could be worth quoting directly. 90003 90016 Example 90017 90002 Your interpretation of survey data is supported by a well-known theory on your topic.You find a sentence that perfectly sums up the theory, so you quote the author before elaborating on your understanding of the theory. 90003 90024 How many quotes should you use? 90025 90002 The amount of quotes you should include depends on your subject of study and topic of research. 90003 90002 In scientific subjects, the information itself is more important than how it was expressed, so quotes should generally be kept to a minimum. In the arts and humanities, however, well-chosen quotes are often essential to a good paper.90003 90002 In social sciences, the amount of quotes you use depends partly on whether you’re doing qualitative or quantitative research. If you’re dealing mainly with numbers and statistics, you should not include many quotes, but if you’re dealing mainly with words, you will need to quote from the data you collected. 90003 90002 As a general guideline, we recommend that quotes take up no more than 5-10% of your paper. If in doubt, check with your instructor or supervisor how much quoting is appropriate in your field.90003.90000 MLA Formatting Quotations // Purdue Writing Lab 90001 90002 MLA Formatting Quotations 90003 90004 90005 Summary: 90006 90007 90004 MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the 90009 MLA Handbook 90010 (8 90011 th 90012 ed.), Offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes / footnotes, and the Works Cited page.90007 90004 When you directly quote the works of others in your paper, you will format quotations differently depending on their length. Below are some basic guidelines for incorporating quotations into your paper. Please note that all pages in MLA should be 90005 double-spaced 90006. 90007 90018 Short quotations 90019 90004 To indicate short quotations (four typed lines or fewer of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page number (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the in-text citation, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page.Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation. 90007 90004 Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage, but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text. 90007 90004 For example, when quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples: 90007 90004 According to some, dreams express «profound aspects of personality» (Foulkes 184), though others disagree.90007 90004 According to Foulkes’s study, dreams may express «profound aspects of personality» (184). 90007 90004 Is it possible that dreams may express «profound aspects of personality» (Foulkes 184)? 90007 90004 When using short (fewer than three lines of verse) quotations from poetry, mark breaks in verse with a slash, (/), at the end of each line of verse (a space should precede and follow the slash). If a stanza break occurs during the quotation, use a double slash (//). 90007 90004 Cullen concludes, «Of all the things that happened there / That’s all I remember» (11-12).90007 90018 Long quotations 90019 90004 For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 90005 ½ 90006 90005 inch 90006 from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come 90005 after the closing punctuation mark 90006. When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.) 90007 90004 For example, when citing more than four lines of prose, use the following examples: 90007 90004 Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration: 90049 They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw’s door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber.Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78) 90007 90004 When citing long sections of poetry (four lines of verse or more), keep formatting as close to the original as possible. 90007 90004 In his poem «My Papa’s Waltz,» Theodore Roethke explores his childhood with his father: 90007 90004 The whiskey on your breath 90049 Could make a small boy dizzy; 90049 But I hung on like death: 90049 Such waltzing was not easy.90049 We Romped until the pans 90049 Slid from the kitchen shelf; 90049 My mother’s countenance 90049 Could not unfrown itself. (Qtd. In Shrodes, Finestone, Shugrue 202) 90007 90004 When citing two or more paragraphs, use block quotation format, even if the passage from the paragraphs is less than four lines. If you cite more than one paragraph, the first line of the second paragraph should be indented an extra 1/4 inch to denote a new paragraph: 90007 90004 In «American Origins of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Movement,» David Russell argues, 90007 90004 Writing has been an issue in American secondary and higher education since papers and examinations came into wide use in the 1870s, eventually driving out formal recitation and oral examination.. . . 90007 90004 From its birth in the late nineteenth century, progressive education has wrestled with the conflict within industrial society between pressure to increase specialization of knowledge and of professional work (upholding disciplinary standards) and pressure to integrate more fully an ever-widening number of citizens into intellectually meaningful activity within mass society (promoting social equity). . . . (3) 90007 90018 Adding or omitting words in quotations 90019 90004 If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text: 90007 90004 Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states, «some individuals [who retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale» (78).90007 90004 If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipses, which are three periods (…) Preceded and followed by a space. For example: 90007 90004 In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that «some individuals make a point of learning every recent rumor or tale… And in a short time a lively exchange of details occurs» (78). 90007 90004 Please note that brackets are not needed around ellipses unless they would add clarity.90007 90004 When omitting words from poetry quotations, use a standard three-period ellipses; however, when omitting one or more full lines of poetry, space several periods to about the length of a complete line in the poem: 90007 90004 These beauteous forms, 90049 Through a long absence, have not been to me 90049 As is a landscape to a blind man’s eye: 90007 90004. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90007 90004 Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart; 90049 And passing even into my purer mind, 90049 With tranquil restoration.. . (22-24, 28-30) 90007 .