Putting an explanation after a quote is like securing a huge delicious sandwich with its top bun!
Quotes are an amazing way to put a little flavor in your writing. It gives different points of views of a certain subject, and it can draw major attention to your writing. The only way a quote cannot work in writing is when the writer does not correctly format how to use a quote.
There are THREE concepts to make a quote fit perfectly in an essay. You should have read the two blogs about formatting a quotation: Introduction of the quote, and what kind of quote should an individual use in their writing. Then the third key factor of a fitting a quote in is that a person needs to secure the quote with an explanation. There is literally no point in doing an introduction to a quote, but then not explaining why the quote is important to your writing.
Here is an illustration of how a quote should be formatted (in sandwich style)
Just think, you put the bottom bun down so you can start the delicious sandwich (the introduction of the quote). Then next, you put the most important part on that you enjoy and possibly what other people enjoy as well (the actual quote). Lastly, you put the top bun on because if the top bun was not there, your sandwich would fall apart and you could not enjoy the delicious sandwich at all.
The actual quote is highly important, but it also should be backed up to relate to your writing. In my opinion, and also professors’ opinions, if there is no explanation of a quote, why would you even put the quote in your writing in the first place? The purposes to using explanations after a quote are:
- Why did you, the writer, think this was a good quote?
- Does the quote give a valid point to the subject of the writing?
- Is the quote interesting?
- Does is relate to your thesis?
HINT: Sometimes the explanation should be longer than your actual quote!
EXAMPLE OF GOOD EXPLANATION:
(INTRODUCTION) Another of James’ interesting positions is his agreement that a non-military conscription can improve our society by improving the character of the young people who serve it.
(QUOTE) He claims that “we should get toughness without callousness, authority with as little criminal cruelty as possible, and painful work done cheering because the duty is temporary, and threatens not, as now, to degrade the whole remainder of one’s life
(EXPLANATION) I agree with James that requiring everyone to serve in a non-military army could cause these positive characteristics to become much more commonplace in our country, which in turn would cause our society and even our politics to be much improved.
**There are more examples at http://engl099-marks.wikispaces.umb.edu/file/view/POST+9.21.pdf to form a quote in the best possible way
Here is another image to reinforce on how a quote should be set up:
Overall, forming a perfect sandwich for a quote is completely simple if you just learn the basic facts of how to form it! If you use this format correctly, it will make your writing change completely because in my opinion good writing always needs a spice of quotations in it!
