Using quotations

Ages 9 to 12 Read alone or together · about 25 minutes

Read together

A quotation repeats someone's exact words. We put it in quotation marks and say who said it.

Quotes give evidence for what we write. Use short ones and explain what they show.

Do it

1. Read a short passage from a book you are studying. Choose one sentence that matters.
2. Copy it exactly in quotation marks. Add who wrote it and where.
3. Write one sentence that explains what the quote shows.
4. Check that you changed none of the words.

Talk about it

• Why did you choose this quote?
• What does it prove?

For the grown-up

Quoting accurately and giving credit is the base of honest writing. Taking words without credit is plagiarism. Use a short quote, then explain it in your own words.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers, Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (2010), standard W.4.8 (recall information and give credit to sources)
• Modern Language Association, MLA Handbook (9th edition, 2021), guidance on quotation

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.