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Photo credit: Iconshock / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
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The Quotation Burger
Think of your quotations as a hamburger. There is a top bun, a meaty middle, and a bottom bun.
The Top Bun
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Introduce the quotation you are about to use. Explain the context of the situation or introduce the idea the quote will be demonstrating.
The Meaty Middle
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This is the actual quotation. Quote the section of text that helps you prove your point (which will, in turn, help you prove your thesis).
The Bottom Bun
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Use the bottom bun to explain the significance of the text you've just quoted. Here you can tie to your paragraph's main point or to your overall thesis statement.
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Example:
Jane Austen introduced Pride and Prejudice with the now well-known words "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" (1). Whether or not this was indeed universally acknowledged, it was most certainly a truth that mothers during Austen's time spent much of their energy towards finding suitable husbands for their daughters.
Note that the author is introduced before the quote so it is not necessary to include Austen's name before the page number in the in-text citation. This quote was introduced (top bun), the quote was made (meaty middle), and then the significance of the quote was explained (bottom bun).
