Quotes in the middle or end of an essay help show the author’s opinion on the topic. Looking for a quote to introduce a quote in an essay? Think about the writer’s context and audience. If you see an essay by the best essay writing service, you would find how perfectly they use the quotes inside their essay. Using a quote at the middle or the end will limit the number of quotes available for the bulk of the text. Here are some ideas about how to start an essay with a quote.
On this page, you’ll learn about the following:
Why Do You Need Quotes on Essay
How does the quote fit into the thesis statement? In a research paper, quotes should only go in the text after you have mentioned all the research topics and the general background and conclusions of the argument. In an essay written to present a particular view, quotes should only be inserted where it makes sense.
For example, a quote by Einstein on space flight would make more sense if you had mentioned that many people have discussed space flight in their lives. Do not quote from secondary sources unless they add further insight or meaning to the essay
Adding Quotes on Essays: Rules
- The quote is usually in the middle of the essay, so where does it fit? The best place for a quote is in the middle, between the two main paragraphs. Sentences that begin with “It was so…” or a related sentence like “It’s true that…” should not contain any quoted words, since they lose the context of the quote.
- Furthermore, sentences that serve as a foreword or the main body should not contain any quote-like words. A quote in this area of the text will likely lose its effect.
- Sentence types that refer back to the thesis statement should also contain no quoted words. These are known as dependent clauses since they depend on the main body for their content. The thesis statement is usually the most important part of the essay, so the emphasis must be on it.
- However, this does not mean that the other parts of the essay cannot have their own important place. The quote is most appropriate when it comes from an expert source that is related to the thesis statement.
Adding Quote on Essays: Requirement
In order to get the right quote, it is important to choose one that fits the requirements of the assignment and the style of writing the essay. For example, a Quote about Patriotism from a famous writer would fit into the body paragraphs, while a Quote from a political activist may work better as a paragraph treatment. Even sentence structures can vary.
One particular favorite of mine is to use a quote about freedom and end with a personal note. An example might be “A famous political activist once said that nothing could shake his commitment to the defense of freedom than the knowledge that he had once saved the life of a young woman who was condemned to death for being a lesbian.”
Adding Quotes on Essays: Different Ways
There are many different ways to utilize quotations in your essays. Some of the things you should keep in mind are that the quotes should relate to the topic of the essay, they must flow naturally without seeming forced, and they must fit in naturally with the rest of the essay.
- If you’re writing a review of a recent movie, the quote could be something like “The Special effects were so well done that I laughed more than I normally do after seeing movies.”
- If your subject has a blog, the quote could appear in the post rather than as a complete paragraph within the main body of the essay.
- Of course, you need to make sure that your quotes really do fit into the flow of the essay and that they are appropriate to the topic.
Adding Quotes on Essays: Get Resources From Books
If you don’t have any ideas or resources for essay quotes, you can always go to the library and check out some books on the subject. You’ll likely have to read quite a few before you are ready to use them in your own writing, but they are certainly worth the effort.
If you have any trouble finding good books on this topic, the Internet will also supply you with plenty of excellent information. In fact, you may even find websites that will allow you to download complete lists of great quotes and write your own essay based on them.
The Bottom Line
How to start an essay with a quote is not a difficult task if you approach it carefully. The key to remember is that you really only need one quote per essay, so choose wisely. Be careful not to choose something that is too common, or that is too frivolous. If possible, pick three or four good quotes that fit the topic well and go from there. Start writing your paper the right way by following the advice above. Soon you’ll find that your style will flow well and you’ll be using quote after quote to great effect!