Steps to Essay Success: Quote Blending
How to successfully blend quotes: Choose the important words Blend with your own words Use brackets to replace wording as needed Remove dialogue Fix verb tense Check yourself! Let s Practice!
1. Choose(underline) only the words you need, the minimum you need to make your point. Eliminate (cross out) all others. Watson makes the deduction, Because this stick, though originally a very handsome one, has been so knocked about that I can hardly imagine a town practitioner carrying it. The thick iron furrule is worn down. So it is evident that he has done a great deal of walking with it (6). Watson observes that the walking stick seems warn down, having been knocked about quite a bit, which makes it evident that [the owner] has done a great deal of walking with it (6). This wise observation helps the case by
2. Replace 1 st and 2 nd person pronouns, along with ambiguous pronouns like it, they, and them. [Enclose word changes within brackets.] I tell you, Watson, this time we have got a foeman who is worthy of our steel. I've been checkmated in London (52). Holmes admits to Watson that this time [they] have got a foeman who is worthy of [their] steel, then futher admits that he has been checkmated in London by his mysterious foe (52).
3. Remove dialogue within your quote! Keep only the necessary words, blending them with your own wording. And yet, my dear Watson, there is so very close a connection that the one is extracted out of the other. You, your, your, life, reason, value, keep away, from the. Don t you see now whence these words have been taken? By thunder, you re right! Well, if that isn t smart! cried Sir Henry.(33) Holmes observes a very close connection between the various newspaper clippings found on the mysterious note received by Sir Henry. His intelligence enables Holmes to deduce precisely which newspaper these words have been taken from, which astonishes Sir Henry (33).
3. Check your verb tense to be sure all verbs are written in literary present tense. [Wording changes should be place in brackets.] At the same instant Lestrade gave a yell of terror and threw himself face downwards upon the ground. I sprang to my feet, my inert hand grasping my pistol, my mind paralyzed by the dreadful shape which had sprung out upon us from the shadows of the fog (Doyle 149). While Lestrade [gives] a yell of terror and [throws] himself face downwards upon the ground, Watson bravely [springs] to [his]feet to pursue the murderous hound, despite the fact that his mind [felt] paralyzed by the dreadful shape which had attacked them from the shadows of the fog (33). (Proving Watson s courage)
3. Check your verb tense to be sure all verbs are written in literary present tense. [Wording changes should be place in brackets.] (Proving Holmes determination) Watson states, I had waited patiently for the opportunity, for I was aware that he would never permit cases to overlap, and that his clear and logical mind would not be drawn from its present work to dwell upon the memories of the past (156). Watson gives evidence of Holmes determined personality as he admits that his friend never [permits] cases to overlap, and that as he studies a case he will not allow his clear and logical mind [to] be drawn from its present work to dwell upon memories of the past (156).
3. Check your verb tense to be sure all verbs are written in literary present tense. [Wording changes should be place in brackets.] (Proving Holmes bravery) "The cry had been loud on account of its vehemence...'where is it?' Holmes whispered; and I knew from the thrill of his voice that he was shaken to his soul... 'The hound!' cried Holmes. 'Come Watson!' he had started running swiftly over the moor" (page 126) Even though shaken to his soul by the piercing sound of the hound s howl, Holmes begins running swiftly over the moor in pursuit of the murderous beast (126).
3. Check your verb tense to be sure all verbs are written in literary present tense. [Wording changes should be place in brackets.] (Proving Sir Henry s bravery) No, by thunder; we have come out to get our man, and we will do it. We are after the convict, and a hell-hound, as likely as not, after us (95). Sir Henry insists that they have come out to get [their]man, and will do it despite the dangers and the fact that a hell-hound may be after hunting them down (95).
3. Check your verb tense to be sure all verbs are written in literary present tense. [Wording changes should be place in brackets.] Yes, we shall make our little ambush here. Get into this hollow, Lestrade. You have been inside the house, have you not, Watson? Can you tell the position of the rooms? What are those lattices windows at this end? (PG 146) (Proving Holmes determination) Holmes meticulously plans their little ambush, instructing Lestrade to hide in [a] hollow and asking Watson about the position of the rooms [and] windows (146). Holmes knows that every little detail must be attended to in order for them to successfully catch Stapleton.
(Proving Holmes intelligence) Holmes investigates the death of Sir Charles. Holmes says, The man was elderly and infirm. We can understand his taking an evening stroll, but the ground was damp in the night inclement. Is it natural that he should stand for five or ten minutes, as Dr. Mortimer, with more practical sense that I should give him credit for, deduced from the cigar ash? I think it unlikely that he waited at the moorgate every evening. On the contrary, the evidence is that he avoided the moor. That night he waited there. It was the night before he was to take his departure for London. The thing takes shape, Watson it becomes coherent (30).
While investigating the death of Sir Charles, Homes notices intriguing evidence near the place where his body had been found. Holmes deduces that because the man was elderly and infirm and the ground was damp and the night inclement, he must have stood for five or ten minutes on the night of his death (30). Later, Holmes learns the truth about why Sir Charles had been waiting in that place on the fateful night.