--- title: "Quoting accurately from texts" description: "Quote accurately from literary and informational texts when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences, using quotation marks and citations correctly" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/quoting-accurately-from-texts-mt_ak_ZgoMKRQ source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/quoting-accurately-from-texts-mt_ak_ZgoMKRQ.md retrieved: 2026-10-19 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Quoting accurately from texts Quote accurately from literary and informational texts when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences, using quotation marks and citations correctly Subject: English · Area: Reading Comprehension · Ages 10 to 11 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/quoting-accurately-from-texts-mt_ak_ZgoMKRQ ## Ready when they can - Select and copy exact words from a text to support an inference about character motivation - Use quotation marks correctly when incorporating textual evidence into written responses - Introduce quotes with signal phrases such as 'The author states' or 'According to the text' ## Lesson: Quoting the text exactly Textual evidence can be quoted exactly or accurately reported in your own words. A direct quote lets a reader inspect the author's wording. A paraphrase reports the meaning in your words. Both must stay faithful to the source. Quotation marks identify copied words, not every report of an idea. **Example.** Source: "Maya's hands shook as she read the letter." A direct quote is: The text says, "Maya's hands shook as she read the letter." A paraphrase is: Maya trembled while reading. The quote copies the wording; the paraphrase reports the action. *(drawing: Compare every copied word with the source.)* A paraphrase may support a point without quotation marks. If you present words as a direct quotation, copy them exactly and mark them as copied. Do not label an accurate paraphrase a faulty quote just because it uses different words. A signal phrase identifies the source of quoted or reported words. 'According to the text' points to the text. 'The author states' names the author as speaker. A phrase that only gives a time does a different job. These exercises use American quotation punctuation. After 'The author states', use a comma before a quoted sentence and preserve its capitals. Without a following citation, the final period goes inside the closing quotation mark. With a parenthetical citation, put the period after the citation instead. An integrated quotation after 'that' normally needs no comma. To select a quote, first name the claim you want to support. Find words showing an action, reaction, or detail relevant to that claim. A phrase naming an object or a time may provide context without showing the claimed feeling or motive. Compare the choices by how directly they support the exact claim. Use this classroom parenthetical citation style: name the source and put its locator after the quote. Model: The author states, "The wind howled" (p. 8). Put the sentence period after the locator, not inside the quote. Use a page number when available, or a paragraph number for an unpaginated passage. Check words, capitals, marks and the locator. Your class may require another style. You can integrate a short quote into your sentence: The "cold and endless" night troubled Eli. The copied phrase has quotation marks but no comma separating it from the sentence. It does not need a separate opening such as 'The author states'. Keep the copied words exact. British and American quotation conventions can differ. **Recap.** Copy quoted words exactly, mark them clearly, connect them to your point, and help readers find the source. ## Practice 20 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [Inferring characters' feelings and motives](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/inferring-characters-feelings-and-motives-mt_ukLvUD8DFA) ## Opens up - [Using and Evaluating Textual Evidence](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/using-and-evaluating-textual-evidence-mt_dmFnJzxKwz) - [Justifying views about texts](https://lightmysky.com/learn/english/justifying-views-about-texts-mt_IX37F4rNed)