How to Properly Cite a Quote From a Book

Why Citing is Important

Citing a quote from a book is important for a number of reasons. For one, it helps to give credit to the original author. It also allows other readers to find the source of the quote if they'd like to learn more about it. Finally, it helps to ensure accuracy and avoid plagiarism.

How to Cite a Quote From a Book

Citing a quote from a book is relatively simple and straightforward. First, you'll need to include the author's name, year of publication, and page number in parentheses after the quote. This can be done in the following format: (Author's Last Name, Year, Page Number).

Example

For example, if you were citing a quote from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, it might look like this: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" (Shakespeare, 1597, P.2).

In-Text Citations

In addition to the information that should be included in the parentheses, you may also want to include an in-text citation. An in-text citation is a brief mention of the author, usually the author's last name, in the text of your paper. This serves as a reminder to the reader that the content you are presenting is not your own. For example, you might say "Shakespeare once said..." and then include the quote.

Quoting a Quote

Sometimes you might need to quote a quote from a book. In this case, you'll need to include both sets of citations. First, include the citation for the book, as you would normally do. Then, include the citation for the quote within the book. The quote should be surrounded by double quotation marks and the citation should be included in parentheses after the quote. For example, "(Shakespeare, 1597, p.2, as quoted in Smith, 2019, p.5)".

Quoting Longer Passages

If you are quoting a longer passage from a book, you'll need to use block quotations. Block quotations are a bit different than regular quotations in that they are not surrounded by quotation marks. Instead, they should be indented from the left margin. You should also include the page number at the end of the quotation, as you would with a regular quotation.

Citing Multiple Authors

If you are citing a quote from a book with multiple authors, you'll need to include all of the authors' names in the parentheses. The names should be separated by commas and the word "and" should be used before the final author's name. For example, "(Smith, Brown, and Jones, 2019, p.5)".

Conclusion

Citing a quote from a book is a simple process that can help you give credit to the original author and avoid plagiarism. All you need to do is include the author's name, year of publication, and page number in parentheses after the quote. You may also want to include an in-text citation and quotation marks for quotes within quotes. Finally, if you are quoting a longer passage, you'll need to use block quotations.