Quotes into a paper
I found these passages, now how do I put them into my paper?

Using a colon – a dot over a dot :
Set up the quote and then present it as proof of what you have just said.
That is, say something about the quote and then present it like it’s a video or an object you’re putting on display.
It’s a grammatical way of saying, “Here, see for yourself.”

Colon example
The crew feasted on Helios’ cattle with relish: “Now six full days my gallant crew could feast / upon the prime beef they had marked for slaughter” (929-930).
Note that the phrase before the quote could stand on its own as a sentence.
We’ll discuss the punctuation in a minute.

Using NO punctuation
You can mold the author’s words in as if they are your own.
In this case, you’ll probably be summarizing or paraphrasing the story and at some point decide that the writer’s words are better than yours.

Example of Using NO punctuation before the quote
After Odysseus’ men were killed, he was left alone on the sea and began floating “north again, / straight for Charybdis” (965-966).
Note that if I took away the quotation marks, the sentence would flow just like I had written it. That’s when you know you don’t need punctuation.
Your quotes can be little like this too, as long as they have the information you need.

Using commas with quotes
You can introduce the quote with an introductory phrase that leads into the author’s phrasing.

This phrase cannot stand on its own as a sentence.

It will feel like you are writing a piece of dialog for a story.

Using commas cont’d
You will use a comma after your introductory phrase or at the end of the quotation if it leads into another phrase within the sentence.

Examples of commas

Before the quote:
When Odysseus killed Antinous, the suitors cried out, “Foul! to shoot at a man! That was your last shot!” (1432).
At the end of the quote:
“Let me bring you a shield and spear,” offers Telemachos to his battling father (1506).

How do you punctuate this?
Reference lines in parentheses, but do not write down “p.” or any other abbreviation (56).
Periods: Periods go OUTSIDE the quotation marks, “after the line reference” (32).
We won’t worry about the line breaks during this unit – we’ll do that during Romeo and Juliet, but you may have seen what I did in the examples above.

Practice – punctuate these
line 1468
With anger in his heart, Odysseus declares to the suitors There will be killing till the score is paid
lines 1485-1486
Once rallied, the suitors refused to die without a fight Then crying hoarse and loud he hurled himself at Odysseus.

Practice – punctuate these
lines 1445-1446
The suitors then realized Odysseus had returned and sickly green fear pulled at their entrails.
Lines 1393-1394
Odysseus, the parent who had never been there, finally came through for his son Telemachus, the stranger you welcomed in your hall has not disgraced you.