

The examples in the first section are adapted to APA, which recommends past-tense verbs in signal phrases.

In the examples below, the author being cited is Jane Doe. The format includes the authors last name and the year of publication either in a signal phrase or in a parenthetical. However, a few select signal phrases contain no verbs (e.g., "According to ,"). Often, signal phrases can be distinguished by the presence of a verb like "indicate" or "argue" that references what the author is doing in the original source. These expressions, which usually occur in the parts of sentences that come just before quotes and paraphrases, are called signal phrases (or, in some cases, lead-in phrases).

It is relatively simple to use a wide variety of different expressions to introduce both direct and indirect citations. In most citation styles, including APA, MLA, and Chicago style, you can add variety to your research writing by not always using the same sentence structure to introduce quotations, paraphrases, or pieces of information borrowed from different sources. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. A signal phrase or a lead-in phrase comes before a quotation, paraphrase, or summary, and it. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. A word or words that introduce information from someone else.

If a source doesn’t have an author, use the title of the source (such as the title of the web page), or the name of the organization.Ī dry desert is different from a coastal desert in several ways (Deserts, 2018).Īccording to Center for Disease Control (2020), wearing a mask helps to prevent one from getting Covid-19.ĪPA Direct Quote (use paragraph numbers (para.) for websites):Ī dry desert “has specific characteristics that differentiate” it from a coastal desert (Deserts, 2018, para. It is recommended that you always choose sources that have an author so that you can determine the author’s credibility however, if your instructor allows you to use sources (usually websites) with no authors, then follow the formatting rules below. The author says that “masks provide protection from Covid-19” (Smith, 2020, Further Information section). The author says that “masks provide protection from Covid-19” (Smith, 2020, “What You Can Do” section). In this short exercise you will be asked to rewrite several sentences in order to integrate signal phrases and provide proper MLA in-text citation for each. For example, you can provide a heading or section name, or abbreviate headings. There are other options for websites in the APA Manual. Price is already turning to page thirty-two, and math problem number four” (Cisneros, 1991, para. The author writes, “Not mine, not mine, not mine, but Mrs. Since websites don’t have page numbers, you may manually count the paragraph numbers.
#Citation signal phrases how to#
With the Common Core's emphasis on pulling evidence from the text to support one's thinking, it's important to teach students how to 'signal' the reader that evidence and explanation is coming in their writing. A signal phrase introduces the author in a lead in a sentence with a quote, and then places the publication year and page number at the end. Here are three examples of in-text citations: Use a signal phrase and a quote.
#Citation signal phrases full#
Price is already turning to page thirty-two, and math problem number four” (p. A signal phrase is a natural part of an APA narrative in-text citation as it attributes information to a particular author like this: Clements (date of. Signal Phrases: Printable Reference for Citing Evidence. These citations also correspond to the full citation found in the Reference List at the end of your paper. If you do say the author’s name in the sentence (usually in the transition or signal phrase), then the author’s name doesn’t need to go in the in-text citation.Ĭisneros (1991) writes, “Not mine, not mine, not mine, but Mrs. Price is already turning to page thirty-two, and math problem number four” (Cisneros, 1991, p. Remember that direct quotes require page numbers (except websites). If you don’t say the author’s name in the sentence, then the author’s name needs to go in the in-text citation.
