Note how in this revised passage, the author, Zernike, is named before the quote so readers know the source right out of the gate, and then the quote is integrated.

While Zernike’s contention should be concerning, what should also be clear is that some 16 year olds may be more mature than some 18 year olds.

According to Zernike (2019), “Car crashes remain the leading cause of death for teenagers, who have a crash rate four times higher than that of older drivers” (p. Recent studies have shown that car accidents are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. Listen to this updated version of the content I just read: Although some 16 year olds may appear more mature than some 18 year olds, records show that 16 year olds are more likely to get involved in car accidents.Ĭould you tell what content in that section was mine and what content came from a source? Absolutely not, right? Now obviously if you could actually see the page and a direct quote was used, then you would be able to tell what material was quoted, but even then, it’s a good idea to give a quote authority by using a signal phrase to name the author prior to the direct quote. “Car crashes remain the leading cause of death for teenagers, who have a crash rate four times higher than that of older drivers” (Zernike, 2012, p.

You may be wondering, What’s the benefit of using a signal phrase? Well, for starters, signal phrases help writers distinguish their ideas from a source’s ideas. Ī signal phrase in APA: Jones argued that. MLA uses signal phrases as well, and the key difference between the way signal phrases are used is that MLA uses present tense verbs and APA Style uses past tense verbs.Ī signal phrase in MLA: Jones argues that. Common signal phrases include such phrasing as According to X, As noted by X, As X argued, stated, reported, or some other past tense verb, and other similar constructs.ĪPA is not the only documentation style that uses signal phrases. A signal phrase is a natural part of an APA Style narrative in-text citation as it attributes information to a particular source like this: Clements (date of publication in parentheses) explained signal phrases in a recent fabulous podcast. All a signal phrase is is some introductory text that precedes (and sometimes splits or follows) information that comes from a source whether that information is a direct quote, a paraphrase, or a summary. In case you’re wondering what a signal phrase is, let me start there. Produces quick breads with a lovely open crumb” (Greenspan 2).ĭid you know that some bread batters should be hand mixed? According to Dorrie Greenspan, author of Baking: From My Home to Yours, “This light mixing technique produces quick breads with a lovely open crumb” (2).If you do not see the podcast player, click here to listen. Thoughts and can provide details about the source that highlight credibility and expertise.ĭid you know that some bread batters should be hand mixed? “This light mixing technique Signal phrases provide a seamless transition from the writer’s thoughts to a source’s Quotations, smoothly leading the reader into the source’s ideas. A writer uses signal phrases to avoid dropped Signal phrases help readers “move from your own words to the words of a source One of the best ways to let readers know more about your source is to use a signal By introducing a quotation or paraphrase with a signal phrase, you provideĪn effective transition between your own ideas and the evidence used to explore your A signal phrase is a short introduction phrase that indicates that a quote or paraphrase

Mla signal phrases