Integrating Quotes into Sentences, AKA “Blended Sentences”

In a blended sentence, the author makes the quotation a part of their own sentence without any punctuation between their own words and the words they are quoting.  The author frequently shortens quotes and retains only the most relevant phrases.

Example:

In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states directly his purpose for going into the woods. "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Though there isn’t anything grammatically incorrect about these sentences, the writing is wordy, lacks transitions, and includes a long quote that may distract attention from the key ideas the author seeks to emphasize.

Transition Word:

In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states directly his purpose for going into the woods. He says, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Still too long – but at least there’s a transition word connecting the ideas to each other

Blended Sentence:

In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states that his retreat to the woods around Walden Pond was motivated by his desire "to live deliberately" and to face only "the essential facts of life."

Blending your quotes also helps with sentence combination – a common strategy used to concisely provide an abundance of information .

Ex. Four sentences become one sentence.

Paine uses figurative language. “The period of debate is closed. Arms as the last resource decide the contest; the appeal was the choice of the king, and the continent hath accepted the challenge.” In this sentence, Paine claims that the king’s actions have challenged our honor and demanded a violent response, like when someone challenges someone else to a duel.

Paine metaphorically compares the current conflict to a duel, alleging that the conflict “was the choice of the king,” and that the continent has “accepted the challenge” to its honor.

This strategy can also be used to combine evidence selected from several different parts of a source into one sentence.

My claim: The chorus repeatedly refers to Antigone’s atê in several different places in the text, all for essentially the same purpose.

My quotes:

“Like father like daughter, passionate, wild…she hasn’t learned to bend before adversity.”

You went too far, the last limits of daring – smashing against the high throne of justice!”

“Your own blind will, your passion has destroyed you.”

“Still the rough winds, the wild passion raging through the girl.”

My sentence:

The Chorus repeatedly addresses Antigone’s atê, labeling her as a “passionate, wild,” “daring,” daughter who, like her father, is destroyed by her “blind will” (Sophocles 525, 943, 962, 1022)

In some cases these words are directly quotes; in others, I paraphrase. However, my wording preserves the meaning of the original quotes and shows the repetition of the idea at four different parts of the play. (remember to cite all of the line numbers)

v  Blended sentences help quotes become a natural part of your discussion, rather than an extra piece of information tacked on to the end of your claim.

v  They just sound better. The sentence flows. There is a smooth transition between parts of grammar that reflects the logical relationship between the ideas you express.

v  It allows you to focus on the key ideas or word choices in your quoted evidence, rather than having to write out the entire sentence.

v  It allows you to present more ideas in a smaller space. When you express complex ideas or relationships between many pieces of information, an economy of words become extremely important.  Otherwise you get either a bunch of chopped-up, unrelated fragments of information or huge, wordy, confusing 97 word sentences.

Today, we will practice this using our three-column notes on theme.

A.  Combine the quoted passage and the discussion of context into a single blended sentence.

B.   Then, write your analysis sentence, making sure to refer to specific elements of the quote or context that support your conclusions. This may require the use of a blended sentence as well.

Example”

Column 1: 622-626

Ismene: Tell me dear one, what can I do to help you, even now?

Antigone: Save yourself. I don’t grudge your survival.

Ismene: Oh no, no, denied my portion in your death?

Antigone: You chose to live, I chose to die.

Column 2: At this point, Antigone and Ismene both stand accused of treason. In despair, Ismene claims she helped bury Polynices so that she can join her sister in death. Antigone, however, exposes this lie and refuses Ismene’s offer, reminding her that the choices they made in the Prologue determines their individual outcomes.

Column 3: This quote reminds the reader of the balance between free will and fate in these tragedies. Though burdened by the curses of Laios and Oedipus, Antigone asserts the power of choice and argues that she and Ismene face outcomes determined not by the Gods but by what they “chose.” In addition, Antigone’s statement that she will not “grudge [Ismene’s] survival whows that her character can change in the face of adversity, another example of free will.