Q. How do I show that I have modified or omitted something from a quotation?

There are many factors to consider when punctuating quotations, but here are just a few of the most commonly relevant rules to consider:

• When introducing a quote with a phrase (not a sentence), use a comma.
• When introducing a quote with a complete sentence, use a colon.
• When a quote is inside of another quote, change the quotation marks on the inside quote to apostrophes.
• When you omit something from a quote, use ellipses.
• When you add to or modify something in a quote, use brackets.

For more specific rules and examples, please see the linked handout: