If the quote is unclear or needs to be given additional context as in the case of a strange idiom from another culture, you might choose to include the explanation in parenthesis within the quotation marks. By including an understandable translation of the idiom within the quotation marks, you can save space on long sentences that would be needed to otherwise explain the idiom.


For instance, you could write: “Unscrew yourself from yourself! (Relax and don’t worry!)”
Explanation might also be needed to clarify the referent of a given quote. For example, if a politician says, “They are way too high,” you could revise the quote for added clarity by writing, “are way too high.” The brackets indicate you’ve inserted the word “taxes” in place of the speaker’s original word choice.
 Many news articles prohibit the use of profanity. To replace the profane words within the quotation marks, use the first letter of the profane word and replace the rest of the letters with dashes. For instance, you could write: “That whole f------ campaign was based on a lie.”

, For example, a speaker might say, “We intend to continue moving in the right direction, along with our allies and partner nations, to keep the country safe and secure.” If your article is primarily about the nation’s security and not about its relationship with other countries, you can omit the extraneous words by writing: “We intend to . . . keep the country safe and secure.”


Be very careful when using an ellipsis to remove words from a quotation. Always stay true to the speaker’s original intention.
Explain the quoted material as needed.Explanatory writing is usually the best way to give context to quoted material.
Clean the quote.Cleaning refers to the removal of foul language.
Use an ellipsis to remove unnecessary words.Sometimes, you can condense a speaker’s meaning by eliminating excess information.
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