Attribution: Paraphrases versus quotes

In the attribution exercise, many of you changed paraphrased sections into quotes, by expanding quoted areas from this:

If you knew how meat was made, you'd probably "lose your lunch," she said.

. . . to this:

"If you knew how meat was made, you'd probably lose your lunch," she said.

Bad move. I don't know if maybe you misunderstood the assignment or not, but either way I'd like to be clear: you can turn a quote into a paraphrase, but you cannot turn a paraphrase into a quote. The ONLY things inside quotation marks are the words that actually came out of someone's mouths, exactly as those words were said.

If you're not sure, then simply paraphrase. Nothing inside a quotation mark should be a guess.

Many of you made the same mistake by turning this:

"People think we make $3 million or $5 million a year." They don't realize that most athletes make only $500,000 the ballplayer said.

. . . into this . . .

"People think we make $3 million or $5 million a year. They don't realize that most athletes make only $500,000," the ballplayer said.

. . . when this was the correct outcome:

"People think we make $3 million or $5 million a year" and don't realize that most athletes make only $500,000, the ballplayer said.

Finally, don't change what is within quotes if you are quoting a document. It should appear exactly as it does in the document. One of you changed this:

"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1 because we received notice that you passed away . . . " said a letter . . .

. . . to this:

"Your food stamps will be stopped, effective March 1, because we received notice that you passed away . . . " said a letter . . .

If this were a conversation, it wouldn't change the meaning to add the commas. It wouldn't change the spoken word. But here you are quoting the WRITTEN word. You are changing it. Don't do that!