Question

When I refer to integrity, I have something very specific in mind. Integrity, as I will use the term, requires three steps: discerning what is right and what is wrong; acting on what you have discerned, even at personal cost; and saying openly that you are acting on your understanding of right and wrong. The first criterion captures the idea that integrity requires a degree of moral reflectiveness. The second brings in the ideal of a person of integrity as steadfast, a quality that includes keeping one’s commitments. The third reminds us that a person of integrity can be trusted.

Source: Carter, Stephen L. “The Insufficiency of Honesty.” Atlantic Monthly Feb. 1996: 74+. Print.



Based on the passage above, which of the following reflects the correct use of brackets?
A. “[W]hen I refer to integrity, I have something very specific in mind,” states Carter in his essay.
B. It is important to remember that “[w]hen [he] refer[s] to integrity, [Carter has] something very specific in mind.”
C. “Referring to integrity” is something that is important to [Carter].
D. According to Carter, “he [has] something specific [integrity] in mind.”

Answer 1

The answer is B: It is important to remember that “[w]hen [he] refer[s] to integrity, [Carter has] something very specific in mind.”

Answer 2

Answer: B. It is important to remember that “[w]hen [he] refer[s] to integrity, [Carter has] something very specific in mind.”

The option that uses brackets correctly is option B. Brackets should be used whenever you are altering words in a direct quotation without significantly changing the meaning of the quote. In this case, option B is the only one that changes words that are within quotation marks (because they are a direct quote) while maintaining the meaning of the quote.