How do I add onto a quote?
I'm trying to add more to a quote w/o committing or removing any thoughts from the author of the quote in my research paper based on MLA format.
Trying to add "war" into the text as a place holder for "it." Should it be like this?
“It[war] is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected. The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are: (1) The Moral Law; (2) Heaven; (3) Earth; (4) The commander; (5) Method and discipline.” (Giles, with respect to Tzu, 6 and 7)
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Verified answer
Adding "war" to the quote to explain what the word "it" means is not necessary in this quote. Taken in context, war is easily understood to be the subject of the sentence.
Reserve your additions for statements which would otherwise be ambiguous.
I believe that is correct.
Square brackets indicate a word or words not actually in the quote, but which is implied.
Round brackets generally are part of the original quote, and that is why square brackets are used to indicate changes that you are making.