Why may you use direct quotes in your writing?

Occasionally, you may use direct quotes (the EXACT words of the author) as evidence in your writing. It is useful sometimes to use the original words of the author when those exact words carry special significance. You should NOT use too many direct quotes in your writing as they are not highly valued.

Why should you paraphrase?

Paraphrasing is important because it shows you understand the source well enough to write it in your own words. It is important because it shows you and your reader (i.e. your lecturer) that you have understood the source sufficiently enough to write it in your own words.

Why is paraphrasing better than quoting?

It is generally better to paraphrase than to quote. Quotations tend to stick out. They draw attention to themselves and away from your ideas, so keep them to a minimum, and keep them short. If you can quote a few words or a phrase instead of an entire sentence, do it.

When should you use direct quotations in your writing?

Choose a direct quote when it is more likely to be accurate than would summarizing or paraphrasing, when what you’re quoting is the text you’re analyzing, when a direct quote is more concise that a summary or paraphrase would be and conciseness matters, when the author is a particular authority whose exact words would …

Why do we use direct quotation?

When to Use Direct Quotes Use them for emphasis when the reader needs to see the exact words for analysis and evidence or when the exact quote encapsulates the topic at hand more succinctly or better than you could. You can use ellipses to cut some things out of a direct quote, but even that should be done sparingly.

What are the rules of paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing tips

  • Start your first sentence at a different point from that of the original source.
  • Use synonyms (words that mean the same thing)
  • Change the sentence structure (e.g. from active to passive voice)
  • Break the information into separate sentences.