Here Is the Reason You Can’t Use Direct Quotes All the Time

Dear Student,

Without referring to the work of others, it would be impossible to come up with any meaningful new knowledge. However, many teachers and professors tell students not to use direct quotes in their papers because students tend to use too many direct quotes.

This email will look at why it’s wrong to rely too much on direct quotes. It will also show you why learning to paraphrase is an essential skill in academic writing.

When Should You Use a Direct Quote?
APA.org specifies instances when you should use a direct quote:

• When providing an exact definition.
• When there is no better way of saying something said by someone else.
• When responding using exact wording.

You should never copy and paste large quantities of text into your paper to meet word count or page number requirements. This is wrong because it shows that you failed to fully understand the material you are citing. Even if you have cited the author, using too many direct quotes is perceived as plagiarism.

Paraphrase
The good news is that you don’t always have to avoid saying what others have already said if you can paraphrase.

Paraphrasing means taking the thoughts of another person and restating them in your own words. Doing this shows that you understand what you are citing. However, you still need to cite the author of the work that you are paraphrasing.

It’s crucial to ensure that you don’t paraphrase everything you write. Always show a critical analysis of the content you either quote directly or paraphrase.

For more information, you can download a paraphrasing hand-out from Turnitin.com with the six steps for effective paraphrasing here.

Need Help?
Paraphrasing can be a challenge for many students, especially those using English as a second language. At Virtual English Teacher, we will proofread, paraphrase, or edit your essay to ensure that it meets the academic standard and does not include any plagiarism.

Want proof of our effectiveness and efficiency. Ask for a free, no-obligation sample of your text.
Contact us today