Direct Quoting – CS 050: Academic Writing and Grammar (2024)

Although most of your research should be incorporated using paraphrases, sometimes it is beneficial to use a direct quote.

Learning Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to

  • define a direct quote (Page, n.d., section 31)
  • explain when to use a direct quote
  • format a short and long direct quote and cite your source
  • fully incorporate quotes into your writing

Quoting means using a part of a source word for word, exactly as it was originally said or written. You might quote a phrase or an entire sentence – or even a few sentences.

When Should I use a Direct Quote?

A good rule is to not use too many quotes because extensive quoting gives the impression that you don’t understand your source enough to put it in your own words and that you cannot contribute any of your own thoughts.

A general rule of thumb is that any Confederation College CS course assignment should contain less than 10% of directly quoted material.

While writers should usually paraphrase rather than directlyquotesources, sometimes a direct quotation is more suitable: if you want to give an exact definition, when you are relaying a complex piece of information, or when you arewriting to refute somethingsomeone has directly stated. You may also decide to quote directly to give extra weight to a particular piece of information by emphasizing the authority of the source; when you quote something directly, your reader knows that you have not altered the original source in any way.

If you aren’t sure whether you should use direct quotations in a specific course or paper, ask your instructor.

Direct quotes are best used for these reasons:

  • to support your idea or to advance your argument by highlighting that a particular piece of information is from an expert source

  • to present something you are analyzing, interpreting or commenting on so the reader will understand better to what you are referring (such as a literary passage)

  • if the original language is especially moving, descriptive, or historically significant

  • for unique terms or a passage that cannot be paraphrased or summarized adequately without losing or changing its meaning

Adapted from The Writing Center, n.d.[1]

How do I Format and Cite Short Direct Quotes?

A short direct quotation contains fewer than 40 words from the original source. You must put a double set of “quotation marks” around any words that you use from your source, and the quoted material must be exactly the same as the original. Not putting quotation marks around a short quote is considered a form of plagiarism; the quotation marks allow you to attribute the exact phrasing, and not just the ideas, to your original source.

Once you have written out the direct quotation, you need to create the in-text citation for the quoted material. It is good practice to use a signal phrase or a narrative style citation to introduce a direct quote. This helps integrate the quote to your writing.

Whether you are using the narrative or parenthetical structure, all direct quotations must include the following information:

Short Direct Quote with a Narrative Style Citation

You should never start or end a sentence with quotation marks; you need to integrate the material into a sentence that you begin with your own words. One way to do this is to use the narrative style to introduce the quote.

There are a few ways to use the narrative style to introduce a direct quote.

1. Use the author’s full name or last name only to introduce the quote:

Janis Crook (2003) stated that the most difficult thing for them was the attitude of their parents (p. 157).

Crook (2003) stated, the most difficult thing for them was the attitude of their parents (p. 157).

Note: you can use the author’s full name or just last name to introduce a quote in the narrative style, but you NEVER use the author’s first name only, and you never use initials.

Notice that in APA style you must use a past tense verb and either a comma or the word “that” to introduce the quote.

A descriptive verb helps define the context of the information and provides your reader with an understanding of how the information is used in the original source. Some common verbs used in signal phrases include the following:

Direct Quoting – CS 050: Academic Writing and Grammar (1)

Be careful though. These verbs are not simple synonyms. Some verbs, like “argued” and “asserted” mean that the author was very forceful. Other verbs, like “suggested”, mean that the author was less certain about their claims. Verbs like “said” and “stated” are neutral and can almost always be used.

The verb “claimed” can sometimes mean that you are distrustful of what the author said: She claimed that global warming was a hoax, but her research was poorly done.

2. Use the phrase “according to” followed by the author’s name:

According to BrittanyRoffel(2021), “In the last week, a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness”(para. 12).

Short Quote with Signal Phrase and Parenthetical Citation

Another way to integrate a direct quote into your writing is to use a signal phrase to introduce the quote. There are many different signal phrases that you can use, but you must be careful that you do not create a run-on sentence.

1. Use a phrase that indicates the source but that does not use the author’s name

One researcher indicated that the most difficult thing for them was the attitude of their parents (Crook, 2003, p. 157).

2. Use a subordinating phrase (not a complete sentence) that connects the quote to something you’ve said previously

While much of Canada is relaxing COVID-19 protocols, “British Columbia is declaring a COVID-19 outbreak in the Central Okanagan after a rapid rise in cases in the region and is reimposing a local mask mandate, as well as other public health measures” (Roffel, 2021, para. 1).

3. Use the phrase “according to” followed by the name of the publication or article title (as long as the publication or article title is not part of the parenthetical citation)

According to CBC News, “[i]n the last week, a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness” (Roffel, 2021, para. 12).

According to the article “B.C. Declares COVID-19 Outbreak in Central Okanagan, Reimposes Mask Mandate”, recently “a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness” (Roffel, 2021, para. 12).

Notice that when you use an article title as part of your signal phrase, you use “Title Capitalization” and capitalize the first letter of each main word in the title.

If you decide to use a signal phrase to introduce a quote, make sure that you do not inadvertently create a grammar error.

Use of a complete sentence before the quote causes a run-on sentence:

Incorrect: One article explained that B.C. has experienced a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, “a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness” (Roffel, 2021, para. 12).

Use a phrase (not a complete sentence) to introduce the quote OR use a semi-colon to correctly join the two sentences:

Correct: One article explained that “a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness” (Roffel, 2021, para. 12).

Correct: One article explained that B.C. has experienced a resurgence in COVID-19 cases; “a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness” (Roffel, 2021, para. 12).

Incorrect: According to a recent study showed “a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness” (Roffel, 2021, para. 12).

You can use either “according to” OR a past tense verb in your phrase (not both):

Correct: According to a recent study, “a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness” (Roffel, 2021, para. 12).

Correct: A recent study showed, “a number of businesses in the Central Okanagan have been forced to close because of illness” (Roffel, 2021, para. 12).

A long direct quotation is when you use 40 or more words from the original source. Long direct quotations should not be used unless they are absolutely necessary, especially in shorter assignments. Aim to only quote phrases or short passages, not long sections of text. Ensure that every part of your quote is essential to your argument; if parts of the quote are not essential, consider paraphrasing or using ellipsis to drop words from the quote (see below).

Unlike a short quotation, a quotation of more than 40 words does not have double quotation marks surrounding it, and it is formatted in a block style. When inputting the long quotation in a paragraph, ensure that you do not add a space before or after the quotation. Double space the quotation, and indent the entire quotation 0.5 inches (0.5”) from the left margin. If there is more than one paragraph in the quotation, indent the first line of the second and subsequent paragraphs.

Long Quote with Narrative Style Citation

Direct Quoting – CS 050: Academic Writing and Grammar (2)

Long Quote with Parenthetical Style Citation

Direct Quoting – CS 050: Academic Writing and Grammar (3)

The first step to incorporating quoted material is to introduce it using a narrative style citation or an appropriate signal phrase. However, you also need to make sure your direct quotation is connected to the point or thesis of your essay. You can do this by providing an explanation, or a paraphrase, of the quote in the next sentence.

In the example below, the writer has used a narrative style citation to introduce a direct quote. Immediately after the quote, the writer uses the transition In other words” to introduce the explanation of the quote.

Business expert Laura MacLellan (2018) said“[e]ver-improving mobile and I-cloud computing technology continues to make fixed addresses less relevant” (p. 16). In other words, employees can use laptops and mobile phones to work remotely while clients can access company products and services by connecting through online platforms. These technologies are enabling some companies to do away with physical store fronts.

Notice that the writer uses plain language to ensure that her audience can understand her explanation.

Expressing a Quote within a Quote

A common modification that needs to be made in direct quotations occurs when there are already double quotation marks within the direct quotation. All double quotation marks in the original source must be changed to single quotation marks.

Original from paragraph 7 of a 2020 article by Crawley and King::

Premier Doug Ford’s stance on the matter is clear: “People have to practice social distancing. They just have to. We’ve come all this way. Why go backwards based on having warm weather?”

Direct Quote:

Crawley and King (2020) reported, Premier Doug Ford’s stance on the matter is clear: People have to practice social distancing. They just have to. We’ve come all this way. Why go backwards based on having warm weather? (para. 7).

Adding or Omitting Words

Another modification is to omit certain words from a quotation to remove unnecessary phrasing. This is allowed, but you must make sure that your omission of certain words does not change the meaning of the sentence and that it is clear to the reader that you have omitted some material. Use ellipsis within square brackets [. . .] to show that you have removed some words.

If you add any words to a quote, perhaps to make the quote work grammatically in your sentence structure, you must use square brackets [ ] around the added material.

Most importantly, ensure that you are not changing the focus or meaning of the original.

In the example below, we used square brackets to show the two changes that we made the original quote:

In her study, Crook (2003) found that if teenagers felt that“their families [particularly their biological parents] thought they couldn’t do anything [. . .] they didn’t think they could either” (p. 37).​

These are the alterations that we made in the above quote:

  1. We added some phrasing to clarify a term used in the quote
  2. We omitted a part of the quote (some examples of things parents thought their children couldn’t do) that was not essential to our argument.

Notice that our alterations did not affect the meaning of the original.

Learning Check [2]

Have a look at the original text below on the left and then the quotes on the right. All three quotes are examples of plagiarism in various degrees. See if you can spot the error before you click the quote to see the answer and the explanation of the quote as it should be.

Direct Quoting – CS 050: Academic Writing and Grammar (4)

Source: (Foot & Stoffman, 1996, p. 20)[3]

  1. The Writing Center University of Wisconsin-Madison. (n. d.) Quoting and paraphrasing. https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/quotingsources/
  2. Adapted from Page, C. (n.d.). Writing skills. In Academic integrity (U. Kestler, Ed.) KPU pressbooks. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/communications2/chapter/quotes/CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
  3. Foot, D. K., & Stoffman, D. (1996). Boom, bust & echo: How to profit from the coming demographic shift. Macfarlane.
Direct Quoting – CS 050: Academic Writing and Grammar (2024)

FAQs

Can you use direct quotations in academic writing? ›

You'll use direct quotes to support your arguments throughout your degree. Learn how to reference your sources properly and show who said what to save you time and stress later on. Using direct quotes in your writing improves your work and shows evidence of research and ideas in your assessments.

Is using too many direct quotations a good thing in academic writing? ›

A common complaint of faculty is that students use too many direct quotes in their papers instead of formulating their own ideas about the paper topic and using quotes rather sparingly as one way to substantiate their point of view on the topic. Use summaries and paraphrases most often to support your own ideas.

What is an example of a direct quotation? ›

A direct quotation is a report of the exact words of an author or speaker and is placed inside quotation marks in a written work. For example, Dr. King said, "I have a dream."

How often should direct quotes be used in academic assignments? ›

However, you should use direct quotes sparingly, and instead paraphrase or summarize whenever possible. You should use direct quotes when: The meaning of the original statement will be lost if you reword it. The original statement uses especially strong or vivid language.

How can you use a direct quote in your writing without plagiarizing it? ›

Knowing how to quote correctly is key to avoiding plagiarism. Words that are an exact copy of the original should always be identified by quotation marks or, for longer quotes, set-off in an indented paragraph.

How do you direct quote in an academic essay? ›

Use single quotation marks ' ' to enclose the quoted words of a short quotation. Double quotation marks " " are used to mark off a quotation within a longer quoted passage, often a passage from a literary work.

Why is quoting discouraged in academic writing? ›

Why? Quotations usually detract from the point you want to communicate. Quotations do not reflect original thinking. Inexperienced writers may be tempted to quote, especially when they don't understand the content.

What is overuse of direct quotes? ›

A common error in many papers is the overuse of quotations. When a paper contains too many quotations the reader may become bored or conclude that you have no ideas of your own. Keep quotations short and only use them when a paraphrase would not capture the meaning or reflect the author's specific choice of words.

What is an example of a direct quote in academic writing? ›

Examples
  • The author said, “I need to sell more books to make my quota!” OPENING QUOTATION MARKS.
  • “The problem is,” the author stated, “that no one has money anymore to buy books.” CLOSING QUOTATIONS.

What are the rules for direct quotes? ›

A direct quotation is when you take another person's words and place them in your own document. These must always be placed inside quotation marks and given appropriate attribution (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc). When should I quote? Not all evidence needs to be presented in the form of direct quotation.

How to quote in academic writing? ›

To signal to your reader that a section of text is a quotation of someone else's work, you normally use quotation marks. These could be single ' or double “ quotation marks, depending on the referencing or house style used in your subject.

What are the two types of direct quotes? ›

A direct quote can be just one word. Or it can be a phrase. Using a word or phrase from a source is called a partial quote.

How much quotation is acceptable in an academic essay? ›

If you are using quotes, use short quotes (less than 30 words/three lines) wherever possible and integrate your quotes into your sentence.

Is it possible to use too many quotations in an assignment? ›

Using short quotes

In UK academic culture, it is poor practice to use a lot of direct quotes from someone else's work. Your assignment should be mostly written in your own words, using evidence from your research to support or challenge your statements.

Should direct quotations always be used instead of paraphrasing? ›

Should I paraphrase or quote? In general, use direct quotations only if you have a good reason. Most of your paper should be in your own words.

Are direct quotes allowed in APA? ›

To include a direct quote in APA, follow these rules: Quotes under 40 words are placed in double quotation marks. Quotes of 40 words or more are formatted as block quote. The author, year, and page number are included in an APA in-text citation.

How long should direct quotes be in academic writing? ›

A short direct quotation contains fewer than 40 words from the original source. You must put a double set of “quotation marks” around any words that you use from your source, and the quoted material must be exactly the same as the original.

What are the types of quotations in academic writing? ›

Direct quotations are verbatim quotations that require quotation marks. Indirect quotations are paraphrased ideas and do not require quotation marks. They do still require a reference or citation. Writers use quotations to support arguments, analyze text, and enrich fiction.

Does APA Style Use direct quotes? ›

In APA format, block quotations are used when directly quoting forty or more words. Indent a block quotation so it is free-standing from the rest of paper's text and omit quotation marks. following the quotation, and then continue the sentence. Place the end punctuation after the citation.

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