Direct Quotations

In general, direct quotation should be reserved for passages in the source material that add something to your essay that cannot be accomplished in other ways. The quoted passage may, for example, explain a concept in a particularly succinct and effective manner. One exception to the general rule of using quotations sparingly involves situations in which you wish to make the author’s language choices a point of discussion in your essay – passages from a novel, for example.   

When quoting directly, provide your reader with sufficient context from the source material to make the quotation understandable. And be sure that in removing the passage from its context in the source material you haven’t changed its meaning.  

Direct quotations must be indicated by the use of quotation marks, and the source of the quotation must be noted. There are a variety of ways for noting the source of a quotation; which method you use depends on the citation style you select for your paper.