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Direct quotes in APA Style

Published on November 12, 2020 by Shona McCombes . Revised on June 16, 2022.

A direct quote is a piece of text copied word-for-word from a source. You may quote a word, phrase, sentence, or entire passage.

There are three main rules for quoting in APA Style:

• If the quote is under 40 words, place it in double quotation marks .
• If the quote is 40 words or more, format it as a block quote .
• Cite the author, year, and page number with an APA in-text citation .

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Table of contents

Citing a direct quote, quoting a source with no page numbers, quoting 40 words or more (apa block quotes), making changes to direct quotes in apa, frequently asked questions about apa style.

To cite a quote in APA, you always include the the author’s last name, the year the source was published, and the page on which the quote can be found. The page number is preceded by “p.” (for a single page) or “pp.” (for a page range).

There are two types of APA in-text citation : parenthetical and narrative.

In a parenthetical citation, you place the entire citation in parentheses directly after the quote and before the period (or other punctuation mark).

In a narrative citation, the author(s) appear as part of your sentence. Place the year in parentheses directly after the author’s name, and place the page number in parentheses directly after the quote.

Remember that every in-text citation must correspond to a full APA reference at the end of the text. You can easily create your reference list with our free APA Citation Generator.

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Some source types, such as web pages , do not have page numbers. In this case, to cite a direct quote, you should generally include an alternative locator, unless the source is very short.

The locator may be a chapter or section heading (abbreviated if necessary), a paragraph number, or a combination of the two. Use whichever locator will help your reader find the quote most easily.

For sources such as movies , YouTube videos , or audiobooks, use a timestamp to locate the beginning of the quote.

• Section heading
• Paragraph number
• Section and paragraph

If the quote contains 40 words or more, it must be formatted as a block quote. To format a block quote in APA Style:

• Do not use quotation marks.
• Start the quote on a new line.
• Indent the entire quote 0.5 inches.
• Double-space the entire quote.

Like regular quotes, block quotes can be cited with a parenthetical or narrative citation. However, if the block quote ends with a period, place the citation after the period.

• Parenthetical

Block quoting is particularly useful when you want to comment on an author’s language or present an argument that you will then critique. By setting the quote on a new line and indenting it, the passage is clearly marked apart from your own words. Therefore, no quotation marks are necessary. (O’Connor, 2019, p. 38)

Block quoting is particularly useful when you want to comment on an author’s language or present an argument that you will then critique. By setting the quote on a new line and indenting it, the passage is clearly marked apart from your own words. Therefore, no quotation marks are necessary. (p. 38)

Block quotes with multiple paragraphs

If the block quote contains multiple paragraphs, indent the first line of each paragraph after the first.

Block quoting is particularly useful when you want to comment on an author’s language or present an argument that you will then critique. By setting the quote on a new line and indenting it, the passage is clearly marked apart from your own words. Therefore, no quotation marks are necessary.

However, it is important not to rely on long quotes to make your point for you. Each quote must be introduced and explained or discussed in your own words. (O’Connor, 2019, p. 38)

In general, a direct quote should be an exact reproduction of the original. However, there are some situations where you may need to make small changes.

You may change the capitalization of the first word or the final punctuation mark in order to integrate the quote grammatically into your sentence, as long as the meaning is not altered.

Any other changes must be marked following these APA guidelines.

Shortening a quote

If you want to omit some words, phrases, or sentences from the quote to save space, use an ellipsis (. . .) with a space before and after it to indicate that some material has been left out.

If the part you removed includes a sentence break, add a period before the ellipsis to indicate this.

• No sentence break
• Sentence break

Clarifying a quote

Sometimes you might want to add a word or phrase for context. For example, if a pronoun is used in the quote, you may add a name to clarify who or what is being referred to.

Any added text should be enclosed in square brackets to show that it is not part of the original.

Adding emphasis to quotes

If you want to emphasize a word or phrase in a quote, italicize it and include the words “emphasis added” in square brackets.

Errors in quotes

If the quote contains a spelling or grammatical error, indicate it with the Latin word “sic”, italicized and in square brackets, directly after the error.

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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 .

You need an APA in-text citation and reference entry . Each source type has its own format; for example, a webpage citation is different from a book citation .

Use Scribbr’s free APA Citation Generator to generate flawless citations in seconds or take a look at our APA citation examples .

When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your APA in-text citation . If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website ) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two:

(Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1).

Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations , as they are unreliable.

If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker.

The abbreviation “ et al. ” (meaning “and others”) is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more authors . Here’s how it works:

Only include the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).

In an APA in-text citation , you use the phrase “ as cited in ” if you want to cite a source indirectly (i.e., if you cannot find the original source).

Parenthetical citation: (Brown, 1829, as cited in Mahone, 2018) Narrative citation: Brown (1829, as cited in Mahone, 2018) states that…

On the reference page , you only include the secondary source (Mahone, 2018).

In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:

• To analyze the author’s language (e.g., in a literary analysis essay )
• To give evidence from primary sources
• To accurately present a precise definition or argument

Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarize .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2022, June 16). Direct quotes in APA Style. Scribbr. Retrieved April 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/direct-quotes/

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How To Use Direct Quotations In Research Papers

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Apr 15, 2021 | Referencing & Bibliographies | 0 |

How To Use Direct Quotations In Research Papers When an author directly quotes sources in scholarly writing, it is essential to enclose each quotation within quotation marks or set it off as a block quotation, and also to maintain appropriate and correct patterns of punctuation in every sentence that includes a quotation. Only if the quotations you use are properly punctuated will they be successfully integrated into your text and succeed in supporting your argument as you intend.

The punctuation that precedes a quotation is particularly important because such introductory punctuation helps determine the way in which readers approach and read that quotation within a piece of academic or scientific writing. In some cases, no punctuation at all is needed immediately before a quotation, whether it is embedded in your main text or set off as a block quotation, but this is only so if no punctuation would be required were the entire sentence constructed of your own words. My next sentence provides a simple example. Smith and Jones conducted a similar trial and ‘discovered that over half of the participants could not complete the four tasks.’

In other cases, nothing more than the full stop closing the preceding sentence is required before a quotation, whether embedded or block, if the logic of the quotation naturally follows that of the preceding sentence and can start (or already is) a sentence of its own. My next two sentences demonstrate how this works in running prose, but the second sentence could easily be displayed as a block quotation, especially if it were longer. Thompson read the manuscript very carefully and discovered clear evidence of several early readers. ‘Marginal notes in three different hands appear on most pages, while an earlier hand corrected the text and a later one added drawings that are themselves a commentary on the treatise.’

Often a comma is the correct punctuation to introduce a quotation, as is the case in the following sentence. In an early study of the effects of chemotherapy, ‘patients were shown to recover much more quickly and with fewer negative side effects when they did not receive chemotherapy as part of their treatment.’ Again, if the quotation is long, it can be formatted as a block quotation using the exact same punctuation. Commas are also used to present dialogue effectively, and are therefore common when reporting and discussing interviews: ‘Are you sure,’ the researcher repeated, ‘that you didn’t see anything else before the bridge collapsed?’

In many cases, however, and especially in formal English, a colon is more appropriate than a comma. A colon is often used to introduce scholarly quotations, and it is a good choice when more than one sentence or passage is quoted or when emphasis is required. A colon also tends to clarify sentence structure as well as the line between your own text and quoted passages, so it can improve the clarity and legibility of a complex text. My next sentence provides an example. Question 4 was designed to help us refine our understanding of any limitations perceived by the participants: ‘Was there any task the domestic robot was not able to accomplish due to its size?’ A colon is especially well suited to introducing block quotations, with the colon coming at the end of your own running text and the block quotation following on a new line.

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How to Quote in a Research Paper

Last Updated: September 30, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 905,357 times.

A research paper can be made stronger through the use of quotations. You may use quotes when you need to cite a key piece of primary source material, strengthen your argument through another writer's work, or highlight a term of art. It is important to both use quotations effectively and cite them properly to write an effective paper and avoid plagiarizing.

Using Different Types of Quotes

• Use a complete sentence to incorporate a dropped quote. Ex: As Rembrandt’s skill developed, he began painting landscapes that are “romantic and visionary” (Wallace 96).
• Use a short phrase to incorporate a dropped quote: Rembrandt’s landscapes are “romantic and visionary” (Wallace 96).

• Use a complete sentence to introduce a full sentence quote. Ex: Over the course of time Rembrandt’s work began to change and focus on different themes, but as Wallace points out: "Rembrandt’s great gift as an etcher lay in preserving a sense of spontaneity while scrupulously attending to close detail” (142).
• Use a signal phrase to introduce your full sentence quote. Ex: As Wallace states, “Rembrandt’s great gift as an etcher lay in preserving a sense of spontaneity while scrupulously attending to close detail” (142).

• Introduce your block quote with a colon. Ex: According to Wallace: (add a line break here, and then indent the entire quote).
• Block quotes do not use quotation marks. You have already stated who the author is/what is being referred to in the introduction sentence. Add the in-text parenthetical citation after the period at the end of the quote, though.
• If your block quote is inside a paragraph, you don’t have to start a new paragraph at the end of it. Simply add another line break and begin writing along the left margin (with no indent). [4] X Research source However, you will need to indent the second paragraph by an extra 0.25 in (0.64 cm) if you are citing more than 1 paragraph. [5] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source

• Change the structure of the sentence by moving clauses around. Aim to change at least half of the sentence into a new structure, but also make sure that the grammar is correct and the meaning of the sentence is still clear. You can use a thesaurus to exchange words with synonyms.
• Paraphrasing should only be done if you are certain that you understand the content you are copying. If you are unclear as to the meaning of the quote, you won’t be able to put it adequately into your own words.
• When you write your paraphrase, don’t look at the quote. Keep the meaning in your head and create a new sentence to match. [7] X Research source

Formatting Your Quotes

• To use a comma, you might structure the quote with in sentence like this: “Yogurt provides beneficial bacteria to your gut,” so it is good to include 1 serving per day in your diet.
• To use a period, you might structure the quote like this: “Carrots are a valuable source of vitamin A.”

• Example of a quotation that comes with a question mark: Alice said “but where will I go?” (24).
• Example of asking a question about a quotation: With so much contention, will literary scholars ever agree on “the dream-like quality of Alice’s adventure” (39)?
• Example of a question about a quoted question: At this point in the story, readers communally ask “but where will I go?” (24).

• Ellipses can be used in the center of a quote to leave out words that you feel add unnecessary length to the statement without adding value. For example: As the man stated, “reading the book was...enlightening and life-changing.” This is done rather than: As the man stated, “reading the book over the last few weeks was not only incredibly enjoyable, but also enlightening and life-changing.”
• Ellipses should be used only before or after a quote, not both. If you are only use a part of a quote from the center of a selection, it is just a partial or dropped quote. However, keep in mind that ellipses rarely come at the beginning of a quotation. [11] X Research source

• For example: As scholars have noted, “Rembrandt’s portrait of her [Henrickje, his mistress] was both accurate and emotion-filled” (Wallace 49).

• Ex: As Dormer has noted, “his work is much more valuable now then [sic] it was at the time of its creation.”

Quoting in Different Styles

• Ex: We can therefore ascertain that “Rembrandt’s decline in popularity may have been his dedication to Biblical painting” (Wallace 112).
• Ex: According to some, “another reason for Rembrandt’s decline in popularity may have been his dedication to Biblical painting” (Wallace 112), but not everyone agree on this matter.
• Ex: Wallace states that “another reason for Rembrandt’s decline in popularity may have been his dedication to Biblical painting” (112). [15] X Research source

• Ex: As Billy’s character is described, we learn “Billy wasn’t a Catholic, even though he grew up with a ghastly crucifix on his wall” (Vonnegut 1969).
• Ex: Vonnegut gives a factual statement with a clear opinion thrown in when he says “Billy wasn’t a Catholic, even though he grew up with a ghastly crucifix on his wall” (1969).
• Ex: With the knowledge that “Billy wasn’t a Catholic, even though he grew up with a ghastly crucifix on his wall” (Vonnegut 1969), we begin to understand his philosophical standings.

Quoting Successfully

Community Q&A

• Keep a list of quotations as you take research notes, and star your favorites to return later. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Watch for quotations that are quoted by other researchers again and again. Often secondary material will give you hints to finding the best parts of the primary sources. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Quote the opposition so that you can directly pick apart their argument. It's easier to argue against someone if you're using exactly what they said and pointing out its flaws. Otherwise, the opposition can claim that you simply twisted their meaning. Rely on their words and attack directly. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Don't let a research paper become a sea of he-said, she-said. While you want to set up the arguments that have been made on both sides in the past, you also want to make a compelling argument for yourself. Rephrasing, re-organizing an argument, and synthesizing different arguments in your own words makes it clear that you understand what you've researched and makes the paper interesting to read. The reader is searching for a new way to understand the research or a new idea. Too many quotes tend to bury the lead. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Don't rely too heavily on one source. It's easy to fall in love with a single book when doing research, particularly if there aren't a lot of books on the subject and one author particularly agrees with you. Try to limit how much you quote that author, particularly if a lot of your argument is relying on his or her groundwork already. Look for quotations that complement or challenge that person, and provide your own analysis. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't be a sloppy note-taker. Unfortunately, accidental plagiarism is all too common, and it has serious consequences. You may not have meant to plagiarize, but if you write someone else's words down without indicating that you are using a direct quotation, you are plagiarizing whether it was intentional or not (after all, merely relying on lecture notes and not on your own research is lazy and not acknowledging direct quotes as you take notes from texts reflects poor organization). Always indicate quotations in your notes. It's also better to write down a lot of quotations and then paraphrase them later than to write down a paraphrased version. The danger here, particularly if you don't alter the quote much, is that you'll unwittingly change it back to the quotation later, in revision. It's better to have the original right in front of you. If you find yourself unable to choose better language, just quote it properly. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://midway.libguides.com/c.php?g=1100261&p=8025172
• ↑ https://facultyweb.ivcc.edu/rrambo/eng1001/quotes.htm
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_quotations.html
• ↑ http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/engl402/cited.htm
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/quotation_marks/index.html
• ↑ http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html
• ↑ http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/ellipses.html
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/mla-quotation-punctuation
• ↑ https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/mlacitation/intext
• ↑ http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/03/
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/quoting-paraphrasing-summarizing
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/quotations/
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/evidence/quotation

About This Article

To quote in a research paper in APA style, use in-text parenthetical citations at the end of quotes that have the author's last name and the year the text was published. If you mention the author's name in the sentence with the quote, just include the year the text was published in the citation. If you're citing a quote in MLA style, do the same thing you would for APA style, but use the page number instead of the year the text was published. To learn how to quote a research paper in Chicago style, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The Simple Secret to Writing Direct Quotations

by Suzanne Davis | Apr 4, 2019 | Academic Writing Skills , Writing Essays and Papers | 8 comments

Direct quotations in a research paper makes your writing stand out.

Direct quotations help your academic writing because they support and emphasize specific points in your essay or research paper. They can be eloquent, powerful, and memorable. They are an important tool in any academic writer’s toolbox.

However, the different rules and guidelines for using quotes can be confusing.  When do you quote? How much should you rely on quotes and when are you using too many?   What is the difference between citing quotations in APA and MLA?

There are some simple tips on how to use direct quotations in your essays and papers. You just need to understand the mistakes some writers have made and see how to do use quotes effectively.

2 Big Direct Quotation Mistakes

There are 2 common pitfalls students fall into  when using quotations in their academic writing:

• They use too many quotations in their essays.
• They do not show how quotations relate to their essays (I call this leaving a quotation hanging).

These are both easy problems to solve.  And by the end of this post, you’ll be able to fix them on your own.

Mistake # 1 Using too many quotations in an essay.

Your professors want to know your ideas about the topic of your paper. If you use quotations to state facts that could be paraphrased or summarized, then your professors will think you are “filling up space” in your paper.  They will feel you don’t have your own ideas.  Or even worse, they will assume you don’t understand your topic and evidence.

You need to be selective with the quotations you use in your academic writing.

So how do you decide when to include a quotation in your paper? There are four questions that will help guide you.  If you can answer yes to any of these questions then try including the quotation in your academic paper.

• Does this author say something striking or well-written? Here you should consider if the quotation is unique, or if the author of the quotation says something in an original way.
• Are the words themselves a piece of evidence?  For example, if you analyze a piece of literature you want to include the original words in that literature.
• Do you want to disagree with an author’s statement or point of view? When you argue with an author you want to quote the words exactly so that you are fair to that person.  You don’t want to misuse their words to prove your own point.
• Does this quotation enhance something in your paper?

Can you answer yes to any of the questions?  If not, try paraphrasing or summarizing the original quotation.  See if your paraphrase or summary gives the same valuable information that’s in the original one.

Professors want to read your ideas about what you’ve studied.   So, let them read your words, and use other people’s words to emphasize your ideas.

Mistake # 2 Quotations do not relate to the ideas in a research paper.

Your quotations must prove or demonstrate something in your paper. Show your reader how the quotation relates to your ideas. You can do this by making The Quotation Veggie Burger (yes, I’m vegetarian).

1)  The top roll is the lead-in:  Introduce the context of the quotation.  This could include the title of the source, the author’s name, and/ or background information.

2)  The veggie burger is the quotation : Include the direct quote with the in-text citation.

3)  The bottom roll is the interpretation:  Explain the importance of the quotation and how it connects to your point.

Using the Quotation Veggie Burger in In-text (Short) Direct Quotations

The quotation is in black print. It begins at the end of the first sentence.  The quote has double quotation marks. The in-text citation is in parenthesis and it includes the page number of the quote.

The interpretation is in green. This is where I explain what the quotation shows and how it relates to my paper.

The example above uses the Modern Language Association (MLA) Style citation.

If you write an in-text quotation in MLA Style follow these guidelines:

• If a quotation is 4 lines or fewer then blend it into the sentences in the paragraph.
• Use quotation marks at the beginning and end of the quotation.
• Include the author’s last name and the page where you can find the quotation.  In the above example, I included the author’s name in the lead-in, so I only cited the page number in the reference.
• Put the period after the reference. For example: (41).

Using The Quotation Veggie Burger for Block (Long) Direct Quotations

Long quotations are also called block quotations.  A quotation becomes a block quotation if it is more than 4 lines. The format between in-text and block quotations is different, but The Quotation Veggie Burger works for both types. This block quotation from Charlotte’s Web uses The Quotation Veggie Burger.

The blue sentence is the lead-in, and this sets up the quotation.  I describe the situation in which Wilbur is looking at the web.

The quotation is in black print. It is indented and there are no quotation marks.  There is a reference at the end of the quotation.

The interpretation is in green print.  Here, I explained how Wilbur hopes Charlotte’s web will impress the people at the fair so that Mr. Zuckerman decides to let him live.

If you are writing a block quotation in MLA style follow these format guidelines:

• Indent your block quotation ½ of an inch. This is the same length as a paragraph indent.
• Don’t use quotation marks.
• Put a period at the end of the quotation.
• Include the author last’s name and the page number in the citation. In this example, I included the author’s name with the page number in the reference. But if you quote from the same source earlier you could put down the page number. Ex: (147)
• Put the reference in parenthesis at the end of the quotation.

Differences Between Writing Quotations in MLA and APA Styles

What you need to remember about using quotations in academic writing is don’t overdo it with too many and make sure you connect your quotations to the ideas in your paper.  

Do these two things and the quotations in your academic essays will impress teachers and professors.

Want to know more about writing a great research paper? Check out my blog post, ” How to Write a Research Paper Professors Will Love” at https://www.academicwritingsuccess.com/how-to-write-a-research-paper/

Write a great research paper with the free guide, How to Write a Research Paper That Will Blow Your Professor’s Mind.  

I absolutely love your infographic and how easily it explains how to use quotations. And I love your sense of humor with the veggie burger. That was pretty awesome.

Thank you, Joanne. I used the Quotation Veggie Burger in my classroom, and my students liked it a lot. I hope it’s useful to all of my readers.

Excellent. The use of visuals really help with understanding. I like the Charlotte Web example.

Thank you, Raven. I try to make writing with quotations easy to understand, and my favorite to way to do that is with visual images.

Suzanne I love the infographics. They make the information so easy to understand. I also really liked your video on the writing challenge. This is a great way to get students using the skills they will need in college. The way you laid out the task was great and your students understand that this is something they will encounter in their college writing. Awesome!

Rosemerry, I’m glad you like the infographics. I try to use them a lot with learning about academic writing.

Absolutely correct. And this concept of flooding an essay with relevant or irrelevant quotations is prevalent in every language.

Nilanjana, that’s an important point. Flooding writing with research is very common everywhere.

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How To - Use the APA Style Guide

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• Citing Direct Quotations
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• Citing Secondary Sources
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7th ed Citing Direct Quotations

Citations for direct quotations.

A direct quotation is a verbatim reproduction from another work. The APA recommends paraphrasing when possible. The format of the quotation and the in-text citation depends on the length of the quotation. The in-text citation will include the author, year, and page number(s). The page number format is different for single pages, a page range, and non-consecutive (discontinuous) pages. The APA formats direct quotations into short quotations (fewer than 40 words), and block quotations (40 words or more). 

Page Numbers

No Page Numbers? Check out the APA Style's section on Direct Quotation of Material Without Page Numbers This link opens in a new window . You can use section names, paragraph numbers, time stamps (for audiovisual works), and more. 

Short Quotations

Short quotations contain fewer than 40 words. To incorporate this type of quotation into your work enclose the words in quotation marks. Do not add an ellipsis unless one is used in source. Add a full in-text citation in the same sentence.

Parenthetical Citation

General Format

A parenthetical citation can be either immediately following the quotation or at the end of the sentence.

Text "quote" (Author, Year, Page).

Text "quote" (Author, Year, Page) more text.

For Example

Mental health care for veterans and active duty military needs to be greatly improved. One tool that is used is the Combat Exposure Scale (CES) this is a "seven-item self-report measure that assesses wartime stressors experienced by combatants" (Lawhorne-Scott et al., 2012, p. 36).

Narrative Citation

A narrative citation typically includes the author and year before the quotations and the page number(s) after the quotation.

Author (Year) text "quote" (Page).

However if the quote begins the sentence, the author will follow in a narrative form with the year and date in parentheses afterwards.

"Quote" text Author (Year, Page) more text.

Chen et al. (2019) noted that "an increased patient–nurse ratio would induce nurses’ intention to leave their job" (p. 12).

"Workforce staffing and scheduling for clinical units in healthcare system is a formidable challenge" wrote Sedeh (2018, p. 1) in their review of nurse staffing in emergency room departments.

Block Quotations

Block quotations contain 40 words or more. To incorporate this type of quotation into your work you will need to begin the quotation on a new line, indent the left margin for the entire quotation, and double-space the quotation. Add a full in-text citation either in the narrative while including the page numbers at the end after the quotation's final punctuation, or a parenthetical citation after the last punctuation.

A parenthetical citation is placed after the quote's final punctuation.

The symptoms of anxiety can be debilitating:

A narrative citation typically includes the author and year before the block quotation and the page number(s) immediately after the quotation's last punctuation.

Chen et al. (2019) detail how hospitals are in the business of saving lives and those in charge have a lot to take into account when planning their nurse-patient ratios:

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• Last Updated: Jan 18, 2024 8:33 AM
• URL: https://libguides.shepherd.edu/APA

Quoting Directly

by jleemcga | Aug 18, 2023 | Resources for Students , Writing Resources

What is quoting?

A direct quotation (often referred to as “quotes”) is the exact language taken from source material. Direct quotations match the source material word-for-word and must be contained within quotation marks, usually introduced with a “says” verb or integrated into your own sentence structure.

When should I quote?

It’s best to directly quote when you’re referencing an idea or example in a text that would lose meaning or impact if you were to change the wording. For example, if there is a certain vocabulary that feels necessary to accurately capture the text’s meaning, you should directly quote it. Or, if the author writes the idea in a particularly striking way that would lose affect if you were to reword it, you should directly quote it. Directly quoting other sources in your paper allows you to:

• Present especially compelling ideas in the author’s own language
• Underscore key words or phrases relevant to your topic
• Make more specific connections between your evidence and analysis by examining exact language from the text

  How do I directly quote?

To approach directly quoting a source, try the following steps:

• Decide which quotations from the text are relevant, important, and/or helpful to your paper and why (writing notes for yourself about why you’re choosing these quotations will help you with developing your analysis for them later! 😊 It’s also helpful to note citation information as you go!)
• Think about how you want to integrate your direct quotation into your writing— there’s a variety of ways to do this. You might use a classic TAG line, like “According to,” or you might bring quoted material into your own sentence structure. There are many ways to integrate quotations effectively, and it’s ideal to use variety to keep your writing fresh and interesting. For more guidance on how you can integrate direct quotations into your writing, view our handout on Integrating Direct Quotations Into Writing.
• Be sure to use quotation marks around the exact passage you’re referencing from the text
• Always cite at the end of the sentence containing the quoted material!

Examples of directly quoting

Here is an example of a writer directly quoting an excerpt of a passage from the source “Enter the Avatar: The Phenomenology of Prosthetic Telepresence in Computer Games” by Rune Klevjer in their essay about player participation and embodied experience in video games:

Klevjer addresses a tension that exists within the question of the avatar as either utilitarian or persona with the cursor analogy. According to Klevjer, the cursor analogy suggests that “the avatar is no more than a tool, a capacity for action, an instrument” that is often found in fighting games or franchises like Mario 64 (18).

Things to keep in mind when directly quoting

Some important things to remain mindful of while quoting in your assignments are:

• Direct quotations should appear in your writing exactly as they do in the original source material— including capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
• Remember to check if you’ve sandwiched your quoted material inside two quotation marks! It’s easy to forget to close the quotation when we’re in drafting mode, so it can be helpful to make this a part of your check list 😊
• If you need to mark a misspelling or grammatical error in the original source material within your quotation, you can use [sic] beside the text to indicate you intentionally wrote it this way to match the source material. For example, if in the source material the author wrote, “The manuvers produced no results,” you can write: “The manuvers [sic] produced no results.”
• Generally, it’s best to keep your quotations 1-2 lines at a time so that you don’t overwhelm your readers with a lot of quoted text. If your quotation is longer than 4 lines of text, you’ll need to use block quotation formatting
• You can modify direct quotations as needed to omit irrelevant information (using ellipses) or clarify information by adding words (using square brackets). Your modifications should not change the original meaning of the author’s passage
• Be judicious with your direct quotations! Your quotations should not be the star of your show; if your essay is a concert, you’re the headliner and your direct quotations are just your back-up singers; don’t let them outshine you— your readers will want to hear your voice the most throughout your paper 😊

Practice in the Writing Center

For more support and guidance on paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting, make an appointment with us here at the Writing Center! We’ll work with you on effectively integrating a variety of material into your writing and help you feel more confident pulling up a chair to the scholarly conversation 😊

For further reading:

• Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting, from UNSW Sydney

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Working with Quotations

Using quotations in a paper.

A research paper blends your own ideas and information from expert sources. It is NOT a series of direct quotations strung together. 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. Use direct quotations only when the information is so well-presented (or in the interest of clarity, emphasis, or accuracy), that you think the exact language of the source should be used.

Remember that when you do choose to use direct quotations, you need to retain the exact wording, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation of the original source. And remember, too, that just like when using a direct quotation, you must cite your source when summarizing or paraphrasing.

How to Leave Out Part of a Quotation

Yes, you can leave out words you deem unnecessary in a quotation, but you can't take out words that will change its meaning.

For example, if the quotation is "This movie is wonderful drivel," you can't quote it as "This movie is wonderful . . ." and leave out the word "drivel," since it changes the meaning of the quotation.

• Deleting Words at the Start of a Quotation - If you are deleting words at the beginning of a quotation, simply start the quotation at the appropriate place to show that words have been left out: The New York Times reports, however, that screening for cystic fibrosis is "quietly creeping into clinical practice" (Swerdlow 66). [MLA format]*
• Deleting Words in the Middle of a Quotation - To delete words in the middle of a quotation, show that words have been omitted by using ellipses, a series of three periods separated by spaces. For example, the whole quotation is this: "'Human improvement' is a fact of life, not because of the state eugenics committee, but because of consumer demand" (Kevlev 75). [MLA format] If you choose to leave out the middle phrases you could do it this way: "'Human improvement' is a fact of life . . . because of consumer demand" (Kevlev, 1994, 75). [APA format]*
• Deleting Words at the End of a Quotation - If you leave out words at the end of a quotation and the end of the quotation also coincides with the end of your sentence, place the ellipses at the end of your sentence: Today we have the "Republicans, who are more nationalist than socialist, and the Democrats, who are more socialist than nationalist . . . ." (Smith, 1995, 3). [APA format] If you leave out words at the end of a quotation and more of the sentence follows, then simply work the quotation into the structure of your sentence, without using ellipses: Today we have the "Republicans, who are more nationalist than socialist, and the Democrats, who are more socialist than nationalist," thus confirming the dilemma of modern U.S. politics (Smith, 1995, 3). [APA format]

Adding Information to a Quotation

You can add information to a quotation in order to define a word or phrase, to clarify the quotation's information, or to make a brief comment on the quotation's information. The information that you add always should be brief; reserve your major comments on the quotation's information to be placed after the quotation ends.

Show any added information by placing that added information in square brackets within the quote.  You CANNOT substitute parentheses for brackets, since they carry a different meaning. (Parentheses indicate that the added information is part of the direct quotation itself and not your own.)

For example:

Holmes stated that "The chair on which the body was found was covered in a formerly yellow, now a brownish, blood-stained tabaret [upholstery with satin stripes]" (5). [MLA format]

(In this case, you'd need to define "tabaret" for a general reading public.)

"He [William Dean Howells] was 'fierce to shut out' of his study the voices and faces of his family in 'pursuit of the end' which he 'sought gropingly, blindly and with very little hope but with an intense ambition, and a courage that gave way under no burden, before no obstacles'" (Kirk and Kirk xxxvi). [MLA format]

(In this case, you'd need to clarify the person to whom the "he" refers.)

"Stephen Crane's experience as a journalist [as Berryman affirms] provided the impetus for his fiction" (Walcutt 22). [MLA format]

(In this case, the writer provides a brief comment on the information to let the reader know that two major critics of Crane agree.)

Long Quotations

If you decide to use a quotation that is longer than four lines, it is not put in quotation marks but rather block-indented from the left.

Once again remember that you will need to document or show the source of the quotations you use, so make sure that you have recorded all necessary information about the source.

Using a Quote within a Quote

If you need to quote something that already includes a quotation in it, then place the regular "double" quotation marks at the beginning and the end of the complete quotation, and use special "single" quotation marks for the quote within the quote. It looks like this:

"Blake disposes of Menroy's definition of realism, which he calls 'naturalism in disguise'" (Zwerbe 13). [MLA format]   *Notice the different types of formatting indicated after each example. Be sure to follow the correct type (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) that your mentor or area of study requires.

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Using Evidence: Quotation

Basics of quoting other writing.

In most social science disciplines, you will use direct quotations only sparingly. Use a direct quotation only if the exact phrasing of the original material is crucial to your point. If you can paraphrase the idea in your own words, do so.

Use quotation marks around the words you are borrowing directly from another source. For longer passages, use block quotations .

Example: Samson (2010) stated, “Mirror neurons allow for imitation and empathy” (p. 214).

For more examples of integrating quotations into your own sentences along with guidance on punctuation and capitalization of quotations, please visit our page on Quotation Marks .

In order for a reader to understand the impact of a direct quotation or paraphrased source material, you should work to integrate your evidence into your paragraph's overall discussion. A strong way to integrate source material is to use transitions . As you integrate sources, you will also often begin analyzing the evidence

Citations for Direct Quotations

Every direct quotation citation should be incorporated into the paragraph with quotation marks. This means every direct quotation should have the following:

• Year of publication
• Page (p.) or paragraph (para.) number—for more of APA's guidance on citing a specific part of a work without page numbers, see our Citations Overview page
• Quotation marks

In APA, in order to best incorporate your direct quotations, pay close attention the punctuation:

• Your page or paragraph number should always have a period, with no space between the p. or para. and the period.
• The cited page or paragraph number for direct quotations should always come directly after the quotation marks end.

Correct citation: Christensen (2010) regarded the "infiltration of only red light" (p. 32) as a success in the experiment.

Incorrect citation: Christensen (2010) regarded the "infiltration of only red light" as a success in the experiment (p. 32).

Integrating Direct Quotations Into Your Paragraphs

Paragraph with direct quotations not integrated.

Teachers in ESL classrooms need more access to professional development. According to Grant (2009), "The percentage of ESL students in high schools has gone up 75% in the last ten years" (p. 338). Gramber (2010) said, "The scope of ESL education is changing rapidly" (p. 2834). Judes (2008) suggested, "ESL teachers often do not have updated certification." A study found that "Non-native English speakers require a different pedagogy than native speakers" (Bartlett, 2004, p. 97).

In this paragraph, there are several excellent direct quotations. However, readers cannot determine why the author chose to list each of these ideas or how they are connected. This paragraph feels a bit choppy because the author is jumping from one idea to another. By using transitions, though, the author can identify the relationships among the ideas.

Paragraph With Direct Quotations, Revised (Revisions in Bold)

Teachers in ESL classrooms need more access to professional development. According to Grant (2009), "The percentage of ESL students in high schools has gone up 75% in the last ten years" (p. 338). This increase has caused a shift in the tradition training of ESL educators. Speaking of this shift, Gramber (2010) wrote, "The scope of ESL education is changing rapidly" (p. 2834). With such a fast change in training and requirements, districts often neglect to keep their teachers up to date. Judes (2010) suggested, "ESL teachers often do not have updated certification" (p. 33). However, teachers must have up-to-date techniques and be familiar with the most recent theories in the field of ESL education. A recent study found that "Non-native English speakers require a different pedagogy than native speakers" (Bartlett, 2011, p. 97), thus showing the need for teachers to be current in their training and pedagogy. One of the best ways to accomplish this update and keep educators aware of currents trends and theories in their fields is through professional development.

Note that all the transitions and connecting sentences are in bold. These sentences help to move the reader along from one quotation to another while also connecting the quotations.

Using Quotations Video Playlist

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Plagiarism & Academic Integrity

• Academic Integrity
• Types of Academic Dishonesty
• How to Avoid Plagiarism: Citing
• Citing Direct Quotes
• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
• Try It! Identifying Plagiarism
• Understanding a Turnitin Report

When to Use a Direct Quote

Sometimes, you will want to include a direct quote from a source in your paper. 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.
• You are quoting an original term or phrase.

There may be other situations where you feel a direct quote is appropriate. Using direct quotes is fine, and sometimes preferable - just remember that your professor wants to primarily hear YOUR voice in the paper.

We cite short quotes and long quotes differently. See below to learn how to cite both types of quotes.

How to Cite Short Quotes

When citing short quotations , remember:

• Quotation marks
• Author(s) name
• Page number
• Date (for APA)

 Let's look at an example of how to cite direct quotes for short quotations.

 Here is our sample text , from the article "Instructional Design for Best Practice in the Synchronous Cyber Classroom," by Megan Hastie, Nian-Shing Chen, & Yen-Hung Kuo, which appeared in volume 10, issue 4, of the journal Educational Technology & Society, published in 2007.

The interaction between the teacher and student in the initial phase of the trial can best be described as teacher-directed learning.

Correct In-Text Citation, MLA:

Correct In-Text Citation, APA:

This is an especially good example, because the student quotes the unique phrase used by the authors ("teacher-directed learning"), but puts the rest of the information into their own words (this is called paraphrasing) .

How to Cite Long Quotations

You may also wish to sometimes use longer quotes. A long quote is more than 4 lines (MLA), or more than 40 words (APA).

When you include a long quote in your paper, the format is different than for a short quote:

• DO NOT use quotation marks.
• The text is set off as a block quote - that is, the text you are quoting is all indented (1 inch for MLA, 1/2 inch for APA).
• For both APA and MLA, maintain double spacing.

However, as with a short quote, you still need to include the author(s), the page number, and the date (for APA).

Here's an example :

Our sample text is from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous First Inaugural Address, retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/fdr-inaugural/images/address-1.gif .

I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impel. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

**Notice that the page number goes in parentheses after the period for a long quote.** 

Additional Resources

• How to Use Quotation Marks Info on quotations from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).
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15 Direct Quoting

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

Direct Quotes 

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.

While writers should usually paraphrase rather than directly quote sources, 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 are writing to refute something someone 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:

• year of publication
• page number (or paragraph number for websites or timestamp for film or video)

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:

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:

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:

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

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

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)

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).

How Do I Format and Cite Long Direct Quotes?

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

Long Quote with Parenthetical Style Citation

How do I Incorporate Quoted Material?

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. 

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

How do I Alter Quoted Material? 

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:

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

• We added some phrasing to clarify a term used in the quote
• 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.

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

• The Writing Center University of Wisconsin-Madison. (n. d.) Quoting and paraphrasing . https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/quotingsources/ ↵
• 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 ↵
• Foot, D. K., & Stoffman, D. (1996). Boom, bust & echo: How to profit from the coming demographic shift. Macfarlane. ↵

Direct Quoting Copyright © by Confederation College Communications Department and Paterson Library Commons. All Rights Reserved.

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Writing about others works: using direct quotations

USING OTHERS' WORK

Direct quotations can support your arguments and back up your work, but you need to show who said them

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. Here, we explore how to use different quotes in your assessments. 

What is the difference between direct quotes, paraphrasing, citing and referencing?

You'll need quoting, paraphrasing, citing and referencing to use work produced by other people in your assignments and support or challenge your arguments. You'll use a combination of these steps in your studies so it's important to understand the differences between them.

These phrases mean: 

• Quoting : copying the exact words of the original text, using quotation marks and the author's name, for example, when taken from a book or an article on a reading list.
• Paraphrasing : rephrasing and shortening the original text into your own words without using quotation marks, then writing the author’s surname, year of publication.
• Citing : writing the author’s surname, year of publication and, for direct quotations, page number to show where you found your direct quotation or paraphrased information.
• Referencing : refers to publications included in the list of references at the end.

When to use direct quotes

There are various reasons to use direct quotations in academic writing. You'll usually use them as an example of ideas in your assignment, but exactly how you use them varies depending on your discipline. History or Sociology students use quotes differently to Biology or Computing students, for example. You should consult your course handbook, speak to your tutors and learn from your previous assignment feedback to explore how direct quotations are used on your course. Reading around your subject will also help you understand how academics in your field write. 

Direct quotes are useful for defining or describing specific concepts, whereas paraphrasing or summarising information from other sources shows that you understand the content and general idea. Try to summarise sources in most of your work and use direct quotes when they'll have a strong impact. Make it clear to the reader that you understand the quote and its context, and why you've used a quote instead of paraphrasing.

Using quotes properly will support your points and improve your assignments. Use quotes that back up your argument rather than quotes that 'look good' or sound impressive. Make sure you understand what a quote is saying in its context and explain its meaning in your work. Using quotes out of context or misinterpreting them to support your point won't improve your marks. 

Plan your work, its structure and the key points and then choose which quotes to include. Choosing quotes beforehand means you're more likely to let your quotes shape your writing as you try to link one quote to another. Trying to link unrelated ideas because they sound good in isolation won't help you draw accurate conclusions, and could negatively impact your assessment. 

Using direct quotations

You'll often use direct quotes in the middle of a paragraph. Use double quotation marks at the beginning and end of the quote, use the exact words from the original text and show your source, or your work being could be considered as plagiarism. For example: 

According to Gross it is ( open direct quotation marks ) "not only the vocabulary of a language that determines how and what we think and perceive, but also the grammar."( close direct quotation marks ) (1996, p. 317).  

Quotes must sit logically in your writing and make sense. Your marker shouldn't feel like the quote stands out. Consider commenting on the quotation by discussing its meaning or adding more information to it if you need to. For example:  

But it is not only the vocabulary of a language that determines how and what we think and perceive, but also the grammar. In the Hopi language, no distinction is made between past, present and future; it is a ( open direct quotation marks ) "timeless language" ( close direct quotation marks ) (Gross, 1996, p. 324) , compared with English. In European languages, time is treated as an objective entity, as if it were a ruler with equal spaces or intervals marked off. There is a clear demarcation between past, present and future corresponding to three separate sections of a ruler.

Short quotes

Include short quotations of less than three lines in your main text. Use quotation marks to separate the quote from your own writing. This could look like: 

Furthermore, it is ( open direct quotation marks ) "not only the vocabulary of a language that determines how and what we think and perceive but also the grammar" ( close direct quotation marks ) (Gross, 1996, p. 317).

Longer quotations

Separate direct quotations that are more than three lines from your text by leaving a line space above and below the quote and indenting it. These quotes should be single line spaced (unlike the rest of your text, which is probably double or 1.5 line spaced). Indented quotes don't need quotation marks. This could look like:

Writing about Hopi, a native American language, Gross writes:

In the Hopi language, no distinction is made between the past, present and future; it is a timeless language’ compared with English, although it does recognise duration, i.e., how long an event lasts. In European languages, time is treated as an objective entity (Gross, 1996, p. 317).

(end of indent)

The distinction drawn between the languages and their treatment of time is interesting and relevant to the argument because...

Omitting parts of a quotation

Use an ellipsis (three dots) to omit or remove parts of a quote and show where you've removed text. Don't change the meaning of the quote when you do this. For example:  

Gross (1996, p.137) points out that in the language it is ( open direct quotation marks ) "not only in the vocabulary…( dot dot dot ), but also the grammar" ( close direct quotation marks ) that influences how and what we understand.

Clarifying a quotation

You can add words to a quote in square brackets to make its meaning clearer. This is known as interpolation. For example: 

Gross emphasises the contrast: ( open the direct quotation marks ) "In the Hopi language, no distinction is made between past, present and future ( open square brackets ) [whereas] ( close square brackets ) in European languages …( dot dot dot ) there is a clear demarcation between ( open square brackets ) [them] ( close square brackets )."( close direct quotation marks ) (Gross, 1996, p. 317).

Gross, R. (1996). Psychology: The science of mind and behaviour (3rd ed.). Hodder & Stoughton

Explore referencing at Portsmouth

Find out how to reference your sources at the Library website.

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Verbs for citations (APA style)

Academic writing style

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Harvard Referencing / Harvard Referencing Style Examples / Referencing direct quotes in Harvard style

Referencing direct quotes in Harvard style

If you include a direct quote in your paper, you’ll need to know how to create Harvard in-text citations . The Harvard style of referencing follows an author-date format for in-text citations; this means that the surname of the author and the date of publication are used to cite a quotation or idea borrowed from another author. If you include a direct quote in your paper and that source has page numbers, you’ll also need to know how to format page numbers in Harvard style .

Follow these rules when directly quoting from a source in Harvard style:

Short direct quotations

A short direct quote is one to two lines long. When you are using a short direct quotation from a source, it should be enclosed in quotation marks. The following format is used:

“Quotation” (Surname of the author, year of publication of the source, page number if applicable).

Example :  

“He put up his book of notes in a very deliberate manner” (Gaskell, 1855, p. 290).  

Note that if you mention the name of the author in the sentence containing the direct quotation, you do not have to put the author’s name in the parenthetical in-text citation.

Gaskell (1855, p. 292) writes, “She had sunk under her burden.”

While referencing this quotation in the reference list, you will follow the following format:

Surname of the author, initial(s). (Year of publication) Title of the source . Place of publication: Publisher.

Gaskell, E. (1855) North and south . London: Vintage Publishing.

Longer direct quotations

Quotations that run for more than two lines should be separated from the paragraph. A free line should be left above and below the quotation.

A colon is placed before the quotation. Unlike short quotations, longer quotations are not enclosed in quotation marks. The author’s name, date of publication, and page number are included.

The font size of the quotation should be at least 2 points smaller than the font size of the rest of the text.

The full citation in the reference list should be formatted the same way as for shorter direct quotations.

The narrator describes why Radley house was different from the otherwise amiable neighborhood of Maycomb county. As stated by Lee (1960, p. 9):

The Radleys, welcome anywhere in town, kept to themselves, a predilection unforgivable in Maycomb. They did not go to church, Maycomb’s principal recreation, but worshiped at home; Mrs. Radley seldom if ever crossed the street for a mid-morning coffee break with her neighbors, and certainly never joined a missionary circle.

This clearly shows why the Radleys were different.

Published October 29, 2020.

Harvard Formatting Guide

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APA 7th Direct Quotes

APA Direct Quote

If a source has multiple authors, follow these guidelines.

Two  authors in a parenthetical citation:  Use an ampersand (&) between the two last names. ​ 

Two authors in the narrative:   Use  and  between the two last names. ​ 

Three or more authors:  Only cite the first author, followed by  et al.

If directly quoting, include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference. Introduce the quote with a phrase like  according to  or state the author's last name.

• According to Smith (2017), "First-year college students struggle with the lack of sleep, good eating habits, and APA style" (p. 23).
• According to Jones and Brown (2017), "Citing in correct APA style can be challenging" (p. 25).
• Smith (2017) discovered "first-year college students struggle with lack of sleep, good eating habits, and APA style" (p. 23); what does that mean for college health officers, librarians, and teachers?

If you do not name the author in the sentence, list it with the date and page numbers after the quotation.

• She said, "First-year college students struggle with lack of sleep, good eating habits, and APA style" (Roberts, 2017, p. 199), and listed several solutions.

No page numbers . If the work does not have a page number, then provide an "address" to find the quoted text using one of the following methods:

• Supply a heading or section name (this can be abbreviated).                                                                    "Librarians are the keepers of information" (Johnson & Minchew, 2022, Reference Section)
• Supply a paragraph number (for unnumbered paragraphs count them accordingly).                                  "Reference is not a mute topic" (Johnson & Minchew, 2022, para. 1).
• Supply a heading or section name and a paragraph number.                                                                      "Research is a complex undertaking. Proper technique wields the best possible results" (Johnson & Minchew, 2022, Research section, para. 3).

Audiovisual work . When providing a quote directly from an audiovisual work ( audioBooks, films, podcast, TV programs, YouTube video ), place a time stamp for the beginning of the quote in lieu of a page number.

     "Books open the path to understanding and expanding our minds" (Johnson, 2022, 7:11). 

View APA Style guidance for Quotations . 

• << Previous: APA 7th In Text Citations & Quotes
• Next: Block Text >>
• Last Updated: Mar 18, 2024 9:38 AM
• URL: https://libguides.ggc.edu/apastyle_7th

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Signal and Lead-in Phrases

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

In most citation styles, including APA, MLA, and Chicago style, you can add variety to your research writing by not always using the same sentence structure to introduce quotations, paraphrases, or pieces of information borrowed from different sources. It is relatively simple to use a wide variety of different expressions to introduce both direct and indirect citations. These expressions, which usually occur in the parts of sentences that come just before quotes and paraphrases, are called signal phrases (or, in some cases,  lead-in phrases ). 

Often, signal phrases can be distinguished by the presence of a verb like "indicate" or "argue" that references what the author is doing in the original source. However, a few select signal phrases contain no verbs (e.g., "According to [author],").

In the examples below, the author being cited is Jane Doe. The examples in the first section are adapted to APA, which recommends past-tense verbs  in signal phrases. For MLA (as well as Chicago style), the same verbs can also be used in the present tense instead of the past tense, as the second section below shows. 

Be sure each signal phrase verb matches your intention for the in-text citation. Read the whole sentence after you finish to ensure that the signal phrase grammatically coheres with any content that follows the quote or paraphrase.

Expressing Disagreement with a Signal Phrase

Of course, some quotes and paraphrases express disagreement or negative opinions. In these cases, be sure that any verbs in the signal phrase match the nature of the quote or paraphrase. See the examples below.

Doe rejected  the claim that nature is more important than nurture.

Doe denied  the claim that nature is more important than nurture.

Doe refutes  the claim that nature is more important than nurture.

Doe disputes  the claim that nature is more important than nurture.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Referencing with Direct Quote, Paraphrase, or Summary

Stephanie Ojeda Ponce

There are different ways you might make references to a source in your own writing. The main ways are described below.

Direct Quotes

A direct quote might be most familiar to you—using quotation marks (“ ”) to indicate the moments that you’re borrowing, when you reproduce an author’s words verbatim in your own writing. Use a direct quote if someone else wrote or said something in a distinctive or particular way and you want to capture their words exactly. Direct quotes are good for establishing credibility and providing evidence.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is similar to the process of summary. When we paraphrase, we process information or ideas from another person’s text and put them in our own words. The main difference between paraphrase and summary is scope: if summarizing means rewording and condensing, then paraphrasing means rewording without drastically altering length. However, paraphrasing is also generally more faithful to the spirit of the original; whereas a summary requires you to process and invites your own perspective, a paraphrase ought to mirror back the original idea using your own language.

Paraphrasing is helpful for establishing background knowledge or general consensus, simplifying a complicated idea, or reminding your reader of a certain part of another text. It is also valuable when relaying statistics or historical information, both of which are usually more fluidly woven into your writing when spoken with your own voice.

Summary, as discussed earlier in this chapter, is useful for “broadstrokes” or quick overviews, brief references, and describing the state of knowledge. When you summarize, you reword and condense another author’s writing. Be aware, though, that summary also requires individual thought: when you reword, it should be a result of you processing the idea yourself, and when you condense, you must think critically about which parts of the text are most important.

Below, you can see three examples of these three tools. Consider how the direct quote, the paraphrase, and the summary each could be used to achieve different purposes.

Original Passage

“It has been suggested (again rather anecdotally) that giraffes do communicate using infrasonic vocalizations (the signals are verbally described to be similar—in structure and function—to the low-frequency, infrasonic “rumbles” of elephants). It was further speculated that the extensive frontal sinus of giraffes acts as a resonance chamber for infrasound production. Moreover, particular neck movements (e.g. the neck stretch) are suggested to be associated with the production of infrasonic vocalizations” (Baotic et al., 2015) .

Baotic, A., Sicks, F. & Stoeger, A.S. (2015). Nocturnal ‘Humming’ Vocalizations: Adding a Piece of the Puzzle of Giraffe Vocal Communication. BioMed Central Research Notes Vol . 8, no. 425. US National Library of Medicine. doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1394-3.

This section has been adapted from  Chapter Five: Summary and Response  in  EmpoWORD: A Student-Centered Anthology and Handbook for College Writers  by Shane Abrams, licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Referencing with Direct Quote, Paraphrase, or Summary Copyright © 2023 by Stephanie Ojeda Ponce is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Plagiarism Prevention

• What is Plagiarism?
• Cite Your Sources Twice!
• Ways to Avoid Plagiarism
• Malicious Plagiarism
• Accidental Plagiarism
• Common Misconceptions about Plagiarism
• Keep Your Sources Organized
• Master the Art of Taking Notes
• Let's Practice!

Direct Quotes

• Check Your Knowledge: Direct Quotes
• Check Your Knowledge: Direct Quotes #2
• Paraphrasing
• Check Your Knowledge: Paraphrasing
• Check Your Knowledge: Paraphrasing #2
• Plagiarism Quiz

There are several ways to include outside sources in your research paper: 

• You can take the exact words of an outside source and include them in your paper. 
• You can change the ideas of the outside sources into your own words.
• In both cases, you still need to include what points to that outside source to avoid plagiarism.

Click the arrows in the gray bar under the slides to learn more about using direct quotes, plus quotes with brackets, and quotes with ellipses.

**All examples are done in MLA Style, 9th edition (however, the principles are the same no matter what citation style you're using).

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Direct Quotes

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using direct quotes in your writing:

• Not putting quotation marks on directly cited words and phrases
• Not including an in-text citation after a quote (ex: "quoted sentence (Smith 210-211))
• Putting quotes around words that do not exactly match the original text--did you know that if you change any word in a direct quote, you must use brackets ( [ ] ) around the changed work?
• If you cut out a portion of a quotation to make it shorter, you need to use ellipses ( ... ) to show this.
• Not making it clear where your quote came from--be sure to cite the author (or title, if there is no author) and the page number(s) that the quote appears on directly after the end of the quote.
• << Previous: Let's Practice!
• Next: Check Your Knowledge: Direct Quotes >>
• Last Updated: Oct 17, 2022 10:32 AM
• URL: https://uscupstate.libguides.com/plagiarism_prevention

•   [email protected]

APA Style: Basics

Citations for Direct Quotations

A direct quotation is a verbatim reproduction from another work. The APA recommends paraphrasing when possible. The format of the quotation and the in-text citation depends on the length of the quotation. The in-text citation will include the author, year, and page number(s). The page number format is different for single pages, a page range, and non-consecutive (discontinuous) pages. The APA formats direct quotations into short quotations (fewer than 40 words), and block quotations (40 words or more). 

Page Numbers

No Page Numbers? Check out the APA Style's section on Direct Quotation of Material Without Page Numbers This link opens in a new window . You can use section names, paragraph numbers, time stamps (for audiovisual works), and more. 

Short Quotations

Short quotations contain fewer than 40 words. To incorporate this type of quotation into your work enclose the words in quotation marks. Do not add an ellipsis unless one is used in source. Add a full in-text citation in the same sentence.

Parenthetical Citation

General Format

A parenthetical citation can be either immediately following the quotation or at the end of the sentence.

Text "quote" (Author, Year, Page).

Text "quote" (Author, Year, Page) more text.

For Example

Mental health care for veterans and active duty military needs to be greatly improved. One tool that is used is the Combat Exposure Scale (CES) this is a "seven-item self-report measure that assesses wartime stressors experienced by combatants" (Lawhorne-Scott et al., 2012, p. 36).

Narrative Citation

A narrative citation typically includes the author and year before the quotations and the page number(s) after the quotation.

Author (Year) text "quote" (Page).

However if the quote begins the sentence, the author will follow in a narrative form with the year and date in parentheses afterwards.

"Quote" text Author (Year, Page) more text.

Chen et al. (2019) noted that "an increased patient–nurse ratio would induce nurses’ intention to leave their job" (p. 12).

"Workforce staffing and scheduling for clinical units in healthcare system is a formidable challenge" wrote Sedeh (2018, p. 1) in their review of nurse staffing in emergency room departments.

Block Quotations

Block quotations contain 40 words or more. To incorporate this type of quotation into your work you will need to begin the quotation on a new line, indent the left margin for the entire quotation, and double-space the quotation. Add a full in-text citation either in the narrative while including the page numbers at the end after the quotation's final punctuation, or a parenthetical citation after the last punctuation.

A parenthetical citation is placed after the quote's final punctuation.

The symptoms of anxiety can be debilitating:

A narrative citation typically includes the author and year before the block quotation and the page number(s) immediately after the quotation's last punctuation.

Chen et al. (2019) detail how hospitals are in the business of saving lives and those in charge have a lot to take into account when planning their nurse-patient ratios:

• << Previous: Citations for Paraphrased Sources
• Next: Formatting Authors in In-Text Citations >>

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Computer Science > Machine Learning

Title: mixture-of-depths: dynamically allocating compute in transformer-based language models.

Abstract: Transformer-based language models spread FLOPs uniformly across input sequences. In this work we demonstrate that transformers can instead learn to dynamically allocate FLOPs (or compute) to specific positions in a sequence, optimising the allocation along the sequence for different layers across the model depth. Our method enforces a total compute budget by capping the number of tokens ($k$) that can participate in the self-attention and MLP computations at a given layer. The tokens to be processed are determined by the network using a top-$k$ routing mechanism. Since $k$ is defined a priori, this simple procedure uses a static computation graph with known tensor sizes, unlike other conditional computation techniques. Nevertheless, since the identities of the $k$ tokens are fluid, this method can expend FLOPs non-uniformly across the time and model depth dimensions. Thus, compute expenditure is entirely predictable in sum total, but dynamic and context-sensitive at the token-level. Not only do models trained in this way learn to dynamically allocate compute, they do so efficiently. These models match baseline performance for equivalent FLOPS and wall-clock times to train, but require a fraction of the FLOPs per forward pass, and can be upwards of 50\% faster to step during post-training sampling.

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