Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and in the last episode, we talked about citations. I mentioned that if you quote a source, you must cite it, but that you really shouldn’t quote sources frequently in your writing. Why?
Your writing should be your own. Especially if you’re trying to present a new, original thesis, you can’t rely on quotes from other authors. Otherwise, you’re simply creating a literature review, which is an entirely different endeavor than writing a fresh paper to present your research.
Only directly quote a source if the author has said something better than you can, there’s no effective way to paraphrase, or you’re going to elaborate on or argue with the author’s point as in an academic discussion. Otherwise, incorporate elements of others’ research, but don’t directly quote. Paraphrase and work the information into your own research.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.