When should I use quotes?
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.