

Quoting is a good choice when how something is said matters it gives readers a sense of the tone, style, and perspective of the original source. 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.ĭirect quotes are good for establishing ethos and providing evidence.

QuotingĪ direct quote uses quotation marks (“ ”) to indicate where you’re borrowing an author’s words verbatim in your own writing. Whether or not you’ve been collecting evidence throughout your research process, be sure to return to the original sources to ensure the accuracy and efficacy of your quotes, summaries, and paraphrases. Foreground your thesis (even if it’s still in progress), and use paraphrases, direct quotes, and summary in the background to explain, support, complicate, or contrast your perspective.ĭepending on the work you’ve done to this point, you may have a reasonable body of quotes, summaries, and paraphrases that you can draw from. While you’re drafting, be diligent and deliberate with your use of other people’s words, ideas, and perspectives. What is my rhetorical purpose for this project? If your purpose is to argue a position, be sure that you feel comfortable with the terms and ideas discussed in the previous section on argumentation.What did I know about this issue before I began researching? What have I learned so far?.With which viewpoints do I align? With which viewpoints do I disagree? Consider agreement (“Yes”), disagreement (“No”), and qualification (“Yes, but…”).What are the major viewpoints on this topic? Remember that very few issues have only two sides.

