When to Quote, Paraphrase, or Summarize

• wording that is so memorable or powerful, or expresses a point so perfectly, that you cannot change it without weakening its meaning
• authors’ opinions you wish to emphasize
• authors’ words that show you are considering varying perspectives
• respected authorities whose opinions support your ideas
• authors whose opinions challenge or vary greatly from those of others in the field

• passages you do not wish to quote but that use details important to your point

• long passages in which the main point is important to your point but the details are not