To incorporate material from sources into your essay, you paraphrase the source, or you quote the source.

Paraphrase

When you paraphrase, you change the language of the source into your own language. Do not change a few words; change the entire sentence structure. Here are some examples:

Original: The twenties were the years when drinking was against the law, and the law was a bad joke because everyone knew of a local bar where liquor could be had. They were the years when organized crime ruled the cities, and the police seemed powerless to do anything against it. Classical music was forgotten while jazz spread throughout the land, and men like Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie became the heroes of the young. The flapper was born in the twenties, and with her bobbed hair and short skirts, she symbolized, perhaps more than anyone or anything else, America's break with the past.




The information is more or less the same in the original and the paraphrase, but the language in the paraphrase is wholly transformed.

Quotation

To quote, use the exact language from the source, enclosed in quotation marks. For example:
According to the report, "Of the more than 1000 bicycling deaths each year, three-fourths are caused by head injuries. Half of those killed are school-age children."
With both paraphrase and quotation, you usually use an introductory phrase:
As Smith writes, "Cars are dangerous."
According to Smith, "Cars are dangerous."

Notice that the previous two examples use a comma before the quotation, and the quotation begins with a capital letter. You can also write:

Smith argues that "cars are dangerous.

When you use the word "that," you do not use a comma before the quotation, and the quotation begins with a lower case letter. Quotes introduced by "that" need not be complete sentences, whereas quotes proceded by a comma and beginning with a capital must be complete sentences.

The introductory phrase need not be in the beginning of the sentence:

Cars, Smith argues, "are dangerous."

"Cars are dangerous," according to Smith.
Use a similar phrase when you paraphrase:
Smith feels cars are unsafe.
However, you do not have to use such an introductory phrase with the author's name for every quotation or paraphrase in the paragraph. Sometimes you can substitute "he" or "she" for the author's name. And sometimes, when it is clear who the author is, you can omit the introductory phrase.
Smith argues that cars are not safe. He feels the bicycles are safer. Moreover, "bicycles are better for the environment."
It is clear that the quote in the third sentence is also taken from Smith.

Often you can combine a paraphrase and a quotation, which can be very effective.


In general, use quotes to make important points. Quote striking, dramatic language where possible.

Remember, many verbs can be used to introduce quotes and paraphrases. For example: writes, says, argues, claims, insists, questions, responds, reports, admits, answers, explains, suggests, hints, implies, reveals, disputes, etc.