Deciding Whether to Quote, Paraphrase, or Summarize
Quote
• Something that is said so well that it’s worth repeating
• Complex ideas that are expressed so clearly that paraphrasing or summarizing could
distort or oversimplify them
Paraphrase
• Passages where the details matter, but not the exact words
Summarize
• Lengthy passages when the main point is important to your argument but the details
are not