What it looks like
An example from English Literature.
The creature tells Victor, “I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed.” He also says, “I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.”
The creature insists he was “benevolent and good” until “misery” made him a “fiend”, which presents his violence as something done to him rather than something he was born with. By calling himself a “fallen angel” rather than Victor’s “Adam”, he casts Victor as a creator who has abandoned his creation, and shifts the reader’s sympathy from creator to creature.
Why markers write it
Quotations show what someone else wrote; paraphrase and analysis show what you understood. When a large share of an essay is quoted, there’s less of your thinking for the marker to credit, and long quotes often stand in for the explanation they should prompt. In most subjects, quote only when the exact words matter: a key term, a striking phrase, or language you’re analysing.
How to fix it in your next essay
- 1Quote words, not paragraphsPick the two or three words that carry the meaning and build them into your own sentence.
- 2Paraphrase ideas, quote languageIf you’re using what a source argues, paraphrase and cite it. Quote only when the wording itself matters.
- 3Follow every quote with analysisAfter each quotation, add at least as much of your own explanation: what it shows, and how it supports your point.
Phrases that help
How much it costs
There’s rarely a fixed limit, but heavy quotation usually lowers the marks for analysis and expression in UK schemes, and quotations often count towards your word limit while showing little of your own thinking.
Other ways markers say it
- “Too many quotations”
- “Overuse of quotation”
- “Put this in your own words”
- “Paraphrase more”
- “Quotations need analysis”
Often written alongside
Common questions
- How much quotation is too much?
- There’s no universal rule, and it varies by subject: close reading in English uses more than most. If quotes outweigh your own analysis in a paragraph, cut them back.
- Do I still need to cite a paraphrase?
- Yes. Using a source’s ideas without credit is plagiarism, quoted or not. Cite every paraphrase.