What is the difference between paraphrase and quotation, and when should each be used?

• A. Quotations should be used in every paragraph to support ideas.
• B. Paraphrase means copying the original wording.
• C. Paraphrase restates ideas in your own words; quotation uses exact words; use paraphrase for synthesis and quotations for precise wording or authority.
• D. Quotations should never be used in an essay.

Answer: (C)

Paraphrase and quotation serve two different ways of bringing someone else’s ideas into your writing. Paraphrase means restating the idea in your own words and often changing the sentence structure, so you can explain, analyze, or synthesize the information alongside your own argument. Quotation means repeating the exact words from the source with quotation marks and a citation, which is useful when the author’s phrasing is precise, powerful, or carries authority.

Use paraphrase when you want to show you understand the material, connect ideas from multiple sources, or integrate information smoothly into your own voice. Use quotation when the original wording matters—for example, a succinct definition, a particularly memorable line, or wording that would lose meaning if changed.

Avoid overquoting; quotations should be used deliberately, not in every paragraph. And paraphrase is not copying word-for-word—paraphrase requires you to put the idea into your own words while still accurately conveying the meaning. An option that says paraphrase means copying the original or that quotations should never be used misrepresents how these tools work.