Many inexperienced writers do either one of two things with quotations: they shun it or they do too much. Both are harmful to your writing, the second one especially so.
Depending on the piece and how well you write it, you can sometimes get away with doing no quotations or being sparse with it. Put in too much of the source material verbatim, though, and you’re going to destroy the flow, with little to be done to help it.
Why People Quote Too Much
Each person committing this offense has their own reasons for it. Usually, though, it’s one of these:
- They think you should quote complete passages.
- They don’t want to dilute the source’s whole message.
The first reason is just silly. Quotes are inserted to help your piece make a point. If including only a part of the passage can do it, then that’s all you should do. The latter is a bit more tricky. If the message is relevant to your work, then you may need to include the entirety. If only part of it is, then that’s all you should put in. You can clarify the author’s entire point later, either as an addendum or a footnote.
Quoting Just Right
When including quotations, always use just enough to make an emphatic point. They’re supposed to help enforce your argument and lend credibility to your writing, not leave your audiences in near tears due to boredom. In case you really have to quote large blocks of text from a source, try separating them with your own take. When going this route, though, pay particular attention to your punctuations – it can go bad pretty fast. Use an English grammar checker for help.
