The Art of Quoting

When writing papers, quoting is very important as it helps suppurt your argument. As one author points out, "Quoting someone else's words gives a tremendous amount of credibility to your summary and helps ensure that it is fair and accurate" (Graff, 2011). I agree with this statement because when you quote another author, it shows that research has been done on this topic before, and that someone else shares the same point of view as your own. This allows your argument to be more valid and persuasive. Although quoting is important and extremely useful, it is even more important that one knows how to use quoting correctly. Graff argues that "...the main problem with quoting arises when writers assume that quotations speak for themselves" (Graff, 2011). I agree with Graff's argument because I also think that it is important to explain your quote, not let it stand alone. If you do not show how the quote relates to or supports your argument, it is not as effective on the readers.