When should you use direct quotations?

Direct quotations should be used sparingly, but are appropriate in the following situations:

Definitions

Example, in APA style:
Love is "a complex emotion involving strong feelings of affection and tenderness for the love object, pleasurable sensations in their presence, devotion to their well-being, and sensitivity to their reactions to oneself" ("Love", 2023, para. 1).

When discussing someone's specific claim

Example, in APA style:
On 22 July, the British prime minister Rishi Sunak told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, 2023) that "freedom of expression is ..." (15:03). This can be interpreted as ....

When the original wording is groundbreaking or particularly significant

Example, in APA style:
"One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world" (Yousafzai, 2013, 16:36).

Why should you avoid too many direct quotations?

Too many quotations make a text heavy and give the impression that you are not engaging independently with the material. Your teacher wants to see that you understand the content, not just that you can paste in other people's words. The most important thing is to demonstrate your own understanding and critical thinking. And when you paraphrase in your own words, you learn more effectively too!

Useful links

Style and grammar guidelines https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines

References

Love, (2023, November 15). In APA dictionary of psychology. APA. https://dictionary.apa.org/love

United Nations. (2013, July 12). Malala Yousafzai addresses United Nations Youth Assembly [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNhZu3ttIU