Short answer
A quotation preserves a source’s wording; a paraphrase expresses a source passage in your own words. Both still require attribution: the difference is how you present borrowed material, not whether you acknowledge its origin. 1
On this page
At a glance
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| Question | Quotation | Paraphrase |
|---|---|---|
| What carries over? | Exact wording | Material restated in new wording |
| What happens to length? | A selected segment is reproduced | A passage is usually condensed somewhat |
| Is attribution required? | Yes | Yes |
| Can they share a sentence? | Yes | Yes |
These distinctions follow Purdue’s account; MLA provides a mixed-sentence citation example. 1 2
What each thing is
Quotation brings the source’s actual verbal expression into a new text. Paraphrase brings a passage’s meaning into the new writer’s phrasing. Purdue treats both as ways of incorporating another writer’s work, alongside summary. Neither is defined simply by the presence of a citation, because all three forms need attribution. 1
Key differences
The main contrast is fidelity to wording versus restatement. A quotation must match the selected source segment word for word. A paraphrase uses different wording and may condense the passage slightly. Length is therefore a secondary clue, not the decisive boundary: Purdue describes paraphrases as usually shorter, rather than requiring a particular reduction. 1
How to tell them apart
Compare the passage with its source: reproduced wording indicates quotation; a passage recast in the writer’s own words indicates paraphrase. Apply that test locally, not just to the whole sentence. Its limit is mixed writing: a sentence can paraphrase a claim while reproducing one source word, as MLA’s example demonstrates. 1 2
Where they overlap
Both can support claims, introduce other viewpoints, and connect a text with earlier work. They can also operate together rather than compete. Purdue describes summaries that blend paraphrased points with quoted phrases; MLA shows that quotation and paraphrase can share a sentence and still receive source documentation. 1 2
Edge cases
A very short restatement may approach summary rather than paraphrase. Purdue distinguishes summary by its focus on main points and broader overview, not merely by different wording. Another edge case is a paraphrase containing a quoted fragment: that fragment remains quotation even though the surrounding sentence restates the source. 1 2
Why the distinction exists
The distinction lets readers recognize whether wording itself comes from the source. That matters when a writer highlights a striking expression or signals distance from another author’s position. Paraphrase instead presents source material through the new writer’s wording, without removing the obligation to identify where it came from. 1
Common misconceptions
Own wording does not mean an idea needs no attribution. Nor does one citation make an entire sentence a quotation. Citation arrangements also should not be mistaken for universal publishing rules: the supplied MLA post offers specific options and explicitly identifies its guidance as eighth-edition material. 1 2
Examples
Hypothetically, a reviewer reproduces an author’s final sentence word for word and credits the author: that is quotation. In MLA’s supplied example, a writer restates Davis’s assessment of institutional strategies but retains one source word as a quotation. That sentence contains both forms; MLA offers documentation covering their respective source locations. 1 2