Reporting other author’s ideas When reporting other author’s ideas, you use either direct quotations or you summarise or paraphrase and then use indirect quotations. In both cases you need to reference the source and use reporting verbs to refer to the other author.

When you use direct quotes, put them in quotation marks and do not change any words: Descartes stated, “I think, therefore I am.” “I think,” Descartes stated, “therefore I am.” “I think, therefore I am,” Descartes stated.

When you use indirect quotation, Summarise or paraphrase the author’s words; do not change the meaning; shift the verb tenses if necessary; change the structure of sentences, e.g. from active to passive.

Direct quote: Descartes stated, “I think, therefore I am.” Indirect quote: Descartes states that he thinks, therefore he is. Descartes stated that he thought, therefore he was.

Direct quote: Descartes stated, “I think, therefore I am.” Indirect quote: Descartes states that using his mind to think proves that he exists. Descartes stated that using his mind to think proved that he existed.

Vary your sentences and use different reporting verbs: Descartes stated, “I think, therefore I am.” Descartes observed, “I think, therefore I am.” Descartes argued, “I think, therefore I am.” Descartes claimed, “I think, therefore I am.”

Links to the use of reporting verbs https://learn.gold.ac.uk/course/category.php?id=25 http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/learning_guides/learningGuide_reportingVerbs.pdf www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/learning_english/leap/grammar/reportingverbs http://tls.vu.edu.au/vucollege/learninghub/degreestudysupport/resources_writing/Reporting_verbs.pdf