When you are using a source in your paper, when is it appropriate to use a direct quote and when should you paraphrase? why?

When you are using a source in your paper, you can use a direct quote when you want to report the exact thing that the author said. In this case, the sentence must be put inside a quotation mark to show that you are quoting the author directly. When writing a paper that uses sources, you are expected to paraphrase the content, direct quote should only be used when it becomes absolutely necessary and the source must be acknowledged. This is very important in order to avoid plagiarism in your work.