引述或引用是指你在作品中通过正确的方法使用了其他作者的观点。抄袭则是指有意或无意地将别人的作品/观点作为自己的作品/观点使用。不恰当的引述可能会导致抄袭问题，这就是为什么要遵循特定引用风格的的原因。我们在使用直接引用、间接引用、转述时如何避免抄袭呢？以下方法(以MLA格式为例)可供大家参考。
1、用一个完整的句子后跟一个冒号来引入一个引语。
示例：
The setting emphasizes deception: "Nothing is as it appears" (Smith 1).
piercy ends the poem on an ironic note: "To every woman a happy ending" (25).
2、用你自己的话开始一个句子，然后用引用完成这句话。
示例：
Hamlet's task is to avenge a "foul and most unnatural murder" (Shakespeare 925).
The speaker is mystified by her sleeping baby,whose "moth-breath / flickers among the flat pink roses" (plath 17).
3、使用一个介绍性的短语来命名出处，后面加一个逗号来引用其他作者的话。
示例：
According to Smith,"[W]riting is fun" (215).
In Smith's words," . . .
In Smith's view," . . .
4、用一个描述性的动词，后跟一个逗号来介绍其他作者的话。
示例：
Smith states,"This book is terrific" (102).
Smith remarks," . . .
Smith writes," . . .
Smith notes," . . .
Smith comments," . . .
Smith observes," . . .
Smith concludes," . . .
Smith reports," . . .
Smith maintains," . . .
Smith adds," . . .
5、如果你的引语以that或as结尾，就不要在其后加逗号。
示例：
Smith points out that "millions of students would like to burn this book" (53).
Smith emphasizes that " . . .
In Smith's view," . . .
Smith interprets the hand washing in MacBeth as "an attempt at absolution" (106).
Smith describes the novel as "a celebration of human experience" (233).
通过上述方法，应该就能避免在引述时出现抄袭问题。不过，建议同学避免在论文中使用太多直接引语。使用大量直接引语会影响你的观点，削弱你的论点，让你失去读者的信任。尽量不要在一个段落中使用一个以上的直接引语。相反，你可以使用意译来支持你的想法。
